Japanese cuisine · Breakfast & Eggs

Nanakusa Gayu

Mild rice porridge with seven tender spring herbs, eaten on January 7th to settle the stomach.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 150 g short-grain rice
• 1.2 l water
• 1 piece kombu (10 cm)
• 200 g nanakusa herbs (or watercress, parsley, arugula, young spinach, chives, turnip greens, dandelion as a substitute)
• 1 tsp salt
• 100 g daikon radish
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Instructions

1. Wash the rice in a bowl with cold water and drain repeatedly until the water stays almost clear, then soak for 30 min. in fresh water and drain.
2. Rub the kombu piece with a damp cloth, place in a heavy pot with the water and let steep cold for 20 min.; remove just before boiling.
3. Stir in the rice, bring to a boil once, then simmer very gently over the lowest heat with the lid tilted for 35–40 min., stirring from the bottom only two or three times.
4. Meanwhile wash the herbs, remove tough stems and blanch the leaves for 30 sec. in salted water, plunge into cold water, squeeze out and chop finely; cut the daikon into small cubes.
5. Add the daikon cubes 5 min. before the end and season with the salt — the porridge should run thickly off the ladle, not stand firm.
6. Fold in the chopped herbs only after removing from the heat so they stay green, ladle into bowls and serve with sesame seeds and a few drops of soy sauce.