Green Beans with Black Sesame Sauce (Kuro Goma-ae)

A quick and flavorful Japanese side dish that makes green beans shine with a rich black sesame twist. Known as Kuro Goma-ae in Japanese, this dish combines tender-crisp green beans with a nutty, slightly sweet and savory sauce made from ground black sesame seeds. It’s perfect for a bento box or an everyday meal alongside rice and grilled fish or tofu.

RECIPE

Servings: 3-4

Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1/2 lb green beans
4 tbsp black sesame seeds
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp mirin

My Kitchen Tools

Sesame Mortar

Instructions:

Prepare the green beans
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt.
Blanch the beans for 2 minutes until just tender but still bright green.
Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking.
Once cooled, drain well and trim the ends of the green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces.
Make the black sesame sauce
Grind black sesame seeds using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
Add sugar, mirin, and soy sauce to the ground sesame and mix until it forms a thick paste.
Toss and serve
Combine the green beans with the black sesame sauce in a bowl.
Toss until the beans are evenly coated.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.

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Tips & Variations

You can substitute green beans with spinach or snap peas for a different texture.
If you can’t find black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds can be used, though the flavor will be slightly lighter and nuttier.