This is the Goma Ae Recipe that my friend Jill forwarded to me. Now that local Spinach season has started, I plan on making big batches of this easy delicious Japanese salad.
Jill’s Goma Ae with Spinach
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of black sesame seeds, toasted (add a few white sesame seeds so it’s easier to monitor the toasting and not over-do it). When cooled, grind to a course powder.
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 to 2 tsp of soy sauce (Japanese style preferred)
- 1 to 2 tsp of rice wine vinegar (you could probably substitute with cold sake)
- 1 to 2 tsp of sesame oil
- 1 lb of spinach (boil or steam to wilt, then plunge in cold water to stop cooking. Wring out with hands to take out excess water.)
- Avocado, cubed
Add sugar and liquids to the sesame power, stir to a wet paste. I would start with lower quantities of liquids and add more if necessary, to taste. Stir sauce in to cover spinach evenly – I usually save a bit for garnish. Divide to servings, and top with cubed avocado and remaining sauce.
This is a made-up recipe and I make it a bit differently each time, but it always tastes great so just play with it.  Make sure you have enough spinach as it cooks down to next to nothing. You can use just white sesame seeds instead, but it won’t look as exotic. Goma ae means sesame sauce in Japanese, so you can serve it on other things too, like green beans or other Asian greens. I did try green beans once and I really preferred the spinach. Blue Fish serves it with just avocado, tuna and daikon.
