Patricia Cooks: Goma (Sesame) Dressing

It's a rare occasion when I see people munching on salad a lot. In my opinion, people who have dined at Yabu are addicted to the Goma dressing. Yes, that creamy sesame dressing you top on your unlimited cabbage. Hence, people who don't even like to eat vegetables (Hi Eunice!) are actually eating a lot of cabbage because of the highly-addicting Goma dressing.

Seeing that my co-workers are actually marinating their cabbage in the dressing, I think it is safe to say that it is a good one. On a typical lunch out made up of four or five people, we can consume the whole bottle and even ask for more. I'd personally pass up on rice and trade it for cabbage. (I hope it doesn't cause any uric acid-related problems though.)

It fascinates me how a simple vegetable complements a full Japanese meal well. I have tried different Katsu sets from Yabu as well as their Katsudon and their cabbage and goma dressing combo has never failed me yet. The best thing about it is that it's refillable! And thankfully, cabbage is quite cheap in the local markets which is why I have taken a few of my kitchen ingredients and made my own Goma dressing!

The Goma dressing is actually easy to make and it has less than ten ingredients. This usually lasts about a week or two in the fridge, but I doubt you'd make it stay in there that long. :) This recipe is quite tangy, you can adjust it to be more creamy (increase mayonnaise).

Goma dressing goes with any veggie, but I prefer to eat it with cabbage, Yabu style, with Katsudon.

Goma Dressing (Toasted Sesame Dressing)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbsp Japanese Mayonaise 
2 Tbsp Rice vinegar (if you can't find rice vinegar, cane vinegar works well too)
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce (I used low-sodium, like Kikkoman)
1 Tsp sugar (adjust if you like it sweet)
1/2 tsp mirin (or rice wine or you can just take it away from the recipe)
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Procedure:
1. Toast the sesame seeds. Watch here to learn when to tell it's done.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the toasted sesame until smooth.
3. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl or a clean ketchup bottle. The dressing will last in the refrigerator for a week. Enjoy!

Isn't that easy? But you know what's easier? Buy ready made Kewpie roasted sesame dressing at the supermarket. Haha!