“Endless” Konnyaku 無限コンニャク

I saw this recipe on Youtube. Many Japanese recipes use the word “Mugen 無限” meaning “endless” in front of the items indicating the dish is so good that you will be eating endlessly or without stopping. This one is “mugen-konnyaku” 無限コンニャク.  I have posted quite a few dishes using Kon-nyaku 蒟蒻 or konjac. I am not sure why Japanese including myself like kon-nyaku. It is made of vegetable roots and has a consistency similar to rubber and does not have any taste or calories. Certainly, this is not one of my wife’s favorites. The only version of konnyaku she sort of likes is “spicy konnyaku stir fry コンニャクのピリカラ炒め” despite the fact she usually does not prefer spicy dishes. I suppose since konnyaku does not have any taste, even a spicy taste is  better than no taste. In any case, this recipe claims that it tastes like “meat” and you can eat it forever or without stopping. Although this may not be true, it is nonetheless  a very interesting dish. Certainly the consistency of the konnyaku is much chewier and the seasoning clings to it better compared to other konnyaku dishes. I added a few sprinkles of seven flavored red pepper flakes or “shichimi tougarashi 七味唐辛子. I think I may have over boiled the konnyaku which made it a bit too chewy. I think this dish has potential and I can make it better next time.

Ingredients:
1 block of konnyaku
1 tbs x4 concentrated Japanese noodle sauce
1 tbs mirin
White sesame
1 small individual package of bonito flakes
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil

Directions:
Boil the konnyaku in enough water to cover completely for 10 minutes (I may have boiled it longer than 10 which may have made the consistency too chewy*).
Drain and wrap it in a cloth dish towel and pound using a rolling pin (I used a meat pounder) until the konnyaku is all shredded.
Add the oils to a frying pan on medium heat (add the red pepper flakes if you are using them), stir continuously until bubbles form on the surface. Further evaporate the water from the konnyaku for 5 minutes or so (all the moisture boiling away is from the konnyaku since no additional water has been added to the pan.)
Add the mirin and noodle sauce and stir until only small amount of liquid remains.
Add the bonito flakes and stir which absorbs most of the remaining liquid.
Sprinkle the white sesame and serve.

*I made this dish second time and timed the boiling to 10 minutes. This gave a much better consistency. It is chewy but not too chewy. I also used a small amount of red pepper which made the dish not really hot but added flavor.

I do not think this tastes like meat but it is certainly different from any other konnyaku dish I’ve ever eaten having a much chewier consistency and very well seasoned.