Japanese Sesame Sauce (Goma Dare)

Why you’ll love it

This Japanese sesame sauce or sesame dressing is a classic condiment in Japan. Known in Japan as goma dare, it has a rich, nutty, sweet, savoury and tangy flavour and is very easy to make at home. While a common shop-bought sauce includes Kewpie mayonnaise, this more traditional version is mayo-free and vegan.

Used as a dressing or dip, this sesame sauce is very versatile, from dressing an Asian slaw or steamed veggies to dipping gyoza, tofu and meats. It’s also fantastic stirred through noodles. The possibilities really are endless!

This Japanese sesame sauce recipe takes just a few minutes to make and is very easy to adjust to your tastes and what you’re using it for.

What is goma dare

Goma dare (goma meaning sesame and dare meaning sauce), is a classic Japanese condiment made with sesame seeds, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. It’s very often and very easily varied to taste with some recipes adding dashi powder, while others add miso paste or garlic. This one has some ginger which gives tang, sweetness and warmth.

Often served up with shabu shabu (a Japanese hot pot where you add the ingredients you like to a hot soup stock and it all cooks right in the middle of the table), my local Japanese takeaway dresses their side salad with sesame dressing and it’s just lovely in so many ways.

The base of the flavour comes from the roasted sesame seeds which takes just a few minutes in a dry pan. The recipe as it’s written here is perfect for use as a salad dressing or for dressing noodles and it is good for dipping too however, you can increase the amount of sesame seeds to thicken the sauce and add even more nuttiness and creaminess.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

• Sesame seeds: Regular white sesame seeds are toasted or roasted until golden then ground up in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to a powder. This is the base of this Japanese sesame sauce. If you can find it, you can also use Japanese sesame paste from a jar, though it may not have quite as strong a flavour. Tahini, though you could use it in a pinch, definitely won’t give the same flavour as it is made from raw sesame seeds, not toasted seeds.
• Rice wine vinegar: Rice vinegar is a slightly sweet vinegar used extensively in Japanese cuisine.
• Soy sauce: Go for a good traditional Japanese soy sauce here like Kikkoman.
• Toasted sesame oil: Also known as roasted sesame oil, this is one of my favourite ingredients. It’s rich, nutty, and loaded with umami.
• Vegetable oil: I add a little neutral-flavoured vegetable oil to my goma dare but you can up the sesame flavour by adding more sesame oil.
• Light brown sugar: A little light brown sugar adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
• Ginger: I just love the addition of ginger to my goma dare. It has a natural spiciness but is also tangy and a little sweet. It adds great depth and complexity to the dressing.

How to make goma dressing

Japanese sesame sauce (or goma dare) is extremely simple to make. I sometimes make a double batch and keep it in the fridge for another dinner meal later in the week.

Jump to the recipe for full ingredients and instructions.

1. Toast the sesame seeds: You can toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan on the stovetop (photo 1) like I do. Just move them around the pan regularly until they turn golden and start to smell like popcorn. You can also roast the sesame seeds in the oven. Place them on a baking sheet in a moderate oven for 5-8 minutes.
2. Grind the sesame seeds: Now you need to grind the sesame seeds to a fine powder (photo 2). I love the simplicity of a spice grinder (or coffee grinder) but a mortar and pestle or mini food processor will do the job too.

3. Mix it all together: Now you just need to add all the ingredients to a mason jar (photo 3) and give it a good shake (photo 4).

Turn it into a noodle sauce

Transform simple noodles smothered with this Japanese sesame sauce and a couple of extras; it tastes seriously irresistible.

These sesame noodles are incredibly quick to make and work as a side dish for 4 or a meal for 2-3 depending on hunger levels and they’re utterly delicious.

1. First, cook 250g dried egg noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain, then rinse with water (warm water if you want to serve them hot), then toss with a dash of sesame oil and set them aside.
2. To the same pan you cooked the noodles in, add one batch of this Japanese sesame sauce, 1 tablespoon of sweet soy sauce / kecap manis, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and ½ -1 teaspoon of sriracha to taste (or similar hot sauce or chilli crisp).
3. Bring it just to a simmer over medium heat and add the noodles back. Toss well to combine, adding up to ¼ cup of water to get the consistency as you like it.
4. Serve it up, topped with some finely sliced spring onions / scallions and my spicy Asian dukkah. Deeeeelicious!

You can also add some cooked chicken, beef or pork for a meaty main dish and it’s delicious.

Storage

Store your Japanese sesame dressing in an airtight jar, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator for at least a week. Give it a shake up before using.

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