A simple recipe for tsukudani, an everyday Japanese side dish to eat with hot rice

By YURI KAGEYAMA TOKYO AP Tsukudani a sweet Japanese side dish often served with hot rice originated in the samurai era in a tiny neighborhood called Tsukuda in the old part of Tokyo Adding ni at the end of a word in Japanese means that s where it s cooked Related Articles Colfax construction takes out year-old pastry shop Grilled chicken slathered in a homemade barbecue sauce stars in this dinner for four Ethiopian restaurant opens new location in Milk Sector downtown Recipe The best protein bars are the ones you make at home Mountain town ice cream chain opening flagship on th Street mall Professional tsukudani is sold packaged at specific Asian food stores and of discipline in modern-day Tsukuda A Tokyo correspondent for The Associated Press is sharing her basic tsukudani recipe Tsukudani involves simmering bite-sized bits of meat or vegetables in a dark sweet sauce in a pot over low heat The ideal flavor emerges after about an hour enough time for all the juice to infuse the food And be sure to keep watching your pot Ingredients for tsukudani a Japanese preserved food made with tuna soy sauce mirin sake sugar and salt are displayed in the Tsukuda neighborhood of Tokyo on Monday June AP Photo Yuri Kageyama Bite size tuna chunks and sliced ginger ingredients for a Japanese preserved food called tsukudani is displayed in the Tsukuda neighborhood of Tokyo on Monday June AP Photo Yuri Kageyama Chopped tuna and sliced ginger simmer in a sauce consisting of soy sauce mirin sake sugar and salt to make tsukudani a Japanese preserved food on Monday June AP Photo Yuri Kageyama Chopped tuna and sliced ginger simmer in a sauce consisting of soy sauce mirin sake sugar and salt to make tsukudani a Japanese preserved food on Monday June AP Photo Yuri Kageyama Show Caption of Ingredients for tsukudani a Japanese preserved food made with tuna soy sauce mirin sake sugar and salt are displayed in the Tsukuda neighborhood of Tokyo on Monday June AP Photo Yuri Kageyama Expand Serve tsukudani with hot rice or sake or use it as filling for rice balls Easy tsukudani from AP s Yuri Kageyama Start to finish One hour Servings Ingredients cup of clams tuna seaweed shrimp meat or other food item to make into tsukudani cup sliced ginger tablespoons sugar teaspoon salt tablespoon mirin or sweet rice wine tablespoons soy sauce teaspoon sake or rice wine teaspoons roasted sesame seeds Directions Chop the clams tuna seaweed shrimp or meat into small pieces about the size of a pea Slice the ginger into thin pieces Pour the ingredients into a large pot and cook over low heat for about an hour until the juice disappears Sprinkle with sesame seeds