Japanese cuisine · Dough, Pasta & Rice

Takikomi Gohan

Rice cooked with shiitake, carrot and fried tofu directly in dashi and soy sauce, soaking up all the flavor.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300g sushi rice
• 400ml dashi
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms (or 100g fresh)
• 1 carrot
• 150g salsify or parsnip (traditionally burdock root/gobo)
• 2 fried tofu pouches (aburaage)
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 scallions

Instructions

1. Soak the dried shiitake in warm water for 20 minutes, squeeze out and cut into strips; wash the rice until the water runs clear and drain.
2. Cut the carrot and salsify into thin strips, placing the salsify immediately in cold water so it stays pale.
3. Blanch the tofu pouches with boiling water to remove the frying fat, squeeze out well and cut into narrow strips.
4. Mix the dashi with soy sauce, sake, mirin and salt, pour over the rice in the pot, and arrange the vegetables and tofu strips loosely on top without stirring in.
5. Bring to a boil covered, cook over the lowest heat for 13 minutes, then remove from the heat and let it rest covered for 10 more minutes.
6. Gently fluff the rice from the bottom up with a rice paddle, sprinkle with scallion rings and serve hot.