Takikomi-Gohan (Mixed Rice)

Ingredients (serves 2-3):

To Cook in the Rice Cooker:

1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
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 "WHITE RICE" or "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

1

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

2

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.

3

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

4

Measure rice accurately using the measuring cup that came with your rice cooker. Rinse rice until water clears, drain and place in the inner cooking pan. Pour the soup stock from step 3. Add water to the corresponding water level for “WHITE RICE” or “MIXED RICE,” and mix well.

5

Spread the ingredients from steps 1 and 2 evenly on top of the rice. Cook the rice using the "WHITE RICE" or "MIXED RICE"setting.

6

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

7

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