Gomashio sounds exotic dish but is nothing but a toasted (integral) milled sesame seeds with salt. It comes from Japan as one of the component of spicy and also macrobiotic Japanese cuisine.
The ratio of sesame and salt in gomashio more or less depends on your own preferences but common ratios are 15 spoon sesame to 1 spoon of salt or 8: 1/2. Gomashio is actually an excellent substitute for salt if you want to further spice up the dish and as the majority component of sesame is also a healthy alternative. Sesame (integral) is in fact rich in calcium that is easily absorbed, therefore, it is recommended to eat per spoon a day, especially suitable for pregnant women. But gomashio without salt can consume childrens at 6 months of age.
To continue a long story short, here’s how you can easily and quickly make in your own kitchen.
Ingredients:
15 spoon of sesame integral
1 spoon of salt
Make sure to use the integral sesame because of all the healthy ingredients containing membrane (as in “white” Sesame is not the case). Wash it and let it drain well. It is important that the sesame seeds are moist but must not be wet. Spread it on a dry pan. Once heated, reduce the heat and fry the sesame seeds until the end, do not forget all the time to mix so it would not burn. The process should not take more than 10 minutes, but you can easily check – if you crumble between your fingers sesame is over.
Transfer it to a bowl and in the same pan very short (1- 2 min) fry salt. Why do we do? Salt at room temperature can often become wet and that no such insert in sesame – gomashio would eventually broke down. Therefore roasting ensures a dry salt. Mix the sesame seeds and salt and grind (may not be quite powder). Traditionally it crumble into Suribachi (Japanese mortar). Serve with what you have on hand.
When it becomes cool, store in a tightly closed jar. Gomashio as healthy and aromatic flavor can be used in countless ways. You can sprinkle by rice, pasta, cooked vegetables, cream cheese and great as an addition to salads.