As you might already know, a lot of Japanese dishes are meant to be enjoyed with plain white rice. But did you know, there are more options than just white rice?
Multigrain rice!
You mix your favorite grains into white rice, and you can have a wholesome Japanese dining experience!
Wanna know what kind of grains are used and how to cook the mixture? Keep reading to find out!
What is Zakkoku Mai?
Zakko Mai (雑穀米), which means “mixed grain rice,” is a versatile and nutritious staple in Japanese cuisine. This wholesome blend is usually made with Japanese white rice and an assortment of other grains, seeds, and legumes. While the exact combination can vary, Zakko Mai often includes ingredients like barley, millet, quinoa, amaranth, and even beans.
The great thing is that it’s really versatile. Depending on how you mix it, you could have dozens of different grains, each with their own flavor, texture, and nutritional profile.
Today, I’m making Jukkoku Mai (十穀米), which literally means “ten-grain rice.” As you might guess from the name, this blend includes ten different grains!
How I Developed This Recipe
You know, thinking back to my school days, our lunches weren’t always just plain white rice. Sometimes we’d get wheat or brown rice mixed in. Back then, I wasn’t a huge fan of all those grains in my rice. But funny how things change, right?
As I got older, I started to think that multigrain rice might actually be pretty tasty. And I was right! It has a great texture and goes well with almost everything.
What I love about this recipe is that it uses ingredients you can find pretty much anywhere. So why not give it a shot? You might even discover a new favorite way to enjoy rice!
Grains That I Used & Alternative Options
Below are the 10 grains I used with Japanese white rice for this recipe.
- Japanese short-grain white rice
- Pearl barley
- Black rice
- Red rice
- Brown rice
- Millet grain
- Quinoa
- White chia seeds
- Black chia seeds
- White sesame seeds
- Black sesame seeds
Other grains commonly used in Zakkoku Mai include:
- Germinated (sprouted) brown rice
- Green rice
- Barnyard millet
- Rolled oats
- Job’s tears
- Naked barley
- Black beans
- Amaranth
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Jukkoku Mai at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
In a sieve over a large bowl, combine uncooked white rice, black rice, red rice, and brown rice.
Pour cold water over the rice until the bowl fills, then drain immediately. Refill the bowl with cold water. Gently swish the rice to wash it.
When the water becomes cloudy, drain it out. Repeat this washing process 3 times in total.
Transfer the washed rice to a mixing bowl and cover with cold water. Add pearl barley, millet grain, and quinoa. Cover and soak for 1 hour or up to 2 hours in a cold environment. Soaking helps soften the grains and promotes even cooking.
After soaking, drain the rice mixture through the sieve. Let it sit over an empty bowl for 5 minutes to remove excess moisture.
Transfer the rice mixture to a thick-bottomed pot. Add white and black chia seeds, and white and black sesame seeds.
Pour in the cold water.
Then cover with a lid, and place on the stove.
Place the pot on the stove over medium heat.
- Once you hear consistent bubbling, set a timer for 30 seconds.
- Then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2 minutes.
- Next, lower the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Finally, turn the heat to maximum for 10 seconds before turning it off completely.
Alternatively, you can use a rice cooker on the regular white rice setting.
Leave the pot on the warm stove to steam for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid or stir the rice during this time. Steaming allows the rice to finish cooking and helps distribute moisture evenly throughout the grains.
After steaming, remove the lid.
Then gently fluff the rice using a rice paddle or a spoon dipped in water to prevent sticking. Use the edge of the utensil to break up any clumps and release excess steam.
This step is crucial to avoid the rice being too wet.
Jump to Full Recipe MeasurementsI hope you enjoy this Zakkoku Mai recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Japanese Rice Recipes
Japanese Multigrain Rice (Zakkoku Mai)
Ingredients
- 300 g uncooked Japanese short-grain rice 1 Japanese rice cup = 150g
- 1 tbsp brown rice
- 2 tsp black rice
- 2 tsp red rice
- 2 tsp pearl barley
- 1 tsp millet grain
- 1 tsp quinoa
- ½ tsp white chia seeds
- ½ tsp black chia seeds
- ¼ tsp white sesame seeds
- ¼ tsp black sesame seeds
- 450 ml cold water
Instructions
- Place a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl and add 300 g uncooked Japanese short-grain rice, 1 tbsp brown rice, 2 tsp black rice and 2 tsp red rice. Fill the bowl with water and then immediately drain.
- Fill with water again, and gently swish the rice around to wash it. When the water becomes cloudy, drain and repeat twice more. (The water won't turn completely clear and that's okay.)
- Rinse out the bowl and pour the rice inside. Add 2 tsp pearl barley, 1 tsp millet grain and 1 tsp quinoa, then cover and soak for 1 hour (2 hours in winter).
- Once soaked, pour through the mesh sieve to drain and rest for 5 minutes to dry the surface a little.
- Pour the contents of the sieve into a heavy-based pot or rice cooker and add ½ tsp white chia seeds, ½ tsp black chia seeds, ¼ tsp white sesame seeds, ¼ tsp black sesame seeds and 450 ml cold water.
- For rice cookers: Use your regular white rice setting.For stove top: Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Let it bubble for 30 seconds, then reduce to medium-low for 2 minutes. Simmer on low for 5 minutes, then blast on high for 10 seconds before turning off the heat.
- Leave the pot on the warm stove and let it continue to cook in the residual steam for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid at any point. This steaming is part of the cooking process and cannot be skipped.
- After 15 minutes, remove the lid and gently mix the rice with a rice paddle using a cut-and-fold motion to release excess steam.
- Serve with your favorite Japanese meals, or even make rice balls! Enjoy!
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