Tori no takikomi-gohan (Rice steamed with chicken)

Ingredients ( Serves 4 )

・ 400 g rice (2½ cups or 500 ml)
・ 600 ml water (3 cups)
・100 g chicken
・ 100 g carrot
・ 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce (for seasoning the rice)
・2 teaspoons (10 ml) soy sauce (for marinating the chicken)
If you use long-grain rice like indica rice
・550 ml water

How to cook

1. Wash and drain rice.
2. Place the rice and 600 ml water in a saucepan; let the rice soak for at least 30 minutes. If you’re using long-grain rice like indica rice, the pre-soaking is unnecessary.
3. Cut chicken into 1 cm sized pieces and marinate in 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. Slice carrot into 3 cm julienne strips.
4. Just before you cook the rice, stir in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to the rice in saucepan. Place the chicken and the carrots on top of the rice. Place the lid on the saucepan and cook the rice at medium heat. When it comes to the boil, reduce heat and simmer on low heat for 12 minutes.
5. Switch off the heat, leave the lid in place and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. Use a rice scoop to stir the chicken and carrots through the rice.

Takikomi-gohan: Cooking rice with a whole range of ingredients

Takikomi-gohan refers to rice that has been cooked with other ingredients, such as meat, seafood, and vegetables.  The Japanese seems to have been eating Takikomi-gohan for at least 1,000 years.  It is said to have started as a means of making scarce rice go further.  People commonly added other grains, yams, etc. to the rice to produce a more filling dish.  But other ingredients have been added over the years, making today’s Takikomi-gohan a dish that features seasonal ingredients or the fragrance of ingredients.
During the spring, people commonly add bamboo shoots, while chestnuts and sweet potatoes are favoured in the autumn.  Rice can also be cooked with sea bream, salmon, shellfish, squid, octopus, or other seafood.
Takikomi-gohan frequently appears on the menu at Japanese-style restaurants, and it is also commonly prepared at home.  This dish is also delicious eaten cold, and often features in bento or Japanese-style boxed meals. Takikomi-gohan is an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine in which rice plays a major part.