Konnyaku, Kabocha, and Leek Stir Fry

I didn't use a recipe tonight, so I just made this whole meal up in my head.  It sounded really good when I thought about it:  konnyaku, kabocha, leeks, and diakon stir fried up with a soy & sesame dressing!  It even looks kind of pretty.  Not my best tasting dish.  (Hey, I'm allowed to have off-days, right?)  It's not disgusting, it's just not as flavorful as I would have liked.  But then again I'm one of those weird people who has almost zero sense of smell, which causes my sense of taste to be more subdued, which is why I heavily season my food.  Don't just take my word for it, though, give it a try and let me know what you think!

photo by Emily

Konnyaku, Kabocha, and Leek Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1/4 konnyaku cake (devil's tongue jelly)
1 - 2 oz. kabocha (Japanese squash), innards removed
1/2 leek, thoroughly washed
1/2 in. diakon (long, white raddish), pealed
vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. dashi granules (don't add any water to them)
1 tsp. sake
1/8 tsp. sesame oil
sesame seeds (optional)

The kabocha can take a while to cook, so chop it up into 1/4 square sticks and put them in boiling water for 6 - 8 min. or until they are soft to a fork sticking in them.  Chop the leek into 1/2 in. slices and add them to the boiling kabocha for the last minute or so of cooking to blanch.  Drain.

Slice the konnyaku into 1/8 in. thick slices, and shred the diakon.  Heat a little vegetable oil in a pan, then add the konnyaku and cook until ever so slightly browned.  Add the diakon and cook until soft.

Mix together the soy sauce, sake, dashi granules, and sesame oil until the dashi granules are fully dissolved.  Add the drained leek and kabocha to the konnyaku and diakon and cook until heated through.  Add the sauce, then immediately turn off the heat.  Stir until the sauce is fully incorporated.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.