Moyashi / Japanese Bean Sprouts

Toss blanched bean sprouts in a savory sauce of soy sauce, sesame seeds, and sesame oil. It is super delicious! Moyashi is the Japanese word for bean sprouts.

This a popular side dish that you can make in just 15 minutes (or less). Serve this bean sprout dish alongside a bowl of rice and a tasty main dish like Mochiko Chicken or Furikake Salmon. Or use it as a ramen topping!

Here's what you'll need:

• Bean sprouts - "Taro Brand" bean sprouts is a common brand in Hawaii. They are sold at pretty much all supermarkets here in 10 ounce bags.
• Roasted sesame seeds - Make sure to use roasted sesame seeds.
• Sesame oil - This is a good everyday brand you can find at Asian supermarkets (and almost all supermarkets in Hawaii and drugstores like Longs Drugs).
• Soy sauce - Kikkoman and Aloha are the two most popular brands in Hawaii. Both work well for this recipe. Kikkoman is a little more salty and Aloha is a little less salty. You can also use low sodium versions if you'd like. The exact taste will vary depending on the brand/type of soy sauce you use, but it's all good.
• Shichimi togarashi - Optional. Sprinkle shichimi togarashi on top for a little heat. This is a popular brand, or you can try a fancy version.
• White pepper - Optional, but white pepper is always a good idea ^_^

Instructions

Let's get cooking: First prepare the bean sprouts:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the bean sprouts for 2 minutes.

Drain and set aside. Then prepare the sesame seeds:

In a small pan over medium heat, gently toast the sesame seeds until fragrant (careful not to burn the sesame seeds). Remove from heat. Use a mini food processor (or a grinder, or mortar and pestle) to grind the sesame seeds.

Note: This step is optional (especially if you don't have the time or the equipment to grind the sesame seeds). But it makes a big and delicious difference!

I think it is worth the extra 5-10 minutes. When the seeds are toasted, they get much more fragrant. And when you grind the sesame seeds, it releases the oils.

The ground sesame seeds coat the bean sprouts and the flavors are more intense. If you skip this step, just use the roasted sesame seeds as is. Then mix the sauce:

In a large bowl, mix together the ground sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, shichimi togarashi (optional), and white pepper (optional). Add the drained bean sprouts to the bowl.

Mix until the bean sprouts are evenly coated with the sauce. Eat and enjoy! This dish is best at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Top Tip

I love sesame very much and this dish is loaded with sesame with both sesame seeds and sesame oil. We use a lot of both!

If you want to go a little lighter on the sesame, please feel free to do so. You can use a little more soy sauce (just a tiny bit so that it's not too salty) if you chose to reduce the sesame.

This is a pretty forgiving recipe so just taste and adjust to your preference ^_^ FAQ

How long does this dish keep? It keeps for 1-2 days in the refrigerator, but most delicious on the day you make it.

You can serve it cold straight from the refrigerator. Looking for more recipes with bean sprouts?

Try a few favorites like:

• Korean Bean Sprouts
• Bean Sprouts Stir Fry
• Bean Sprouts and Shirasu Stir Fry

Variations? You can add heat/spice to the dish in different ways.

I like the shichimi togarashi and white pepper combo, but it's equally great with Japanese hot mustard or chili oil / chili crisp. Add a splash of rice vinegar for another dimension of flavor.

Use black sesame seeds. Or use half white and half black sesame seeds. Either way, just make sure it's roasted sesame seeds.