How To Cook Rice in a Donabe

Name: How To Cook Rice in a Donabe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 serving
Ingredients: ¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; ⅞ cup water; 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 1⅔ cups water; 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 2½ cups water; 3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 3⅓ cups water; 3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 4⅛ cups water; ¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice; 1¼ cups water; 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice; 2½ cups water; 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice; 3¾ cups water; 3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice; 5 cups water; 3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice; 6¼ cups water

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Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings
4
Calories
272 kcal
Course
Side Dish
Cuisine
Japanese

How To Cook Rice in a Donabe

Caleb Murray

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Learn how to cook rice in a donabe, the traditional Japanese earthenware pot, with my step-by-step tutorial. The process is simple and straightforward. You'll make unbelievably fluffy and tender Japanese short-grain white rice every time! Brown rice instructions included.

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Ingredients

Servings

★ WHITE RICE ★

For 2 Rice Bowls (2¼ cups, 330 g cooked rice)

¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (1 rice cooker cup, 180 ml)
⅞ cup water (200 ml)

For 4 Rice Bowls (4⅓ cups, 660 g)

1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (2 rice cooker cups, 360 ml)
1⅔ cups water (400 ml)

For 6 Rice Bowls (6⅔ cups, 990 g)

2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (3 rice cooker cups, 540 ml)
2½ cups water (600 ml)

For 8 Rice Bowls (8¾ cups, 1320 g)

3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (4 rice cooker cups, 720 ml)
3⅓ cups water (800 ml)

For 10 Rice Bowls (11 cups, 1650 g)

3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (5 rice cooker cups, 900 ml)
4⅛ cups water (1000 ml)

★ BROWN RICE ★

For 2 Rice Bowls (2¼ cups, 330 g cooked rice)

¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (1 rice cooker cup, 180 ml)
1¼ cups water (300 ml)

For 4 Rice Bowls (4⅓ cups, 660 g)

1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (2 rice cooker cups, 360 ml)
2½ cups water (600 ml)

For 6 Rice Bowls (6⅔ cups, 990 g)

2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (3 rice cooker cups, 540 ml)
3¾ cups water (900 ml)

For 8 Rice Bowls (8¾ cups, 1320 g)

3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (4 rice cooker cups, 720 ml)
5 cups water (1200 ml)

For 10 Rice Bowls (11 cups, 1650 g)

3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain brown rice (5 rice cooker cups, 900 ml)
6¼ cups water (1500 ml)

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Instructions

Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a soaking time of 20–30 minutes for white rice and 6–12 hours for brown rice. The rice-to-water ratio is 1 to 1.1 (or 1.2) for Japanese short-grain white rice and 1 to 1.6 (or 1.7) for Japanese short-grain brown rice.Please note that ¾ cup (150 g, 1 rice cooker cup) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yields 2¼ cups (330 g) of cooked rice. This is enough for 2 Japanese rice bowls (typically 150 g each) or 3 onigiri rice balls (typically 110 g each). 1 cup of cooked rice weighs about 5.3 oz (150 g).
How to Measure: Overfill a US cup measure (a ¾-cup measure works well for this) or a rice cooker cup with uncooked short-grain rice and level it off. Put the rice in a large bowl. Repeat until you have the measured amount of rice needed. In this recipe, I‘m making 2 rice cooker cups of rice using my 2 rice cup size Kamado-san. You can also use a 3 rice cup size Kamado-san.

To Wash the Rice

Gather the rice, the measured water, and a donabe.
Quick Rinse: Add just enough tap water to the bowl to submerge all the rice. Then, discard the water immediately. Repeat one more time. Tip: Rice absorbs water very quickly when you start rinsing, so this step helps remove impurities from the rice and prevent it from absorbing the first few rounds of milky water.
Wash: Next, use your fingers to gently agitate the wet rice grains in a circular motion for 10–15 seconds. Using very little water allows the grains to rub against each other. It also reduces the absorption of impurities from the milky water.
Rinse: Add tap water and immediately discard the cloudy water. Repeat one more time.
Repeat Wash and Rinse (steps 3 and 4) two more times.
Drain: When the water is almost clear, drain the rice very well. Tip: Use a fine-mesh sieve to drain and shake off any excess water.

To Soak the Rice

Transfer the well-drained rice to the donabe and add the measured amount of water (see below to find the water measurement for your amount of rice). Gently shake the pot and use your fingers to level the rice so that it‘s evenly distributed and submerged in the water.
Place the lid (or both lids of the Kamado-san) on the pot and soak the rice in the donabe for 20–30 minutes. If you‘re cooking brown rice, it requires 12 hours of soaking time. You can also add a pinch of salt to help reduce the bitterness of brown rice (optional).

To Cook the Rice

Set the donabe on a gas stovetop and turn the heat to medium high (or medium for a professional range). Cook* for 14 minutes for 4 servings (or find the cooking time below for your amount of rice). Alternately, simply watch for the steam to start puffing from the lid's hole, wait 2 minutes (for white rice), then turn off the heat.

* White rice cooking times:

For 1 rice cooker cup: Cook for 11–12 minutes (on medium heat); 2 cups: 12–14 minutes (medium-high heat); 3 cups: 13–15 minutes (medium-high heat); 4 cups: 14–16 minutes (medium-high heat); 5 cups: 15–17 minutes (medium-high heat).

* Brown rice cooking times:

For 1 rice cooker cup: Cook for 22 minutes (on medium heat; turn off the heat 10 minutes after the steam starts puffing); 2 cups: 28–30 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 13–15 minutes after the steam starts puffing); 3 cups: 35–38 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 15–18 minutes after the steam starts puffing); 4 cups: 41–43 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 17–19 minutes after the steam starts puffing). 5 cups: 45–48 minutes (medium heat; turn off the heat 20–22 minutes after the steam starts puffing).

To Steam the Rice

Remove from the stove and let the donabe stand with the lid on (both lids for the Kamado-san) for 20 minutes for white rice and 40 minutes for brown rice. Tip: This resting period is crucial for the rice to steam properly. Resist the urge to peek under the lid and release the steam during this time.

To Serve

Fluff the rice with a rice paddle, and it‘s ready to serve.

To Store

Transfer the cooked rice to airtight containers and close the lid to keep the moisture in. Let the rice cool completely before storing the containers in the freezer (read my tutorial post).

Notes

*The white/brown rice cooking time is from Toiro Kitchen.

Nutrition Information

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Calories 272kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 60g (20%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 6mg (0%) Potassium 58mg (2%) Fiber 2g (8%) Calcium 5mg (1%) Iron 3mg (17%)