Japanese Takikomi-Gohan (Rice Medley)

Ingredients

• 3 cups short-grain white rice (480g/1 lb. 1oz.)
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 2 cups konbu dashi
• 1 tablespoon konbu dashi
• 3 tablespoons sake
• 100 g chicken breasts
• 1 sheet thin deep- fried tofu
• 100 g carrots
• 2 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 40 g green peas (fresh, froze or canned)

Directions

1. 1

   - Wash the rice and let drain in a colander for 30 minutes before transferring to a pot.

2. 2

   - Soak the mushrooms in 1-1/2 C lukewarm water for 20 minutes to soften. Remove the stems and thinly slice the caps. Reserve 1 C of the soaking water.

3. 3

   - Add the reserved water, dashi (2C + 1T) and sake to the rice and let stand for another 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Douse the thin deep-fried tofu sheet with boiling water to remove excess oil. Cut in half, then thinly slice. Cut the carrot into thin, 3 cm (1 in.) long sticks.

5. 5

   Before cooking the rice, add the chicken and other ingredients, except for peas. Cook the rice as usual in the rice cooker.

6. 6

   Gently mix in the peas after the rice is finished cooking.