These are the ingredients. If you don't like dried sardines, just use 1 or 2, but do use 4 if you can...and the shiitake mushroom crumbs too.

Scrubbed the konnyaku vigorously with salt to remove any surface sliminess. Wash in water, then bash it up vigorously. The point is not to tenderize it.

Konnyaku toughens up a bit when you boil it so it doesn't get tender when you bash it hard. But it does become nicer to eat. Use this technique when you simmer konnyaku in any dish.

Rip up the konnyaku with your hands, which makes it easier for the flavor to penetrate it. Boil for about 3 minutes, rinse under running water and drain.

Rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms bit in water. If you add too much the flavor will become too cloying, so just some fine crumbs are fine. If the crumbs are very small, there's no need to rehydrate them.

Put the iriko and a little sake (not listed in the ingredients) in a pan and dry-stir fry a bit. Add the main and seasoning ingredients to the pan and simmer over medium heat.

Add some chili peppers to taste. It won't become too spicy since this isn't simmered that long.

When there's little moisture left in the pan, add the additional teaspoon of sugar and stir fry well. When there's no moisture left at all in the pan turn off the heat and add the bonito flakes. Mix well with chopsticks.

Done!