Japanese Special Rice (Taki komi gohan)

Japanese Special Rice (Taki Komi Gohan)

Japanese Special Rice- used here as a bed to serve lobster tails on

Taki komi gohan is easy, quick and healthy. All ingredients are put into the rice cooker and cooked together. It has the flavours of all the ingredients cooked in and absorbed by the rice, somewhat like a risotto. However, unlike risotto or fried rice there is no fat content.

4 cups rice (rice cooker cups)
1/4 cup dried sliced shiitake mushrooms (or 1/2 cup fresh shiitake, or any mushrooms, sliced)
1 carrot, peeled and diced
6 spring onions, trimmed and sliced finely (or use 1/4 onions diced)
1 teaspoon powdered dashi (or chicken stock)
1/2 cup soy sauce  (rice cooker cup)
3.5 cups water (rice cooker cups)

1. If using dried shiitake soak them in a cup of water, for 30 minutes or so before hand. Drain reserving liquid. Use this to replace some of the 3.5 cups water.
2. Place rice in cooker and rinse 3 times.
3. Add all other ingredients. Give it a stir, put the lid on and turn on rice cooker.
4. Serve as a simple meal on its own, a side dish, or use as a bed for seafood such as lobster, crabs and prawns.
I recommend this dipping sauce for seafood:

Sanbaizu dipping sauce

Sanbaizu Japanese dipping sauce for seafood

Serves 2
3 tablespoons white vinegar (can be rice vinegar, but doesn't have to be)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Mix ingredients and leave for 30 minutes or so for the sugar to dissolve.
Serve with crab, prawns, or lobster