Komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. pervidis or var. komatsuna, コマツナ（小松菜、冬菜、鶯菜) is a type of leaf vegetable. It is a variant of the same species as the common turnip. It is grown in Japan, Taiwan and Korea. It is also known as Japanese Mustard Spinach and can be stir-fried, pickled, boiled and added to soups or used fresh in salads. It is an excellent source of calcium. It is also used for fodder in some Asian countries. The leaves of komatsuna can be eaten at any stage of growth. In a mature plant they are are dark green with slender light green stalks, around 30 cm long and 18 cm wide. It is most often grown in the spring and autumn, as it cannot endure extreme heat or cold for more than a short time.
Komatsuna with Sesame dressing
INGREDIENTS:
450g komatsuna or spinach
2 tbsps white sesame
1 tbsp sugar (or honey)
1 tsp soy sauce
Boil komatsuna. (Japanese vegetables are much softer so please do not boil for more than 2 minutes). Drain the water very well. Cut leaves into 5cm lengths. Roast the sesame seeds and grind them. Add sugar, soy sauce, (and sake or mirin if possible) and mix well. Add leaves and stir well.
Serve immediately.
Komatsuna with ginger-leek dressing
INGREDIENTS:
450g komatsuna or spinach
3 tbsp finely chopped leek
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1tsp sesame oil
Boil the komatsuna for no more than two minutes and drain well. Cut leaves into 5cm lengths. Chop leek and ginger finely. Add sesame oil and mix well. Add leaves and stir well.
Add soy sauce to taste when eating.
Komatsuna Stir-fry
INGREDIENTS:
450g of komatsuna or mizuna
1 clove garlic
2tsp sesame oil
pinch of salt
chill or hot pepper
A few minutes of stir-frying komatsuna produces extremely tasty results. You can still preserve most of its nutrients by keeping cooking time short.
Heat the sesame oil in a pan or wok and stir-fry the chopped garlic. Add cut komatsuna, a pinch of salt (and chilli if you like it spicy).
Miso-soup with tofu and komatsuna
INGREDIENTS:
10 leaves of komatsuna
1/4 of packet of tofu
20-30g (2tbsp) miso paste
8-10g bonito flakes or dashi stock
360ml water
Boil the water in a saucepan. Add bonito flakes and then remove them after 5 minutes. You can use dashi stock if bonito flakes are not available. Cut the tofu into small cubes and the komatsuna into strips. Add the tofu and komatsuna to the soup. Dissolve miso paste by adding it little by little, stirring well. Don’t boil the soup too long or miso will lose its flavour.
Shungiku, kabu, mizuna can be used instead of komatsuna. Leek or spinach can also be used. Matching colour, texture, and aroma are the criteria for deciding what to put in.
