Wagyu with garlic, kasuri methi tomatoes, and pickled pumpkin

My last day in Tokyo was a lovely afternoon with the Kikkoman team, where we all took turns cooking a dish or two and chatting about the trip, forming new friendships. It was an afternoon of camaraderie, laughter and great food. We had spent the morning at the market, buying ingredients, more on a whim than with a plan. I had also brought a few ingredients down from India, knowing this afternoon was on the agenda.

Here is a simple dish that brings together the flavours of Japan and India on a single plate. I wanted to keep this dish simple, where the ingredients are the main focus.

The Wagyu was quick-seared, with thin, beautifully marbled slices, cooked in some Wagyu fat and accompanied by a few slices of garlic. The tomaties were also wok-cooked, fast, keeping the structure intact and bringing out the aromas of dried fenugreek leaves. The pickled pumpkin was added to provide some acidity to cut the fat from the meat and cleanse your palate. This simple preparation was quickly wolfed down, each of the flavours flowing across the palate in waves.

Thank you to the entire Kikkoman team for such a wonderful trip.

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Ingredients:

for the beef:

2-inches wagyu fat, minced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

10 thin-sliced wagyu beef

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the tomatoes:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 heaped teaspoon dried kasuri methi leaves

Salt, to taste

20 cherry tomatoes, left whole

3 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce

Pickled pumpkin slices

Start with the tomatoes: Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the mustard seeds; they will crackle in 10 seconds. Add the kasuri methi and immediately follow with the tomatoes. You do not want the dried leaves to burn. Toss for 2 minutes until the tomatoes are just hot.

Add the soy sauce and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

To cook the meat, add the wagyu fat to a wide frying pan and cook over low heat, rendering the fat for about 1 minute. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the meat slices in a single layer, four at a time, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook on high heat for 1 minute and flip the meat. Cook for 30 seconds.

On a platter or plate, arrange the meat in the centre in an overlapping pattern. Add the tomatoes on one side and the pumpkin slices on the other. Serve immediately.