If you are tired of eating just plain rice you must try this. Takikomi gohan is a Japanese rice dish where soy sauce and dashi are added as seasonings. Takikomi means “boiled with” and gohan means rice. A variety of meat and vegetables are also included and may vary depending on what is available in the season. You can get creative in choosing what goes into your rice. You may add peas, bamboo shoots, green beans etc.

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The first time I made this I used carrots, green onion, fish cakes and white mushrooms along with soy sauce and dashi. I also used instant dashi that do not contain MSG. I read about this in a cooking blog and took note of the photo of the instant dashi as reference to take with me to the the store.

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The second time I made it I used the same ingredients except I replaced the white mushrooms with shiitake mushrooms which has a bolder and more earthy flavor.

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To make, rinse 2 cups of rice until the water runs clear then add water up to the 2 cup line of your rice cooker. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin or cooking sake, 1/3 teaspoon instant dashi and 1/3 teaspoon salt and stir.

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Arrange the chopped meat and vegetables on top of your rice and turn on your cooker. When it’s done gently fluff and fold in the vegetables and meat into the rice and serve in bowls.

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