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Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Seasoned Rice)

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Soaking Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Pour 300 g uncooked Japanese rice into a bowl and fill it with water. Swish, drain and repeat 3 times to wash it. (It's okay if the water is still cloudy.)
    washing rice in a steel bowl
  • Add enough water to cover the rice and soak for 1 hour.
    soaking rice in water in a steel bowl
  • Place 2 dried shiitake mushroom and 3 g dried kelp (kombu) in 300 ml cold water and soak them for one hour. This will make a shiitake and kombu dashi.
    soaking dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu in a bowl of water
  • After the rice has soaked for 1 hour, pour it through a sieve to drain and place over an empty bowl to dry until it's time to cook.
    drying rice in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl
  • Remove the shiitake mushroom and kombu from the bowl, the liquid inside is a light dashi that we will use later. Finely slice the rehydrated shiitake mushroom and discard the kombu. (Alternatively, use the kombu to make kombu tsukudani rice ball filling.)
    rehydrated shiitake mushrooms cut into strips
  • Peel the skin off of 150 g boneless chicken thigh and cut it into bite-size pieces. Cut the meat into small pieces and set aside.
    chicken thigh meat and skin cut into small bitesize pieces on a wooden chopping board
  • Heat a small frying pan on medium and once hot, add ½ tsp cooking oil and the chicken skin. Place a lid on to prevent the fat from splashing and fry on both sides until crispy and golden, then rest on kitchen paper and set aside for later.
    frying chicken skin in a frying pan with lid
  • Wipe out the excess rendered fat, then use the same pan to sear the chicken meat all over.
    frying chicken thigh in a frying pan
  • When the chicken is no longer pink , add the sliced shiitake mushrooms from the dashi to the pan along with ½ carrot, ½ thumb ginger root, and 3 small sheets fried tofu pouch (aburaage). Stir fry them for a minute to allow your other ingredients to absorb some flavor from the chicken juices. (You do not need to cook them completely as they will cook with the rice later.) Remove the pan from the heat.
    chicken, fried tofu pouch, ginger and carrot frying in a frying pan
  • Transfer the dried rice to a pot (or rice cooker) and pour in the dashi liquid from the shiitake and kombu. Empty the contents of the frying pan on top of the rice.
    Finally, pour 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 2 tbsp mirin and 2 tbsp sake and ¼ tsp dashi granules into the pot. IMPORTANT: Do not mix! If using a rice cooker, close the lid and set it on a regular setting. If using a pot on the stove, see next step.
    rice, dashi, meat and vegetables in a pot
  • Place the pot onto the stove with the lid on and bring it to a boil over a medium heat. (Listen carefully and try to refrain from removing the lid.) Once you can hear it boiling, set a timer for 2 minutes.
    After two minutes, reduce the heat to medium low and set a timer for 3 minutes. Turn the heat right down to the lowest setting and set a timer for 5 minutes. Blast the heat for 10 seconds on the highest setting and then turn it off. Leave the rice pot on the warm stove and allow to steam for 20 minutes.
    cooking chicken takikomi gohan in a pot with a lid
  • After 20 minutes of steaming, remove the lid and mix the rice thoroughly.
    mixed chicken takikomi gohan in a pot
  • Serve with a sprinkle of finely chopped green onions and enjoy! 

Notes

Leftovers should be frozen (not refrigerated) and then thoroughly reheated in the microwave before eating.