Black Sesame Otsu

Name: Black Sesame Otsu
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon pine nuts; 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds; 1/2 cup / 2 oz / 60 g black sesame seeds; 1 1/2 tablespoons natural cane sugar; 1 1/2 tablespoons shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce; 1 1/2 teaspoons mirin; Scant 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; Fine-grain sea salt; 12 ounces / 340 g soba noodles; 12 ounces / 340 g extra-firm tofu; Extra-virgin olive oil; 1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

14 ingredients

1 steps

Ingredients

1 teaspoon pine nuts
1 teaspoon sunflower seeds
1/2 cup / 2 oz / 60 g black sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons natural cane sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons shoyu, tamari, or soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mirin
Scant 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Fine-grain sea salt
12 ounces / 340 g soba noodles
12 ounces / 340 g extra-firm tofu
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 bunch green onions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Directions

1

{"0":"Toast the pine nuts and sunflower seeds in a large skillet over medium heat until golden, shaking the pan regularly. Add the sesame seeds to the pan and toast for a minute or so. It's hard to tell when they are toasted; look closely and use your nose. Remove from the heat as soon as you smell a hint of toasted sesame; if you let them go much beyond that, you'll start smelling burned sesame - not good. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush the mixture; the texture should be like black sand. Alternatively, you can use a food processor. Stir in the sugar, shoyu, mirin, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust if needed.","2":"Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, add the soba, and cook according to the package instructions until tender. Drain, reserving some of the noodle cooking water, and rinse under cold running water.","4":"While the noodles are cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut into matchstick shapes. Season the tofu with a pinch of salt, toss with a small amount of oil, and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, tossing every couple minutes, until the pieces are browned on all sides.","6":"Reserve a heaping tablespoon of the sesame paste, then thin the rest with 1\/3 cup \/ 80 ml of the hot noodle water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, half of the green onions, and the black sesame paste. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve topped with a tiny dollop of the reserved sesame paste and the remaining green onions."}