You can use any Dried Mushrooms, but I strongly recommend to use some Dried Porcini. Today I added Dried Mixed Forest Mushrooms as well. These Dried Mushrooms are available from most supermarkets in Melbourne where I live. Chestnuts might be hard to find. I have very sore hands and can’t peel Chestnuts, so I used Frozen Peeled Chestnuts. Many Asian grocery stores sell them. This rice dish is absolutely delicious and smells amazing.

Makes

4 Servings

Ingredients

20g Dried Porcini
20g Dried Mixed Forest Mushrooms
*Note: You can use 40g Dried Mushrooms of your choice, but I recommend to use some Dried Porcini.
1/2 cup Onion *finely chopped
1 clove Garlic *finely chopped
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cups (*180ml cup) Short OR Medium Grain Rice
450ml Water that is used to soak Dried Porcini *avoid the settlings
1 Stock Cube *Chicken OR Vegetable, sliced OR crumbled
1/2 teaspoon Salt *alter the amount if Stock is not salted
200g peeled Chestnuts *thawed if frozen
20g Butter *cut into small pieces
Ground Black Pepper
Thyme *OR Parsley

Method
  1. Soak Dried Porcini and other Mushrooms in 2 & 1/2 cups warm water until soft. When soft, drain, and save 450ml water, but avoid the settlings. Rinse the Mushrooms and cut into smaller pieces if large. *Note: DO NOT squeeze the softened Mushrooms to remove excess water.
  2. Place Onion, Garlic and softened Mushrooms in the rice cooker’s inner pot. Drizzle with Olive Oil.
  3. Rinse Rice, drain, and spread over the Onion, Garlic and Mushrooms.
  4. Add the saved 450ml Water that is used to soak Dried Mushrooms and Stock Cube, sprinkle Salt, but DO NOT stir. Scatter Chestnuts on top. Press Cook/Start button.

  5. When the rice is cooked, scatter Butter, and let the rice steamed for 10 minutes. Add some Ground Black Pepper and gently mix to combine. Sprinkle with some Thyme leaves (OR finely chopped Parsley) and serve.