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Put all the ingredients in a frying pan and mix well.
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You can do use 3 tablespoons each of all the ingredients if you like, but we love sesame seeds in our family so I add 5 tablespoons.
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You can use konbu seaweed or bonito flake based dashi stock granules, or even use umami seasoning instead.
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Adding just a little of any of these will increase the mix's umami, but omit it if you prefer.
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Start cooking the mixture over medium heat.
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When it starts to bubble, lower the heat a bit.
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Keep stirring so that it doesn't burn.
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When the moisture has cooked off to almost nothing, turn the heat down very low.
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Soy sauce burns very easily, so if it starts to smell even a bit nutty, take the pan off the heat immediately.
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If the pan is still making popping and sizzling sounds, keep cooking.
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If it feels moist when you touch it, it needs a bit more cooking... Take the pan off the heat occasionally, and keep stirring to dry out the mixture.
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When the mixture is dry, turn the heat off.
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If you leave the frying pan on the burner it may keep cooking and get burned, so take the pan off the heat until it cools down.
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Keep stirring the mixture around for a little while longer.
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I think 1 to 2 minutes should do it.
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Leave it to cool down without covering.
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When the mixture has cooled down, mix the sugar in.
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If you add the sugar when the pan is still hot it will melt, so be sure to let the pan and mixture cool first!
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When the sugar is evenly distributed, transfer the mixture to a container with a lid or a jar etc.
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You could also use the self-closing bag the sesame seeds came in.
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The mixture can be stored at room temperature, but if you store it in the refrigerator it's less liable to get moist from the humidity.
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Shake it up well before use.
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Addendum: If you want to grind whole sesame seeds yourself, just grind them half way.
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There's no need to divide the ground and whole toasted sesame seeds in this case.
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You can also change the amount of soy sauce and sugar to taste!
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Reference recipe: Spinach goma-ae (spinash tossed with sesame)
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Reference recipe: Shira-ae (vegetables with tofu and sesame) can be made with this base mix too.
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Bell pepper with sesame.
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Eggplant and shiitake mushrooms with sesame.
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Although this looks almost the same, this is a namul base.
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Make an easy sesame salad dressing using this base mix.
