Braised burdock and carrot (Kinpira gobō)

1. Scrape the gobō with the back of a knife, cut into 5 cm matchsticks, soak in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain well; cut the carrot into matchsticks the same way.

2. Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and stir-fry the gobō for 2 minutes.

3. Add the carrot and chilli flakes and toss for 2 more minutes until the vegetables soften slightly but stay crunchy.

4. Pour in the sake, mirin, sugar and soy sauce.

5. Stir-fry continuously until the liquid has almost completely cooked away and the vegetables are glossy (about 3-4 minutes).

6. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve warm or cold.

Tip: Kinpira is a symbol of Japanese "home cooking" and a regular in bento boxes – it keeps for 4 days in the fridge. You can make it with parsnip instead of gobō; it's pleasantly earthy too.