Takikomi gohan is a great way to spice up a simple white rice. Cooked with various ingredients such as vegetables, mushrooms, meat or seafood, this dish brings more flavors and varieties to the meal.
What is Takikomi Gohan?
Takikomi gohan is Japanese mixed rice made of short-grain rice and seasonal vegetables. It’s commonly enjoyed during autumn and fall season together with grilled fish and miso soup. Takikomi gohan is usually seasoned with Japanese soup stock dashi, mirin and soy sauce.
The name of this dish may differ depending on the region. It also might be called Kayaku gohan or Gomoku gohan which translates as five ingredients but you can use more or less than five.
There is also a dish called Maze gohan. The main difference is that Maze gohan is when the cooked rice and ingredients are mixed together after they have been cooked separately. Takikomi gohan is when the rice and other ingredients are cooked together in a same pot.
What Are Popular Ingredients for Takikomi Gohan?
As I mentioned, Takikomi gohan is usually enjoyed during autumn and fall months. Therefore, using a variety of autumn vegetables is very common. There are no strict rules for this dish but the most common ingredients would be carrot, shiitake mushrooms, deep-fried tofu, gobo (burdock root).
Some variations also include meat like chicken thighs or breasts or a seafood to add more flavor. The basic seasoning usually consists of soy sauce, mirin and dashi but you can also try adding sake or ginger.
Another popular ingredients are:
- Renkon (lotus root)
- Bamboo shoots
- Hijiki seaweed
- Chestnuts
- Edamame
- Salmon
- Peas
- Sweet potato
In this recipe I used dried shiitake mushrooms, hijiki seaweeds, carrot and deep-fried tofu. I recommend using dried mushrooms. They will add a nice flavor. Hijiki is a type of dried seaweed. It has a rich, earthy flavor and a slightly crunchy texture. This traditional food has been a part of a balanced diet in Japan for centuries. Discover more types of edible seaweeds.
How to Make Takikomi Gohan?
Cooking Takikomi gohan is not that difficult but there are few things you should know before making this dish. As a proper half-Asian family we own a rice cooker. You can also use a pot and a stove but it’s much more simple with rice cooker. And for the first time, it may be difficult to set the correct heat and you may end up burning the dish or undercooking the rice. Another things to keep in mind:
Soak Rice in Water
Don’t skip soaking the rice in the water. It will help the rice become fluffier and tender. The rice will also absorb all flavors from seasonings better. Use clear water for soaking. Do not soak the rice in the seasonings used in recipe.
After soaking drain the water properly. Use a strainer if possible so you won’t incidentally add any extra water. The rice may become too soggy or less flavored.
Do not Mix the Rice and Ingredients
Never mix the rice with seasonings and ingredients together before cooking. Only after the dish is cooked. Takikomi gohan is prepared for cooking in layers. First you put the rice and then you place hard ingredients like root vegetables, then gradually to softer ingredients on top. If you mix everything together, it will cook unevenly.
Do not Overfill with Ingredients
Keep in mind that although you add various vegetables and ingredients, this should be still a rice dish. Therefore, a rice should be the main ingredient. It’s important to keep the correct ratio. If you put too many ingredients, they will absorb all the liquid in the rice cooker and the rice will not cook properly. Also do not overfill the rice cooker (or a pot). Don’t forget that after cooking, the rice will increase its volume.
How to Store Takikomi Gohan?
After cooling down, store takikomi gohan in a fridge like any other dish. If you have leftovers, you can keep them in a freezer. You can also make onigiri (Japanese rice balls) with takikomi gohan in a ball shape or a triangle shape.
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Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice)
Video
Ingredients
- 300 g uncooked short-grain rice
- 50 g carrot
- 2 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1-2 pieces age tofu (deep-fried tofu)
- 2 tbsp hijiki seaweed
Seasoning:
- 360 ml dashi stock
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp shiitake water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Wash the rice in a large bowl few times (until the water is clear, not milky white) and let it soak for 20 - 30 minutes in a clean water. The rice will become fluffy and plump.
- Put shiitake mushrooms and hijiki in a separate bowls and let them soak too. You can put something on top shiitake mushrooms to keep them fully under the water. After soaking, do not throw away the shiitake water.
- Cut the carrot in half lengthwise and then again cut both halves lengthwise and then cut them into thin slices.
- Cut deep-fried tofu, shiitake mushrooms and hijiki into thin slices, too. Remove stems from shiitake mushrooms if they are too hard. Try to cut all ingredients into equally sized pieces.
- For the seasoning mix dashi stock (I dissolved 2,5 gram of dashi powder in 360 ml of water), soy sauce, mirin, shiitake water, and salt. Put all ingredients in a bowl and pour over the seasoning.
- Strain the water from the rice properly. You can also use a sieve.
- Put the rice in a rice cooker. Then gently pour over the mixture. Spread gently so it will cover the rice evenly. But do not mix it all together. When you have the rice prepared like this, cook it immediately.
- You can sprinkle the cooked rice with spring onion or parsley.
Itadakimasu! [itadakimas]
