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Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice) 炊き込みご飯

Learn how to make takikomi gohan, a Japanese mixed rice full of umami and colorful veggies. An easy and comforting rice cooker dish!
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bowl of vegan takikomi gohan
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:1 hour
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 rice cooker cups Japanese short grain rice (1½ US cups)
  • 1 tbsp dried hijiki*
  • ¼ package konnyaku
  • 1 aburaage (Japanese fried tofu pouch)
  • 1 small carrot
  • 100 grams shimeji mushrooms**1
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • kombu dashi**2 as needed
  • ½ cup frozen peas thawed

Instructions

  • Wash rice in a large bowl. Add water and move your hand in a circular motion a few times to wash the rice, drain water, and wash again. Repeat 3-4 times until the water isn't so murky anymore.
    Tip: Work quickly since the rice will start to absorb the water as it sits. Don't leave the rice in water for too long.
  • Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes while you prepare the veggies.
    Tip: Soaking rice gives the grains time to absorb some of the water, resulting in soft, fluffy rice.
  • Rehydrate hijiki in a small bowl of water for 5-10 minutes. Pour into a sieve to drain the water and gently press on the hijiki to remove excess water.
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the konnyaku for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and boil the aburaage in the same pot of water for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate to cool. Once cooled, gently squeeze excess water out of the aburaage. Slice konnyaku and aburaage into strips.
  • Peel and cut carrot into 2-inch matchsticks.
  • Thaw frozen peas in a colander at room temperature.
  • Drain rice and add to the rice cooker pot. Add soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Pour in enough dashi to reach the 2-cup line on your rice cooker.
  • Now scatter the other ingredients on top (except peas): carrots, konnyaku, aburaage, hijiki, and mushrooms. Don't mix them into the rice.
  • Cook rice. Use the mixed rice setting if your rice cooker has one, otherwise cook as normal but leave in the rice cooker for an extra 5 minutes.
  • Add thawed peas and close the rice cooker again for a minute to steam the peas.
  • Mix the rice with a rice paddle to distribute the veggies. Slice and fold the rice, rather than stir, to prevent breaking the rice grains and making it mushy.
  • Takikomi gohan is best served right after cooking. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated. Refrigerating isn't recommended since the rice will get very hard and dry.

Notes

1) Instead of shimeji mushrooms, you can use 3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms. Rehydrate them in warm water for 15 minutes, then squeeze out excess liquid and drain through a sieve to remove any dirt. Use the leftover soaking liquid as part of your dashi. Slice the rehydrated mushrooms.
2) If you don't have dashi, you can use water and 1 tsp kombu dashi granules*, or cook the rice with a small piece of kombu.