Goma means sesame seed in Japanese and goma-ae are dishes prepared with sesame seasoning. We usually mix this ground sesame seasoning with spinach or green beans. This is one of the most common side dishes (Osouzai お惣菜) and you often find them included in obento (lunch box) or teishoku (lunch set).
If you use “pre-roasted” sesame seed, step 2 below is not necessary. However I highly recommend this extra step so the roasted sesame seed adds more fragrance and flavor to the sauce. Also after roasting, the frying pan will stay clean so you don’t have to wash extra dishes (important tip, right?). Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch (½ lb, 220g) spinach
- A pinch of salt
- 3 Tbsp. roasted white sesame seeds
- 1 ½Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- ½ tsp. sake
- ½ tsp. mirin
Seasonings
Instructions:
- Wash fresh spinach and boil lots of water in a large pot. While waiting for the water to boil, go on to the next step.
- (OPTIONAL) Put sesame seeds in a frying pan and roast them on low heat until 2-3 sesame seeds jump (similar to popcorn). Remove from the heat immediately.
- Put the roasted sesame seeds in a circular grinder and grind them with a wooden pestle (while it’s hot). If you don’t have a Japanese grinder any other spice grinder will do.
- Add Seasonings and mix well to make the sesame sauce. Set aside.
- When water is boiling, add a pinch of salt into boiling water. Put spinach in the pot starting from the stem because they take longer to cook. Push all the spinach into the water. Cook for 1 minute. Note: American spinach is very soft and we can eat it raw unlike Japanese spinach; therefore, 1 minute is enough for the US spinach.
- Drain and soak the spinach in cold water until cool.
- Collect spinach from the bowl and squeeze water out of the spinach.
- Cut spinach into 2” lengths. Dry the bowl with towel and put the spinach back in the bowl.
- Add the sesame sauce into the bowl and mix well.
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{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
ooh I just made this yesterday, I think I like the sound of your sauce better, mine was a little too salty.
Morning Kat! Mmm mine can be more sweeter side because that’s my prerence… =P Let me know what you think – hopefully not too sweet for you.
will let you know
Hi Nami,
I went to Norikonoko in Berkeley and their Gomae is black color and sweet. Is there a different way they make it compare to yours?
Please help!
Joe
Hi Joe! I’m really happy you found my site.
It’s been a while since I met you last time! So, I am thinking… Norikonoko probably uses black sesame seeds instead of white sesame seeds. Taste should be same/similar (at least I don’t notice the difference) and my sauce is also sweet, not salty. Thanks again!
That looks so yummy and I love sesame seeds
This would be my perfect side dish! I need to try your sauce, I make something similar with sesame seeds and soy sauce, and I’ve used it on green beans and on broccoli it was so yummy 
but I need to try the extra ingredients you put in!
Hi Suzana! I actually have another recipes waiting… Green Bean Goma-ae, yes same as what you made! I also have ones with tofu in it too… I kind of hesitant to post just side dishes since it sounds so boring…but maybe I should post once in a while. Hope you find Mirin and sake… these make the sauce more mild. Mirin is an important condiment for Japanese cooking.
I need to visit a Japanese store near me and stock up on yummy things I see in your recipes
Side dishes are fun, I mostly struggle with them LOL It takes me time to think what to make as a side, and what all of us will eat so I don’t have to make 2 or 3 different things 
Not sure where you live, but I hope the Japanese store has lots of good stuff! Same here, side dishes are sometimes difficult to plan after you spend so much time for main dish, you know. I just saw your blogroll. Thank you for adding mine. I need to start building a blogroll page… Hm another work to do!
Em.. this look easy to prepare with all your detail photos and write up
And now i knw what is that bowl used for too (grinding peanuts).
Hi Ellena! I debated for a long time if step-by-step pictures are necessary (afraid of being heavy to load), but I hear good feedback about it, so I am adding step-by-step pictures. I just need extra time to cook since I have to document each step with camera…but I guess my kids will appreciate it too one day! Your new post made me super hungry. Better go to bed (1:30am now) and look at your pictures tomorrow. =P
Nami, this looks wonderful, so fresh and perfect for spring! I’ve just spend the morning browsing through your lovely blog. My japanese cooking usually does not go beyond making sushi, so looking forward to trying your recipes! Spinach is for tonight and have my mind set on trying Menchi Katsu soon!
