How to Make Dashi
Dashi, broth of fish or vegetables, is an important component when cooking Japanese food. Dashi is the base flavor of a lot of Japanese dishes, and it is hard to omit. Whether you make it from scratch or use more convenient instant granules or packets, Dashi will be needed if you’re cooking Japanese food.
Dashi ingredients are found at Japanese or Asian markets, but you can also buy them online today. Check out our Dashi recommendations on Amazon.com (#CommissionsEarned)
Katsuo (dried bonito flakes) Dashi
Katsuo Dashi is probably the most common and versatile kind of Dashi of all the Japanese broths. If you don’t know which Dashi to make, Katsuo Dashi may be the most flexible one for different kinds of dishes. It has plenty of fish Umami (savory flavor) and becomes a base layer of flavor before seasoning it with Soy Sauce, Miso, salt, etc. When cooking meat and vegetables with Katsuo Dashi, it really doesn’t taste too strong. It stands in the background and gives dishes more complex tastes.
Katsuo Dashi is often used in Miso Soup, Nimono (cooked meat and vegetables in broth), Dashimaki rolled egg, and many other dishes. Here, we made a very simple but tasty Imo no Nikkorogashi (boiled potato in seasoned broth) with Katsuo Dashi.
Peel potatoes and cut each into 4 pieces.
Boil Dashi and add potatoes. Cook covered until potatoes becomes soft at medium heat.
Add all the seasonings and stir. Cook until the liquid is reduced to less than half. Cool in the pot, covered, to let potato absorb the flavor.
