Umani (Japanese Stew Of Root Vegetables Seaweed And Chicken) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup burdock root, scraped, cut into 1/2-inch diagonal pieces & soaked until ready to use to prevent discoloration (gobo)
1 strip dried kelp, soaked in water until soft & then rinsed (kombu)
3 - 3 1/2 cups chicken stock or 3 -3 1/2 cups dashi
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup mushroom
2 carrots, peeled & cut into bite-sized chunks
1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots
1 (4 1/2 ounce) package konjac, cut in bite-sized pieces (aka yam cake) or 6 ounces shirataki noodles, drained and rinsed (made with tofu and yam flour)
1/4 lb snow peas
Seasonings
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ajinomoto or 1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)

Preparation

When the kelp is soft, tie into knots at 1 1/2-inch intervals and cut between the knots (I had to cut it into thinner strips in order to tie it).
In a soup pot, over medium-high heat, saute chicken and mushrooms in oil until the chicken is cooked (10 minutes).
Add the broth and bring to a boil.
Turn heat down to medium, and add the burdock, kelp, and carrots; cook 5-8 minutes.
Add bamboo and konnyaku; cook until vegetables are done (10 minutes).
Combine seasonings, stirring to mix thoroughly. Stir into pot and bring sauce to a boil.
Add the peas and cook until peas are tender (1-2 minutes).
Serve hot or cold.