Takikomi Gohan（Japanese Seasoned Rice With Chicken, Carrot, And Shiitake, 鶏肉と人参と椎茸の炊き込みご飯)
Takikomi Gohan is a very popular food, and especially eaten in fall in Japan.
You can add and/or substitute fall ingredients like Kuri (Chestnuts) and/or Satsumaimo (Japanese purple sweet potato) instead.
Some of you may be wondering what Takikomi Gohan is. Takikomi Gohan is Japanese seasoned rice with a variety of ingredients such as vegetables, mushrooms, potatoes, and so on.
Apparently, Takikomi Gohan appeared in the Nara Period in Japan. People mixed grains, vegetables, potatoes, and so on in order to save the rice.
Actually, Takikomi Gohan is very easy to make at home. Since we just put all the ingredients in a rice cooker and the rice cooker does most of the work for us.
It's very tasty seasoned rice. I normally eat it with Miso Soup. It is a very typical Japanese meal and the combination of Takikomi Gohan and Miso Soup is wonderful.
Enjoy cooking and eating this authentic Japanese food at home!
Ingredients (4 servings):
- 1 chicken thigh
- 1/4 carrot
- 1.5 US cups rice (12 fl oz, about 355ml, about 2 gou)
- 3 dried Shiitake mushrooms
- 1 small green onion
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Hondashi (Bonito soup base powder)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Water for 2 gou line of your rice cooker
-> See picture A. (All ingredients except rice and water.)
Here is how to make it at home. Cooking time is about 30 - 40 minutes (Depending on your rice cooker).
- Soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 5-10minutes or until the shiitake mushrooms become soft. Remove water thoroughly. -> See picture B.
2. Meanwhile, cut the carrot into 2 inches (5cm) length and thinly. -> See picture C.
3. Cut the chicken thigh into small bite size chunks as shown in the picture. -> See picture D.
4. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms from step1. thinly as shown in the picture. -> See picture E.
5. Put soy sauce, Mirin, Sake, sugar in a rice cooker bowl and mix thoroughly. -> See picture F.
6. Rinse rice with water a couple of times, remove water and add the rice into the rice cooker bowl. -> See picture G.
7. Add water into the rice cooker bowl until 2 gou line as shown in the picture. See picture H.
8. Add pieces of the chicken, carrot and Shiitake into the bowl. -> See picture I.
9. Add the sesame oil and Hondashi into the bowl. -> See picture J.
10. Start your rice cooker. -> See picture K.
11. Meanwhile, cut the green onions into small pieces. -> See picture L.
12. After the rice is fully cooked, open the lid and mix the rice thoroughly. -> See picture M.
13. Serve the Takikomi Gohan in the rice bowls and sprinkle the green onions on top. Put Miso soup on the side (optional). If you would like the stronger taste, try adding a little soy sauce or a little hot sauce on top of the Takikomi Gohan.
