Hijiki Rice is a colourful Japanese combined rice (takikomi gohan) cooked in seasoned dashi with seaweed, carrots, and aburaage fried tofu. An integral ingredient within the Japanese weight loss plan for hundreds of years, hijiki is a savory sea vegetable wealthy in minerals and dietary fiber. Get pleasure from this basic recipe, which can be vegan-friendly.
From a younger age, I all the time liked basic Japanese ichiju sansai type meals with grilled fish, small sides, and rice and miso soup, whereas my associates have been extra inquisitive about Western meals and yoshoku (western-influenced Japanese meals). I particularly liked every kind of Japanese combined rice referred to as takikomi gohan, and this Hijiki Rice was certainly one of my favorites.
What’s Takikomi Gohan?
Japanese Combined Rice or what we name Takikoki Gohan (炊き込みご飯), is a Japanese dish made with short-grain rice and different elements. Whereas common rice is cooked with water, for combined rice, we use dashi (Japanese soup inventory) for extra taste.
Each season, we get pleasure from rice cooked with recent seasonal elements, similar to inexperienced peas or bamboo shoots in spring, corn in summer season, candy potato or chestnut in fall, and oyster or root greens in winter.
We’d additionally serve combined rice as a substitute of plain white rice to enrich a easy fundamental dish for a colourful and appetizing meal.
What’s Hijiki?
Hijiki (ひじき) is an edible dried seaweed famend for its distinctive black, shredded look. Harvested alongside the rocky coastlines of Japan, Korea, and China, it begins as a vibrant inexperienced to brown hue when gathered, later remodeling right into a deep black after boiling and drying.
Not like the opposite seaweeds like wakame and nori, hijiki has a savory and earthy taste profile, with a refined brininess that permits its distinctive style to shine via. It gives a nice crunch and a chewy chunk upon cooking.
This conventional meals has been part of a balanced weight loss plan in Japan for hundreds of years, valued for its style and dietary richness. Full of dietary fiber, nutritional vitamins, calcium, and important minerals, hijiki is eaten in Japanese, Chinese language, and Korean delicacies. Have you ever tried it earlier than?
The place To Purchase Hijiki
There are two forms of hijiki seaweed: small, tender “bud” elements referred to as mehijiki (芽ひじき), which I used on this recipe, and lengthy, chewy “stem” elements referred to as nagahijiki (長ひじき), which aren’t generally discovered right here within the U.S.
You could find hijiki within the dried meals aisle of Japanese, Asian, and Korean supermarkets, in addition to in pure meals shops. You may also purchase it on Amazon.
In the event you’re involved concerning the warning label on these merchandise, simply know that except you devour a whole bundle in in the future, there’s no want to fret. Typical consumption is unlikely to have an effect on your well being.
How you can Use Hijiki in Cooking
Earlier than utilizing hijiki, soak it in chilly water for Half-hour. Drain properly, rinse beneath working water, and it’s prepared to be used. You may make varied hijiki recipes!
Substances for Hijiki Rice
- Japanese short-grain rice
- Hijiki seaweed
- Aburaage (fried tofu pouch)
- Carrot
- Seasonings: Vegan dashi, soy sauce (or tamari), mirin, and salt
This basic recipe is vegan-friendly with solely plant-based elements. Sometimes, meat isn’t included, however you are able to do so by including small items of hen thighs.
How you can Make the Finest Hijiki Rice (Hijiki Gohan)
- Make vegan dashi by hydrating kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms.
- Soak hijiki seaweed and lower all of the elements into small items.
- Rinse rice, and switch to a rice cooker bowl (donabe, pot, or Instantaneous Pot).
- Add the vegan dashi, seasonings, and elements, and begin cooking.
- Let it steam after cooking, fluff the rice, and serve.
Cooking Suggestions
- Be aware of the rice cooker cup – In the event you’ve by no means owned a rice cooker, you won’t be conversant in the rice cooker cup measurement. 1 rice cooker cup is 180 ml, equal to three/4 US cup. This measurement is commonplace for all manufacturers of rice cookers. In case your rice cooker comes with a transparent rice cooker cup, it sometimes holds 180 ml.
- The ratio for Japanese short-grain rice to water is 1:1.1 or 1:1.2 – For 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml) of Japanese rice, you have to 200 ml of dashi, with seasonings factored into this calculation.
- Don’t combine rice and elements – This is applicable to all combined rice recipes. You first want to combine the rice, dashi, and seasonings, however add different elements similar to veggies on high with out mixing them into the rice. This ensures the rice is cooked evenly. As soon as the rice is finished cooking, you’ll be able to then combine every little thing collectively.
- At all times soak Japanese short-grain rice – The short-grain rice is extra plump (thicker) than different varieties, so it requires a head begin to take in moisture to the core. Soaking for 20-Half-hour is commonplace.
- Repurpose leftover hijiki rice into onigiri (rice balls) – Form the leftovers into rice balls and pack them in your bento lunch field. They have been my favourite kind of onigiri rising up!
