Surprisingly juicy and flavorful, Simmered Stuffed Aburaage is an excellent addition to your rice dishes. While it visually resembles Inarizushi, these aburaage pouches are packed with a delicious pork mince filling. Layered thinly sliced lotus roots and shiitake mushrooms underneath bring various textures that elevate this simple dish into something special.

Inspiration Behind the Recipe

I stumbled upon a Simmered Stuffed Aburaage recipe in an old Japanese cookbook from 1981. The original version featured a filling made with pork mince and finely chopped green onions, cooking alongside sliced bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms. Inspired by this, I opted to tweak the recipe slightly by incorporating a medley of finely chopped vegetables into the filling for added texture and color. I also made some adjustments to the simmering broth for enhanced flavor.

Left: Recipe from my old cookbook. Right: My dish.

Understanding Shinoda-ni

The recipe from the old cookbook doesn’t mention this, but today’s dish is also referred to as ‘Shinoda-ni’ (信田煮). In the Kansai region of Japan, aburaage is known as ‘shinoda’ (信田), which is why dishes featuring aburaage are termed shinoda-ni—where ‘ni’ (煮) means to simmer.

The name ‘shinoda’ traces back to the renowned Shinoda forest in Osaka, famous in Japanese folklore for its white fox legend. This fox is linked with aburaage in mythology (as referenced in the Kitsune Soba recipe). Thus, the term ‘shinoda’ has become connected to aburaage over time.

I admire how intricate and imaginative Japanese dish names are, often derived from history, legends, or even analogies. These names can diverge from the key ingredients or method of cooking, showcasing creativity. Similar examples include Gisei Tofu, Mizore-ni, Rikyū Age, and Kitsune Soba, each with unique stories behind their names.

Ingredients for Simmered Stuffed Aburaage (Shinoda-ni)

• Aburaage
• Lotus roots, thinly sliced
• Dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and quartered
• Oil

While the original recipe calls for boiled bamboo shoots, I opted for lotus roots, which provided a delightful crunch. If you have bamboo shoots, feel free to use them instead, or explore other quick-simmering vegetables!

Filling Ingredients

• Pork mince
• Dried shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
• Carrot, finely diced
• Green onions, chopped
• Corn flour/cornstarch
• Ginger juice (from grated ginger)
• Soy sauce
• Cooking sake

Feel free to swap out the vegetables in the pork filling with alternatives like edamame, burdock root, or even more lotus roots. Some variations of this dish also include hijiki seaweed!

Simmering Broth Ingredients

• Dashi stock
• Shiitake dashi (from rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms)
• Soy sauce
• Sugar

Garnish

• Finely julienned green onions, soaked in cold water to curl

The garnish features julienned green onions, similar to the shiraga negi discussed in my recipe for Cold Nyūmen. This time, I used the green part of the onions, cutting them diagonally into long strands that curl up beautifully after being soaked in cold water.

How to Make Simmered Stuffed Aburaage (Shinoda-ni)

Step 1: Preparing the Stuffed Aburaage Pouches

1. Start by removing excess oil from the aburaage by either submerging it in boiling water or pouring boiling water over it.
2. Once drained and cooled, cut each aburaage crosswise in half to create two square pieces.
3. Gently squeeze out excess water from each aburaage piece to create a pouch.
4. In a bowl, mix diced vegetables and corn flour/cornstarch, then incorporate the remaining filling ingredients. Blend well.
5. Fill each aburaage pouch with the mince mixture and fold the opening to secure it.

Step 2: Cooking the Stuffed Aburaage

1. Heat some oil in a large pan. Sauté the lotus roots and shiitake mushrooms until fragrant, then place the aburaage pouches on top, arranging them radially over the vegetables.
2. Add the simmering broth to the pan and let everything simmer together.
3. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, turn off the heat.
4. Transfer the dish onto a serving plate by sliding the pouches and vegetables together, garnishing with the curled green onions.

If you’re concerned about the pouch openings while cooking, secure them with toothpicks to prevent any filling from escaping.

This delightful dish may not win any beauty contests, but it truly embodies the essence of home cooking, bursting with flavor as the aburaage absorbs the savory broth. Each bite releases a delicious taste that’s sure to please!

Simmered Stuffed Aburaage can be enjoyed as either a main or a side dish—just adjust the number of pouches you serve accordingly. Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.