Ingen no Goma-ae

Japanese runner beans with toasted sesame dressing

Origin: Japan

From the journey of Beans.

When the Chinese Zen monk Ingen Ryūki arrived in Japan in 1654, he brought with him runner bean seeds from China, and the Japanese named the bean ingen-mame in his honour, a name it still carries today. Ingen no goma-ae is one of the most enduring preparations of that bean: a simple, elegant dressed salad from the Japanese home kitchen tradition of ae-mono (dressed things). Blanched runner beans are tossed while still warm with a sauce of freshly ground toasted sesame, soy sauce, mirin, and a touch of sugar, the heat of the beans draws out the oil of the sesame and allows the dressing to coat each pod. It is eaten as a side dish (okazu) at almost every level of Japanese cooking, from the humblest weeknight table to the multi-course kaiseki meal. Goma-ae (the sesame dressing itself) is applied to many vegetables (spinach, asparagus, lotus root), but ingen is its most natural and beloved partner. The dish is a direct, unbroken line from Ingen Ryūki's seed gift to modern Japanese cuisine.

Ingredients

Beans

300 g runner beans (ingen-mame) or fine green beans, topped and tailed, cut into 4cm lengths

Sesame Dressing

3 tbsp white sesame seeds
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp caster sugar

Seasoning

1 tsp salt (for blanching water)

Method

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until golden and beginning to pop. Tip immediately onto a plate to cool slightly: they continue to colour off the heat.
Grind the toasted sesame seeds using a suribachi (Japanese mortar) or a regular mortar and pestle until roughly three-quarters ground: you want some texture remaining, not a completely smooth paste. A few pulses in a spice grinder also works.
Combine the ground sesame with the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Stir to combine into a thick, slightly grainy dressing. Taste: it should be nutty, savoury, and faintly sweet.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add the salt. Add the runner beans and blanch for 2–3 minutes until bright green and just tender: they should retain a slight bite. Drain immediately and spread on a plate to cool slightly, or plunge into ice water for a crisper result.
While the beans are still warm (not hot), add them to the sesame dressing and toss gently until every piece is well coated. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

Ingen no goma-ae is at its best made and eaten within the hour. If preparing ahead, keep the beans and dressing separate and combine just before serving. A few drops of rice vinegar added to the dressing gives a lighter, more acidic version. For a richer dressing, add half a teaspoon of sesame oil. The same dressing works equally well with blanched spinach (horenso no goma-ae) or asparagus.

The Gastrographer

Name: Ingen no Goma-ae
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 300 g runner beans (ingen-mame) or fine green beans, topped and tailed, cut into 4cm lengths; 3 tbsp white sesame seeds; 1.5 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp mirin; 1 tsp caster sugar; 1 tsp salt (for blanching water)

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control