Japanese Mixed Rice (Takikomi Gohan)

炊き込みご飯

Itadakimasu! This is my favourite Japanese comfort one pot meal. 

Ingredients (serves 6 - 7 pax)

2 cup Japanese short grain rice 

150g cabbage leaves

2 pieces kombu (dried kelp)

5 pieces square deep fried tofu puff (use aburaage, Japanese version if you like)

half carrot (about 60g)

seasoning: 1 tablespoon mirin, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt

* other ingredients which can be used to make this dish are: gobo (burdock root), gingko nuts, yam and asari (clams), dried shiitake mushrooms and sweet potatoes. 

Method:

1. Make Kombu Dashi: Soak kombu in a pot with 400ml water for 1 hour. Then, place the pot on the stove and boil the kombu over low heat until just before it comes to a boil. Remove the kombu and set aside to cool before cutting it into thin strips for use later. 

2. Wash rice quickly for a few times until water runs clear. Drain in a colander and set aside.

3. Place the tofu puffs in a bowl and pour hot water over them. This is to remove excess oil from the deep fried tofu puffs. Drain the water immediately and use the back of a spoon to press against the tofu puffs to remove the water. Set aside the tofu puffs to cool down. Once cooled, cut them into thin slices or small cubes. 

4. Squeeze the liquid from mushrooms and retain the soaking liquid. Trim off the stems and cut the mushrooms into thin slices or small cubes.

5. Cut the carrot into thin slices or small cubes, and slice the cabbage leaves thinly.

6. Heat wok with some cooking oil. Stir fry the minced pork/chicken until almost cooked through. Add the carrots, cabbage leaves, tofu puffs and mix in. Add seasoning and kombu dashi (from step 1). Cook over medium-low until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

7. Set a colander over a bowl and transfer the cooked meat and vegetables into the colander. Let the liquid from cooking drain into the bowl and set aside to cool down.

8. Measure the cooking liquid (in step 7) and add enough to make up 360ml (10% less water compared to cooking normal Japanese short grain rice).

9. Put the washed rice (from step 2) and measured liquid (from step 8) in the rice cooker/pot. Soak for 15mins, then cook the rice as per normal. Once the rice is cooked, add the cooked meat and vegetables on top of the rice but do not mix in yet. Put the lid back and fold the meat and vegetables into the rice after 10 minutes.

Serve hot!