Chicken Takikomi Gohan

Japanese takikomi gohan with chicken, mushrooms, carrot and soy-seasoned rice cooked together in one pot.

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Because the rice absorbs all the seasoned liquid as it cooks, measuring the liquid and resisting the urge to stir are the keys to good texture.

Ingredients

• 300 g Japanese short-grain rice
• 250 g boneless chicken thigh (cut into small pieces)
• 120 g shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
• 80 g carrot (cut into matchsticks)
• 1 fried tofu pouch or aburaage (thinly sliced, optional)
• 420 ml dashi
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake
• 0.25 tsp salt
• 2 spring onions (sliced)

Step-by-step method

1. Rinse the rice gently until the water runs mostly clear, then drain it for 15 minutes.
2. Mix the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake and salt.
3. Place the drained rice in a heavy pot or rice cooker and pour over the seasoned liquid.
4. Arrange the chicken, mushrooms, carrot and aburaage over the rice in an even layer. Do not stir them into the rice.
5. Cook using the normal rice setting, or on the stovetop bring to a boil, cover, reduce to very low heat and cook for 13–15 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes so the rice finishes steaming.
7. Open the pot, gently fold the toppings through the rice with a rice paddle and finish with spring onions.