Kinpira is a great dish for strengthening and warming our bodies, especially during the colder times of the year. The cooking technique consists of initially saut\u00e9ing the vegetables, then adding water and a cover to steam them. Cut the vegetables a little thicker in the cold months and thinner in the warmer months. This will enable a longer cooking time during those months when we need more warmth in our systems and a shorter cooking time when we need less.<\/p>\n
I have made it using carrot, daikon radish and burdock, but any selection of root vegetables will do. Lotus root is a great addition as well. Slice it thin and add it near the beginning. I like to use an odd number of vegetables, preferably 3 or 5, because I think it creates a more dynamic dish. The amount of each of the vegetables in the dish doesn’t matter as much, just be sure to add vegetables one at a time according to density and cooking time. Generally, burdock will take the longest, that is also why it is cut very thin.<\/p>\n
Burdock, also known as gobo, is a very strong root vegetable and energetically will impart some of that strength to us when we eat it. When choosing burdock, you want the root to be compact and dense. It should look fresh and not limp. It can look pretty dirty. Scrub it with a vegetable brush, but refrain from peeling it. Likewise for the carrots and daikon radish.<\/p>\n