Hello Gourmantine! Well, I can’t make sushi (besides Chirashi, California roll, and maybe handrolls), so you are awesome! Menchi Katsu… I haven’t cooked that for a while. I should replace my old picture too.
Thanks for your visit!
What a fun dish, and delicious looking! I love spinach and sesame seeds, will try this for sure!!!!
Thanks Sandra! I love your energy from the morning – first thing to do is to check your post. Always something delicious there.
I love the goma sauce but take the easy way out by using the store bought ones that come in a bottle. Homemade is definitely better and more fragrant
Hi Biren! And cheeper. =P But if you cook “goma-ae” a lot, store bought ones are not a bad option AT ALL!
Hi Nami!
Thanks for the post! Looks delicious! can’t wait to try!
-Kim Chiu
Hi Kim! No problem. Thanks for the request! I thought I didn’t have spinach goma-ae like you requested (I knew I have “green bean” goma-ae in my draft). I’m glad I found it.
The roasted sesame adds such great depth to this – simple and delicious.
Agree. So simple yet I don’t get tired of it eating for 30 + years… LOL.
I love spinach, this sauce looks amazing. I’m thinking it may be the perfect side dish to seared tuna. Yum
Hi Beth! Yeah that’s a good main dish choice to go with this spinach. Thanks for visiting.
I love anything with sesame. Your sauce sounds delicious. Great dish!
Thanks Karen!
Yum I didnt know this dish was so simple to make! Going to try this out as soon as I get my hands on some spinach! thank you!
Thanks Jess!
This looks so delicious and healthy! Love anything with sesame seeds too
Thanks Kara!
I have to make this dish. Love spinach and sesame.
Sandy – Hope you like this taste!
I am going to make this today. The only problem is that I don’t have cooking sake, and don’t know where to purchase sake in my state. I will replace it with white wine. Hope it will work well.
Hi Sandy! Thank you for making this! It’s only 1/2 tsp, so without it is okay. We don’t cook and evaporate alcohol (sake/wine) so it’s better to leave it out than having “alcohol taste.” Depending on kind of wine, it could be little too much. You can maybe add after you mix up without wine, then taste it first before you add wine? It will taste just fine without it.
I made spinach with roasted sesame a while ago, but I haven’t tried sesame sauce yet. Can’t wait to try it out!
Hi Kath! Well, the texture is very different. You will grind the sesame so it’s more of paste than seeds. The sweet miso and sesame sauce goes well with spinach.
Hope you will like it!
Very nice side choice. Popeye would love this spinach!
Thank you!
Goma-ae is my FAVOURITE go to dish at any Japanese restaurant I visit. Your tutorial makes it totally possible to make it at home! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just saw your previous post was Agedashi Tofu…I’m headed there next!
Hello Jenn! Thank you so much for visiting my site and leaving a comment. I’m very happy to know that my recipe will be helpful.
Hi! Just wanted to check if I wanted to make this dish for a bento box (and a quick fix in the morning), is it okay to make the sesame paste/sauce the night before, leave it in the fridge and just add it to the blanched vegetables in the morning? Probably would steam/heat up the sauce after its out from the fridge, or is that unnecessary? Many thanks in advance!
Hi Adeline! Thank you for asking the question. This was one of items that my mom often put in my lunch box. She put leftover from the dinner. She kept it in the fridge and put it in the box next day. In Japan we don’t heat up bento at school, so we ate it at room temperature. I love this food both in cold or at room temperature. This is one of the very common bento items in Japan too and you can make it ahead. Make sure to keep in the fridge overnight. Enjoy!
just tried your goma ae recipe…it is WONDERFUL! it tastes exactly like the goma ae that japanese restaurants in chicago make. twelve years after moving away, we finally have this delicious dish back! thank you so much.
Hi d’shon! You are very welcome! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! I’ve been cooking this for years, and I really like this flavor.
Thank you so much for your feedback!
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