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5.0 from 3 votes

Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Seasoned Rice)

Balanced, flavorful, and enjoyable—this recipe has it all.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

  • 300 g uncooked Japanese short-grain rice
  • water for soaking
  • 2-3 dried shiitake mushroom
  • 3-5 g dried kelp (kombu) (kombu) 3-5g is one small sheet
  • 275 ml cold water to make dashi
  • 150 g boneless chicken thigh skin on
  • ½ tsp cooking oil
  • 3 heets fried tofu pouch (aburaage) (aburaage) thinly sliced
  • 50 g carrot peeled and julienned
  • 10 g ginger root peeled and julienned
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp tsuyu sauce Check out my homemade tsuyu recipe
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp sake
  • finely chopped green onions

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. First, place 300 g uncooked Japanese short-grain rice in 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.)
  2. Pour your rice into a bowl and add enough water to completely submerge it. Leave to soak for one hour. 
  3. Place 2-3 dried shiitake mushroom and 3-5 g dried kelp (kombu) in 275 ml cold water and soak it for one hour. This will make a shiitake and kombu dashi.
  4. After the rice has soaked for 1 hour, pour through a sieve to drain and place over an empty bowl to dry until it's time to cook.
  5. 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.)
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Once done, remove the crispy chicken skin from the pan and place on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil. Using the same pan, add the chicken meat and fry until sealed.
  9. Next, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms from the dashi to the pan along with 50 g carrot, 10 g ginger root, and 3 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.
  10. 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. Add the chicken skin too (or save for later and sprinkle on top).Finally, pour 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp tsuyu sauce, 2 tbsp mirin and 2 tbsp sake into the pot. IMPORTANT: Do not mix!
  11. 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.
  12. After 20 minutes of steaming, remove the lid and mix the rice thoroughly.
  13. 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.