Serves 4
25 min
Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Rice)
Recipe GLPR8908c33df46572
A traditional Japanese rice dish infused with delicate bamboo shoots and umami-rich seasonings. Short-grain rice is cooked together with dashi stock, sake, soy sauce, and mirin, creating a subtly flavored, aromatic one-pot meal. The bamboo shoot is added whole to the rice as it cooks, then gently folded in just before serving. Light, wholesome, and naturally low in fat, this elegant dish makes an excellent starter or side course.
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Ingredients
320 grams Japanese short-grain rice
1 tablespoon Sake
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Mirin
¼ teaspoon Salt
1½ cups Dashi stock
1 Prepared bamboo shoot, sliced into bite-sized pieces
Directions
Rinse the Japanese short-grain rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water. Using your hand or a spoon, gently agitate the rice while rinsing until the water runs mostly clear, indicating that excess starch has been removed. Drain thoroughly.
Transfer the rinsed rice to a rice cooker bowl or a heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the sake, soy sauce, mirin, and salt to the rice.
If using a rice cooker: Pour the dashi stock into the rice cooker bowl until the liquid reaches the 2-cup line on the inner wall. Place the sliced bamboo shoot on top of the rice without stirring it in. Close the rice cooker and cook according to the appliance's standard instructions.
If using a stovetop pot: Pour the dashi stock into the pot with the rice and seasonings. The liquid should measure approximately to the 2-cup mark when accounting for the rice volume. Top with the sliced bamboo shoot without mixing. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with the lid and maintain a gentle simmer for approximately 15 minutes. If the rice begins to emit a sizzling sound before 15 minutes have elapsed, your heat may be too high; reduce it slightly or ensure the lid is properly sealed. If the rice is nearly done, turn off the heat and allow it to steam off the heat for a few more minutes. If more time remains, add a small amount of water and continue cooking until the rice is tender.
Once the rice cooker cycle completes or the stovetop rice finishes cooking, allow the rice to steam undisturbed, covered, for at least 10 minutes off the heat. This ensures the rice finishes cooking gently and the grains become fully tender and fluffy.
Using a rice paddle or wooden spatula, gently fold all the ingredients together with a cutting and turning motion, distributing the bamboo pieces evenly throughout the rice. Transfer to serving bowls and serve immediately while hot.
