Creamy Japanese Goma Dressing

Name: Creamy Japanese Goma Dressing
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: ⅓ cup (50 g) toasted white sesame seeds, cooled to room temperature; ⅓ cup (80 g) Japanese mayonnaise, at room temperature or straight from the fridge; 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) Japanese soy sauce (shoyu); 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar; 1½ tablespoons (19 g) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) mirin; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) toasted sesame oil; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water, cool, plus more to thin as needed; ½ small clove (2 g) garlic, finely grated on a rasp-style grater (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A nutty, silky sesame dressing made by grinding toasted sesame seeds and whisking them with Japanese mayonnaise, soy sauce, rice vinegar and a little sugar. Spoon it over blanched greens, crisp salads, cold noodles or grilled vegetables.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: —
Wait: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Makes: About 1 cup (240 ml), enough for 6 salads

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Steps

Before you start

Use already toasted white sesame seeds. If yours are raw, toast them in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until golden and fragrant, then cool completely.
Measure the soy sauce, vinegar, mirin and water into a small bowl before you start, so you can add them quickly.
The dressing needs 20 minutes to rest so the flavors blend and the sugar dissolves. Plan for this before serving.
Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie) is richer and tangier than American mayonnaise. It makes the dressing noticeably better.

1
Grind the sesame seeds
- Put the 1/3 cup (50 g) toasted sesame seeds in a suribachi, spice grinder or small food processor.
- Grind for about 1 to 2 minutes (or 15 to 20 short pulses) until about three-quarters of the seeds are crushed into a coarse, damp-looking paste, with some seeds still partly visible for texture.
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Ready when: The seeds look like a thick, sandy paste and smell strongly nutty. Some whole seeds remain.
Tip: Do not over-process. Past this point the seeds can turn gritty and oily, then bitter.
2
Mix the liquids
- In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, sugar and water for about 30 seconds.
- Most of the sugar should dissolve, though a few grains may remain.
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Ready when: The liquid looks clear and dark brown, with little or no sugar visible at the bottom.
3
Whisk in the mayonnaise
- Scrape the ground sesame into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the 1/3 cup (80 g) mayonnaise and whisk for 30 seconds to form a thick, uniform paste with no white streaks.
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Ready when: The paste is evenly tan and thick, with no streaks of white mayonnaise.
Tip: Mixing the mayonnaise with the sesame first, before adding liquid, prevents lumps.
4
Stream in the liquids
- Pour the soy mixture into the sesame paste in 3 or 4 additions, whisking constantly after each.
- Whisk for about 1 minute total until the dressing is smooth, creamy and pourable.
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Ready when: The dressing is smooth and falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon that disappears back into the surface after about 3 seconds.
Tip: Adding the liquid all at once can make the dressing look split. Go gradually.
5
Add the finishing flavors
- Whisk in the 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil and, if using, the grated garlic.
- Stir for 15 seconds so both are fully blended.
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Ready when: The dressing smells strongly of toasted sesame and has an even color.
Tip: Toasted sesame oil is potent. More than 1 teaspoon can overpower the dressing.
6
Rest the dressing
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- This lets the sugar finish dissolving and the sesame soften and flavor the dressing.
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Ready when: The dressing is slightly thicker and no sugar grains are felt when stirred.
7
Adjust and serve
- Stir the chilled dressing and taste it on a lettuce leaf or cooked vegetable.
- If it is too thick to drizzle, whisk in water 1 teaspoon at a time (up to 1 tablespoon).
- For more tang, add 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar.
- Spoon over salad, blanched spinach, cold noodles or grilled vegetables.
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Ready when: The dressing is creamy, nutty and balanced between salty, sweet and tangy, and it coats a spoon lightly.
Tip: Dress salads right before serving so the greens stay crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Grinding the seeds yourself gives much stronger sesame flavor than pre-ground seeds or paste. A suribachi makes it easy to control texture.
Taste before adding salt. The soy sauce usually provides enough seasoning.
For a thinner salad dressing, add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra water. For a dip for vegetables, leave it thick.
If the dressing tastes flat, add rice vinegar by 1/2 teaspoon. If too sharp, add a pinch of sugar.

Make ahead

"Make the dressing up to 5 days ahead and refrigerate it in a sealed jar. It thickens as it sits, so stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons water before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 1 hour while serving. Refrigerator: up to 5 days in an airtight jar; shake or whisk well before using. Freezer: not recommended, because the mayonnaise separates when thawed."

Substitutions

Japanese mayonnaise → Regular full-fat mayonnaise plus 1/4 teaspoon extra rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Less rich and tangy than Japanese mayonnaise, so the dressing will taste slightly sharper.
toasted white sesame seeds → 3 tablespoons (45 g) tahini plus 1 tablespoon whole toasted sesame seeds. Gives a smoother dressing with less texture. Skip grinding and whisk everything together.
mirin → 1 teaspoon extra sugar plus 2 teaspoons water. Mirin adds mild sweetness and gloss. The dressing will be slightly less rounded.
Japanese soy sauce (shoyu) → Tamari. Makes the dressing gluten-free. Check that the mayonnaise is gluten-free too.