Drying is a good method to preserve food. Dried Fish and Seafood are popular foods in many Asian countries. I cooked ‘Dried Scallops Takikomigohan’ on the other day, and I still had some leftover Dried Scallops. Today I decided to cook them with Glutinous Rice. I love Glutinous Rice. The only issue about this dish …
Soak dried Scallops in water until soft and you will have a really nice stock. Using this stock and softened Scallops, you can cook a delicious ‘Takikomigohan’. Today I added Carrot and Shiitake as well, but just Scallops and Spring Onions would be good enough. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 50g Dried Scallops400ml Water2 cups (*180ml …
‘Tarako’ is salted Pollock Roe. When it is salted with Chilli, it is called ‘Mentaiko’. They are quite popular in Japan and used for many dishes. Today I added ‘Mentaiko’, that is salted with Chilli, to my favourite ‘Abura-age & Carrot Takikomigohan’. It was DELICIOUS!!! Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 2 cups (*180ml cup) Japanese Short …
My family’s favourite ‘Asian Mushroom Takikomigohan’ can be even tastier and more nutritious with Abura-age (Fried Thin Tofu). If you are Vegan, use plant-based stock such as Shiitake Dashi OR Kombu (Kelp) Dashi. This rice and a refreshing salad would make me a perfect meal. Makes 4 Servings Ingredients 2 cups (*180ml cup) Short Grain …
Fresh Green Peas is the essential ingredient for Green Peas Rice. You can cook it only when Peas are in season. I still remember when I sat at a kitchen table and helped my mother to remove peas from the pod. It’s my fond childhood memory. Today I added Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil for …
My ‘Broccoli Rice’ is not minced Broccoli. Broccoli is cooked with Rice, and with Butter. When my son was a young child, I did all sort of tricks to make him eat veggies. One trick was mixing veggies with his favourite food. He loved rice. So I often cooked rice with finely chopped up or …
‘Takikomigohan’ is a dish of Rice that is cooked with ingredients and seasonings. If you have a rice cooker, it is super easy to create ‘Takikomigohan’ dishes. Today I cooked Rice with Salmon and Asparagus. Butter & Soy Sauce flavour is very popular in Japan, and Salmon and Asparagus taste lovely in this flavour. Makes …
Nori (Seaweed Sheet) is not only for wrapping Sushi or Onigiri (Rice Balls). Nori can be used for many dishes such as ‘Scrambled Egg & Nori’ and ‘Stir-fried Broccoli & Nori’. Nori is basically a soft sea plant processed into dried sheets. Here is another way to use it. Cook Rice and Nori together. Makes …
‘Sekihan’ is steamed short grain glutinous rice cooked with Azuki (Red Beans). It is traditionally prepared to celebrate special occasions in Japan, because of its red colour which is symbolic of happiness. On the other day, I realised that I knew one vegetable that could make absolutely everything RED. That is Beetroot, which is not …
This is another Italian Risotto inspired sloppy rice dish. I cook it in the rice cooker but you can cook in the traditional Risotto way with extra stock. If your rice cooker has ‘Quick Cook’ setting, use it, so that the Rice would be cooked ‘al dente’. Makes 2 Servings Ingredients 1 tablespoon Oil OR …
I hesitate to call this dish ‘Risotto’ but it is almost identical. I cook it in the rice cooker but you can cook in the traditional ‘Risotto’ way with extra stock. I recommend Arborio Rice for creamy texture but Short Grain Rice such as Sushi Rice can be used. Makes 2 Servings Ingredients 2 tablespoons …
Gobō (Burdock Root) is a very popular vegetable in Japan, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to find where I live. I have seen Frozen Sliced Gobō many years ago at an Asian grocery store, and that was the only time I saw Gobō in Australia. Then, I decided to grow them in my vegetable garden. After …
I love ‘Oysters Takikomigohan’ but I don’t cooked it often, because Oysters are extremely expensive in Australia. Then, I tried to make ‘Oysters Takikomigohan’ using Canned Smoked Oysters that are not expensive. The result was interesting. I changed the favour and added Asian Mushrooms. This cheap ‘Smoked Oysters Takikomigohan’ is not bad at all! Makes …
I cook rice almost everyday. Thanks to the rice cooker, it is easy to do. When I cook rice with beans, most beans need to be pre-cooked. Even ‘Auzuki’ Red Beans, that are very small, need to be pre-cooked when cooked with rice such as ‘Sekihan’. However, Lentils don’t require pre-cooking as they can be …
‘Sekihan’, steamed short grain glutinous rice cooked with Azuki (Red Beans), is sometimes cooked with Chestnuts as well. But Chestnuts are not commonly available where I live. I looked for a substitute for Chestnuts and I tried some different nuts. Now I can tell you that the best substitute is Cashew Nuts. This ‘Auzki & …