Directions

To Prep

1. Soak dried shiitake mushrooms and scallops (optional) in 2 cups of water overnight to rehydrate and draw flavours into the water. The juices will be used as part of the soup stock.

To Cook

1. In a small pot, bring roughly 4 cups of water to boil and drop in konnyaku, return to boil, then drain and set aside the konnyaku and drain the water. This will remove the unique konnyaku smell and improve the texture to be jigglier and tender.
2. Prepare the dashi by heating 4 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Just before the water boils, remove the kelp from the saucepan. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Keep cooking for another 5 mins. Lower the heat and add bonito flakes into the saucepan. When the water boils, turn heat off. Set aside to cool for at least 5 mins and let the bonito flakes sink to the bottom. Strain the liquid through a strainer lined with a paper towel or several layers of cheesecloth. Set aside.
3. In the meantime, remove shiitake mushrooms and scallop (optional) from the water. Lightly squeeze to drain water and slice the shiitake mushrooms.
4. In a pot, add dashi, juices of shiitake and scallop (optional), seasoning and heat over medium-high heat. A total 4-6 cups of water will be in the pot.
5. Add in all the ingredients and bring to boil. Then, lower the heat to a simmer and keep cooking for another 20 mins, or until the taro softens.
6. Taro tends to soak up the broth. If this happens, replenish the loss of liquid with water until it returns to the level it was at the start (around 6 cups of water), and bring to boil again.
7. Turn off heat and scoop out the noppei jiru in individual serving bowls. Best enjoyed hot.