Boiled Komatsuna Greens and Ume Plum

Boiled Komatsuna Greens and Ume Plum

Komatsuna, or Japanese mustard spinach, is a green leaf vegetable that is abundantly grown in Japan and Taiwan. It is very healthy, with high amounts of vitamins A, B2, and C. Komatsuna is widely used in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cuisine; and is usually prepared by stir fry, boiling, or can be eaten raw. For this recipe, we will be using ume, which is the fruit from a tree that is a relative of plum and apricot. It is said the ume helps in increasing one’s appetite, which makes it an ideal addition for our dish.

Ingredients:

-500 grams komatsuna greens

-1 tablespoon oyster sauce

-1 tablespoon soy sauce

-1 cup ume

-salt to taste

-pepper to taste

-1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil then place the komatsuna greens. Cook until the leaves turn tender. Remove from heat then drain the water. Drizzle with oyster sauce and soy sauce then sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds then set aside.

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the ume until it turns into paste. Mix with the komatsuna greens then season with a little bit of salt and pepper.