Minimalist Japanese Recipe: BASIC TAKIKOMI GOHAN (MIXED RICE)
No meal in Japan is said to be complete without a serving of rice. Takikomi gohan is a mixed rice dish which typically includes vegetables, fish or chicken. Our minimalist recipe creates a base from which you can get creative by adding your own flavors and ingredients while savoring the aromas as it cooks.
Prep time: Several hours | Cook time: 5 mins + rice cooking time | Vegan
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 dried shiitake mushroom
- 400ml water
- 300g uncooked rice
- 2 tbsp sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2½ tbsp soy sauce
- Pinch of sugar
Instructions
- Add the dried shiitake to the water and leave for several hours or overnight (either at room temperature or in the fridge). Remove the rehydrated shiitake mushroom. The resulting broth is called shiitake dashi.
- Place the uncooked rice in a pot/rice cooker. Add all the other ingredients including the shiitake dashi from step 1 and cook as per usual.
OPTIONS
- Use a different dashi instead of shiitake dashi.
- Increase the soy sauce to 3 tbsp for a stronger, deeper umami taste.
- Add the rehydrated shiitake (chopped) as an ingredient.
- Add chopped ginger, negi and/or umeboshi, katsuobushi, shio konbu (salt kelp), tuna, etc. after the rice has cooked.
- Use to make onigiri (rice balls).
