Takikomi gohan

All year around I eat Japanese rice. It is our key element to my everyday meal. We love cooking rice with seasonal ingredients, and it is very easy to make and very much my comfort food.

Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 360 g short grain Japanese rice
• 100 g peeled sweet potato, cut into 2cm dice
• 20 g podded edamame
• 50 g shimeji mushrooms, stems removed
• 20 g peeled carrot, cut into julienne
• 1 tbsp sake
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 tsp white soy sauce, or regular soy sauce
• 80 g salmon fillet, cut into bite-size pieces
• black sesame seeds, salt and mitsuba leaves, to serve

Resting time: 35 minutes

Instructions

1. Wash the rice in cold water 5 times until the water runs clear. Pour into a colander and stand to drain for 25 minutes.
2. Place the rice in a rice cooker or large heavy–based saucepan. Add all the other ingredients and 320 ml water (add the salmon last so it sits on the top). If using a rice cooker, place the lid on and cook for about 35 minutes. Turn off without opening the lid and stand for another 10 minutes. If using a saucepan, bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and stand for another 10–15 minutes without opening the lid.
3. Scoop the rice into bowls, garnish with black sesame seeds, salt and mitsuba and serve immediately.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.