Akebia Pod and Miso Sauté (Akebia Miso Itame)
Akebia is such an interesting plant, and for those who like bitter gourd (which I really hated as a child but has since begun to miss in my old age), the thick rind is like a perennial version of it. It’s tender and juicy, despite the bitterness. You can stuff it with meat and braise or fry, or slice thin and tempura’d. I decided that a quick sauté with some miso would make a tasty side dish for white rice.
It is quite bitter, so I soak the slices for about half an hour in salt water to lower the bitterness. Eating with the season means Akebia pods in the fall are made into all sorts of things–they are considered a sansai (mountain vegetable). I’m not entirely sure I can eat as much as I have, and wonder if perhaps selling some as a specialty vegetable might be better.
Miso itame is a traditional way of eating the pods, so that’s the most common preparation you might see online.
Ingredients
- 2 Akebia pod, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon miso
- 2 tablespoons minced scallions/or 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake or mirin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- Combine the water, miso, soy sauce, sake/mirin, and sugar. Set to the side.
- In a pan over medium high heat, sauté akebia slices in oil until lightly browned. Lower heat and add scallions/garlic. Add sauce mixture to pan and cook for a few minutes more, until the akebia slices are thoroughly covered.
- Serve with hot white rice.