Contributed by: Darcie Yukimura

Grandma always made the nishime. It’s a simple dish but takes much time in preparation. Every year the ladies of the family crowded around her table, cutting vegetables with Grandma’s instruction to cut “with edges, no circles.” Between reminiscing, laughter and stories, Grandma taught me that nishime a way of binding family together. Now it’s my job to make the nishime for the Christmas party. We still gather to carry on the tradition, and I share this recipe as an invitation to table of memory making and togetherness.

P.S.: You can skip the cutting process by getting the frozen wafu yasai mix (Japanese frozen vegetables), but what’s the fun in that?

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, sliced
• 2 cups dashi
• ½ cup shoyu
• ½ cup mirin
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup sake (optional)
• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked, stems removed, halved, save liquid)
• 1 piece konnyaku (1” pieces)
• 1 piece aburaage (1” strips)
• 2 dried kombu strips (soaked, tied into knots)
• 1 large gobo (burdock root), peeled, cut diagonal, soaked in water
• 1 (8.5 oz) can bamboo shoots, rinsed, drained, 1½” pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled, 1½” pieces
• 1 small daikon, peeled, 1½” pieces
• 1 large hasu (lotus root), peeled, ¼” slices
• 2 araimo (Japanese yam/taro), peeled, 1½” pieces