Steps

1. Peel and thinly slice half a carrot diagonally, then julienne it.
   🕒 01:16
2. Scrape the skin off one burdock root under running water, thinly slice it diagonally at a sharp angle, then julienne it.
   🕒 01:53
3. Soak the julienned burdock root in water.
   🕒 02:32
4. Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a frying pan. Add the drained carrots and stir-fry until they become tender. [Key Tip!] Carrots and burdock root have different cooking times and textures, so cooking them separately brings out the best in each.
   🕒 02:57
5. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the cooked carrots, mix lightly, and set aside on a plate. [Key Tip!] Lightly salting the carrots helps maintain their vibrant color while enhancing their natural sweetness.
   🕒 03:57
6. Add 1 tbsp of sesame oil to the same frying pan. Add the drained burdock root and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until tender and fragrant.
   🕒 04:22
7. Turn off the heat temporarily. Add 1 tbsp of cooking sake (rice wine), 5 tbsp of water, and 1/2 tbsp of Japanese brown sugar to the frying pan, and turn the heat back on.
   🕒 05:12
8. Simmer the burdock root until most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and if the burdock root is still too firm, add a small amount of water and continue to simmer. [Key Tip!] Simmering the burdock root with the seasonings first ensures it becomes tender all the way through, allows the flavors to penetrate, and prevents scorching.
   🕒 05:50
9. Once the liquid has reduced, add 1 tbsp of soy sauce and stir-fry until the soy sauce is well absorbed by the burdock root.
   🕒 07:33
10. When the burdock root has absorbed the flavor, turn off the heat and return the reserved carrots to the pan.
    🕒 08:14
11. Add toasted white sesame seeds to taste and stir to combine everything using the residual heat of the pan.
    🕒 08:24
12. Transfer to a serving dish. It's done!
    🕒 08:55