This Japanese dressing is very tasty, it has a slightly sweet and salty flavour. Usually paired with steamed spinach to make a salad known as Goma-ae [ごま和え]. Often the rice vinegar is omited with the spinach. Do what you prefer.

It is great with thinly sliced cucumber, carrots and wakame seaweed.

I also like it on roasted eggplant.

What do they use in Japan to grind the sesame seeds?

The bowl is called a "suribachi". Suribachi means "grinding bowl". It is a ceramic bowl with lots of grooves that help grind the seeds. The wooden stick is called a "surikogi".

This is the Japanese version of a mortor and pestle. They come in many different sizes. You can get small individual ones used in restaurants, you get them when you order tonkatsu. There are also a variety of medium and large ones. You can also get different lengths of pestle. The larger suribachi are used to mix a many different foods, such as to mix ground chicken and tofu for patties, or tofu and different veggies and flavourings for a tofu dressing.

You can find them in Asian stores, or online such as Amazon.

If you don't have a suribachi you can put the sesame seeds in a tough ziplock bag and use a rolling pin, or use a spice or coffee grinder.

Steps to Make the Dressing

Above are the ingredients I use for my Japanese Toasted Sesame Seed Dressing.

It is important to lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan. Stir constantly. As soon as they start to pop, remove from heat and put in a grinding bowl.

Grind the sesame seeds until most of the seeds have been broken down.

Add the sugar and grind together until mixed.

Add the rice vinegar and mix.

Add the gluten-free soy sauce and mix well. Taste test. If you'd like it sweeter add more sugar. If you think it needs salt, then you can add a pinch or a little more gluten-free soy sauce.

Sometimes mirin or dashi is added to the dressing. I advise experimenting with what you enjoy.

Gluten-Free Sesame Seed Dressing

Ingredients

• 4 Tablespoons white toasted sesame seeds
• 1 - 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 - 3 Tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar (optional)
• water to thin if needed
• 1 teaspoon extra unground white toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Toast white sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Stir constantly. Ready when they start to pop. Turn off heat and put in a grinding bowl.
2. Grind the sesame seeds.
3. Add sugar and grind some more, until mixed.
4. Add the rice vinegar and gluten-free soya sauce and mix until combined.
5. If too thick, add a little water to thin out the dressing.
6. If you like you can add a teaspoon of unground sesame seeds.

What to serve with the Sesame Dressing

The possibities are endless. Steamed spinach is the most common vegetable paired with this dressing, but try your favourite salad. Add other seeds or fruit too.

• steamed greens such as spinach or kale
• cucumber slices
• parboiled veggies such as carrots, broccoli, green beans, asparagus and cauliflower
• seaweed such as wakame
• avocado
• regular lettuce salad with tomatoes
• grilled vegetables such as eggplant

White sesame seeds are usually used, but sometimes black sesame seeds can be use. Black sesame seeds have a stronger and slightly bitter flavour.

What are your favourite pairings with the sesame seed dressing?

Note: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Always seek out a medical opinion for medical concerns. Not sponsored. If sponsored I will always say so at the top of the post.