Kombu Cha I use here is not that healthy fermented drink which became very popular in recent years. Kombu Cha in Japanese means seaweed tea (kombu=seaweed, cha=tea). It’s basically powdered seaweed and you mix in a cup of hot water and enjoy the rich “umami” and aroma of kombu. You will find it in Japanese store in something like this type of tin can.
So, when I get this, it’s usually not to drink (well, sometimes…) but for cooking. This powder provide amazing umami with just a tiny spoon full.
There are many recipes out there using this wonderful product, but today I will share simple Japanese style pasta using common ingredients.
Ingredients:
Serves 1
- Bacon 2 slices
- Onion 1/4 medium size
- Spinach about 1 cup, chopped
- Shiitake 1 fresh
- Garlic 1 clove
- Spaghetti 1 serving potion
- Kombu Cha 1 tsp
- Soy sauce 1 tsp
Directions:
- Cut the spinach into about 2 inches, slice onion, shiitake and garlic, cut bacon into 1/2 inches.
- Start cooking pasta following the direction on the package. Cook until “al-dente”.
- Once you put pasta in the pot, start cooking other ingredients in a frying pan. First put bacon in a pan without adding oil in medium heat. Once bacon is almost done, add garlic and onion, cook until it becomes translucent, then add shiitake. If there’s not enough bacon fat, add vegetable oil. By the time they are cooked, the pasta should be ready.
- Move pasta from the pot to pan using tong, add a little pasta water from the pot as well.
- Add Kombu Cha and soy sauce, and finally add spinach. Mix well. Cook until spinach is bright green. Serve immediately.