JAPANESE MIXED RICE (VEGAN TAKIKOMI GOHAN)

Trader Joe's "Japanese Style Fried Rice" is delicious but has added oil. This oil-free recipe, using recommended seaweeds, tasted like the Trader Joe's version which means it was delicious too! After taking the time to read more about various seaweeds, I learned that hijiki is very high in arsenic. The second time I made this rice I left out the hijiki. It is still good without the hijiki but not as close to the Trader Joe’s version which does contain hijiki. Nevertheless, my husband gave both versions two thumbs up.

The recipe is by Lisa Kitahara at "Okonomi Kitchen" blog: VEGAN TAKIKOMI GOHAN 炊き込みご飯 (JAPANESE MIXED RICE)

You can watch Dr. Michael Greger’s video to understand why I don’t eat rice grown in the southern United States and why I won’t be eating hijiki again:

Cancer Risk from Arsenic in Rice & Seaweed

You can watch Dr. Michael Greger’s video to understand why I will use kombu as a flavoring but don’t eat it:

Too Much Iodine Can Be as Bad as Too Little

JAPANESE MIXED RICE

Ingredients

2  cups uncooked rice, soaked and rinsed (I used half short grain brown and half white, both organic)

3 shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated, sliced (I didn’t have so the first time I made it I used half of a 10 oz bag of frozen shiitake mushrooms. The second time I used clearance packages of fresh mixed mushrooms which had some shiitake, oyster, and cremini mushrooms)

hijiki, rehydrated (I did not use the second time and do not recommend)

1 (8 oz) can bamboo shoots, drained and sliced into thin strips or chopped

1 medium carrot, sliced into matchsticks

1–2 pieces of kombu (I used 2)

1 kombu dashi packet or vegetable broth (I used 2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth)

2 Tablespoons soy sauce (I used reduced sodium tamari)

2 Tablespoon mirin

1 Tablespoon sake

Optional additions: aburaage (fried tofu sheets), black beans, soy beans etc. (I added edamame)

Optional toppings: sliced green onions, sesame seeds, thinly cut nori

See blog post regarding substitutions

Instructions for the original recipe which includes hijiki: See blog

Instructions for my modified version:

1. In a large measuring cup or bowl combine the vegetable broth, tamari/soy sauce, mirin, and sake.

2. To your rice cooker, add in the following order without mixing together: rice, vegetable broth mix, kombu, carrots, bamboo shoots, mushrooms. Lisa Kitahara says “ On your rice cooker, the total liquid amount should be at the #2 line. Add more water if needed.” My rice cooker does not have lines so I cannot comment on that. The amount of liquid I used was in line with the recommendations of my rice cooker for the amount of rice I used.

3. Lisa Kitahara at "Okonomi Kitchen" blog recommends using the “mixed” rice setting on your rice cooker. If you don’t have that setting here is what she recommends: “Regular rice cooker setting: I highly recommend a food quality rice cooker when trying to make authentic asian food but in the case that you do not have a rice cooker with the mixed rice setting it can also be done in the regular rice cooker setting. The major different between the two rice settings is that the mixed rice setting allows for the bottom of the mixed rice to caramelized (this is called okoge and is the BEST part). If you do not have a mixed rice setting, you can set it to the regular white cooked rice setting and let it cook for another 5-8 minutes without mixing the rice after it is done.”

4. Once cooked, remove the kombu. Mix to combine the rice with the other ingredients in the rice cooker. (This is when I mixed in the edamame.)

5. Serve with desired toppings.