How you can Retailer
- To Refrigerate: I don’t advocate refrigerating cooked rice, even in case you plan to eat it the following day, because the rice tends to turn into exhausting in chilly temperatures.
- To Freeze: Retailer Hijiki Rice in an hermetic container and freeze it for as much as a month.
- To Reheat. For the most effective outcomes, reheat within the microwave straight from frozen.
What to Serve with Hijiki Rice
To make a whole meal, listed below are my options for the primary dishes.
Different Scrumptious Combined Rice Recipes
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Hijiki Rice (Takikomi Gohan)
Hijiki Rice is a colourful Japanese combined rice (takikomi gohan) cooked in seasoned dashi with seaweed, carrots, and aburaage fried tofu. An integral ingredient within the Japanese weight loss plan for hundreds of years, hijiki is a savory sea vegetable wealthy in minerals and dietary fiber. Get pleasure from this basic recipe, which can be vegan-friendly.
Substances
For the Dashi (vegan-friendly)
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Directions
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Collect all of the elements. Please observe that this dashi requires a minimal steeping time of Half-hour. Ideally, we let the dashi steep for 2–3 hours within the summertime and 4–5 hours within the wintertime.
To Make the Dashi
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Put 1 piece kombu (dried kelp), 2 items dried shiitake mushrooms, and 1⅓ cups water in a measuring cup. Let it steep on the counter for a minimum of Half-hour to extract the kombu’s taste naturally. Tip: Most Japanese recipes advocate gently cleansing the kombu with a moist material. Nonetheless, the kombu is fairly clear lately. Simply ensure to mud off and take away mildew spots, if any. Don’t wash or wipe off the white powdery substance, because it has a lot of umami. For the dried shiitake mushrooms, examine if there’s any mud or dust trapped within the gills beneath the caps. If there’s, use a pastry brush to clear it off. Don’t wash it beneath water.
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After steeping, it‘s now prepared to make use of as chilly brew Vegan Dashi.
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Take away the hydrated kombu and shiitake from the measuring cup. See my options on the finish of the recipe for repurpose the spent kombu and shiitake. Then, add sufficient water to make 1⅓ cups (320 ml) dashi. Tip: The Japanese short-grain rice-to-water ratio is 1 to 1.1 (or 1.2). On this recipe, the dashi and seasonings collectively are thought-about the “water“ unit.
To Rehydrate the Hijiki Seaweed
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Rehydrate 3 Tbsp dried hijiki seaweed in loads of water to cowl for 10 minutes. In the event you use nagahijiki, rehydrate for 20–Half-hour.
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After 10 minutes, drain in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse beneath working water. Put aside.
To Wash the Rice
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Put 1½ cups raw Japanese short-grain white rice in a big bowl and add simply sufficient chilly faucet water to submerge the grains. Discard the water instantly (so the rice doesn‘t take in the cloudy water). Subsequent, use your fingers to softly wash the moist grains in a round movement for 15–20 seconds. Add water to rinse and instantly pour off the cloudy water. Repeat this “wash and rinse“ course of a pair extra instances till the water is obvious. Drain the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and shake off the surplus water. Put aside when you put together the opposite elements.
To Lower the Substances
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Lower 1 piece aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch) in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into skinny strips (¼ inch, 6 mm).
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Lower ⅓ carrot into skinny slabs (⅛ inch, 3 mm) lengthwise. Then, lower the slabs into skinny julienned strips; if they’re too lengthy, lower the strips in half.
To Prepare dinner the Rice
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To your rice cooker pot (or donabe or heavy-bottomed pot), add the well-drained rice, 2 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sake, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
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Add the dashi. Then, combine the rice and seasonings properly. Gently shake the pot and use your fingers to degree the rice in order that it‘s evenly distributed and submerged within the water.
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Now, squeeze the hijiki seaweed yet another time to empty the additional moisture. Then, sprinkle it on high of the rice within the pot. Don’t combine with the rice! Subsequent, scatter the carrot and aburaage on high. Once more, don’t combine with the rice. Tip: The rice is not going to prepare dinner evenly if combined with the elements.
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Use chopsticks to softly distribute ONLY the elements throughout the highest of the rice so their flavors will launch evenly. Shut the lid. Let the rice soak for 20–Half-hour.For an electrical rice cooker, select the Combined Rice menu, if obtainable; in any other case, use the final setting. Then, begin cooking.For a donabe or heavy-bottomed pot, prepare dinner on medium-high warmth for about 13–quarter-hour.After cooking, let the rice steam for 10–quarter-hour. Don’t open the lid throughout this time. This resting interval is essential for the rice to steam correctly.
To Use the Spent Kombu and Shiitake
Vitamin
Vitamin Information
Hijiki Rice (Takikomi Gohan)
Quantity per Serving
% Each day Worth*
* % Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss plan.
Editor’s Word: This put up was initially printed on January 16, 2023. It was republished with extra useful info on April 3, 2024.
