Ingredients (serves 2-3):

To Cook in the Rice Cooker:

• 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
• 1/3 tsp. salt
• 1/3 tsp. dashinomoto
• 1 oz. chicken (or dried young sardines), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/3 slice Age (fried tofu), cut into strips, place in strainer and pour hot water over it and gently squeeze to drain excess oil
• 0.7 oz. carrots
• 0.7 oz. Konnyaku
• 0.7 oz. Gobo
• 2 cups (rice measuring cup) short or medium grain white rice
• Water to fill to water level 2 for mixed rice
• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for 30 minutes to an hour to reconstitute (reserve the soaking water as stock)

To Prepare Separately:

• Boiled string beans or stone parsley to taste

Mix the soy sauce, mirin, salt and dashinomoto. Soak chicken and Age in the mixture. Do not discard this soup stock.

While soaking, slice carrots and Konnyaku into small strips. Soak Konnyaku in hot water and drain. Shred Gobo, soak in water to remove the bitter taste, then drain. Remove hard tips from the reconstituted shiitake, and then cut into small strips.

Add the soup stock from step 1 to the water used to soak the dried shiitake and mix well.

Measure rice accurately and place in inner cooking pan. Rinse rice under water until water clears. Pour the soup stock from step 3. Add water by filling up to the water scale marked “2” for “Mixed Rice” or “White Rice,” and mix well.

Spread the ingredients from steps 1 and 2 evenly on top of the rice. Cook the rice using the “Mixed” or “White” setting.

When rice completes cooking, open the lid and fluff the rice to loosen it.

Serve in a bowl and top with string beans or stone parsley.