Japanese Green Beans with Sesame Dressing - Ingen no Gama-ae いんげんの胡麻和え

Japanese Green Beans with Sesame Dressing
( Ingen no Gama-ae いんげんの胡麻和え )

Mixing the cooked beans with the dressing

This is incredibly easy to make and is absolutely delicious. Great addition for a bento or lunch box. The crisp green beans just goes beautifully with the thick, rich and sweet sesame dressing. Make sure that the beans are thoroughly dry after boiling before adding to the dressing or els the result will be washy. The dressing also works with lightly blanch spinach too.

Recipe:

(Serves 4)

200g green beans, cut into 5cm lengths

5 tbsp white sesame seeds

1 tsp black sesame seeds (optional)

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin

1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the beans and cook for 2 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and plunge into iced water to stop any further cooking. Drain well and set aside.

Toast the white sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until they start to pop. Removed and tip into a mortar and pestle and grind to paste. Add the sugar, soy sauce, mirin and oil and continue to grind to a smooth-paste dressing. 

Put the beans in a bowl and pour over the dressing and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the reserved black sesame seeds and serves.