Kozmo Kitchen

Authentic Japanese Home Cooking

Sansai Okowa (Sweet Rice with Edible Ferns)

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 Sansai Okowa (Sweet Rice with Edible Ferns)
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 8 hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 8 hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. (On the day before the cooking) Rinse sweet rice quickly under running water (no need to scru the rice) and soak it in plenty of clean water overnight.
  2. (On the day before the cooking) Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups of water overnight.
  3. On the cooking day, julienne carrots into and inch long strips, slice burdock root thinly into an inch long strips (or shave it thinly using sasagaki cutting method). Squeeze water out of the dried mushrooms ad slice the mushrooms thinly. Rinse aburaage with hot tap water, squeeze excess water and chop it into 1/4 squares.
  4. Strain the sansai mix of water.
  5. Cut green onion into thin slices. Or you use mitsuba, chop the greens coarsely
  6. Optionally cut chickin thigh into 1/4 inch squares.
  7. In a medium sized sauce pan, put the shiitake soaked water and heat it over high heat.
  8. Add in sake, mirin, 2 teaspoons of salt and soy sauce.
  9. Add in all the vegetables, sansai and abura age (and chicken if you use it). Cook the ingredients until they are just cooked for about 10 minutes.
  10. Using a collandar, strain the cooked solids of the liquid. Reserve the liquids in a bowl.
Using a rice cooker
  1. Strain sweet rice of water and put the rice in the rice cooker. Add the reserved liquid in to the level "3 cups fo mixed rice". Add in the solid ingredients on top. Cook the rice mixture as instructed for the rice cooker.
Using a steamer
  1. Use a two layered steamer. In the bottom pan, fill water in. Put the top layer on, speard a cotton cloth wide enough to cover the entire bottom and sides, put a lid on and heat the steamer over high heat.
  2. Once the steamer starts boiling (i.e. steam comes out of the steamer vigorously), add in sweet rice. Put the lid back on and cook for 15 miutes until the rice is just cooked but maintains al dente consistency.
  3. Transfer the cooked rice into the reserved liquied in the bowl. Coat the irce in the liquid well. Transfer the rice back into the steamer. Put the lid back on. Cook another 5 minutes.
  4. Place the solid ingredients on top of the rice in the steamer. Cook for another 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the rice. If it's fully cooked then it's done. Cook another 5 minutes if necessary.
  5. Transfre the okowa into a large bowl and toss it with the vegetables well using a spatula. Add another 1 teaspoon of salt if needed .Garnish wtih chopped gren onion or mitsuba.
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Azuki Bean Rice

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 Azuki Bean Rice
Rice is a staple ingredient in Japanese cooking and can be served plain (unseasoned), or cooked and seasoned with other ingredients. Azuki is sometimes cooked with sweet rice to make Sekihan, which is often served on celebratory occasions, but Azuki rice can be your everyday rice choice!
Course Rice
Cuisine Japanese
Servings
Ingredients
Course Rice
Cuisine Japanese
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Rinse the rice well in running water until the water runs clear.
  2. Strain rice and put it into an electric rice cooker or deep heavy pan such as a Dutch oven.
  3. Rinse and strain azuki beans. Cook them in boiling water for a few minutes and discard the water. Add clean water into the pan and cook azuki over low heat for about 1 hour or until the beans get al dente consistency (i.e. the center of the beans can be uncooked). Separate the beans and the cooking water. Save the azuki water.
  4. Combine the azuki water and plain water to make up to the 2 cups line in the rice cooker or add 1.65 cups of water to the Dutch oven. Add salt and azuki beans.
  5. Rice cooker: Cook the rice with azuki as you normally cook white rice.
  6. Dutch Oven: Cook over high heat to bring to boil, then put the lid on, turn down to simmer and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, with the lid on, let it sit for 15 minutes.
  7. Use a spatula to fluff the rice and toss it well with the other ingredients.
  8. You can sprinkle sesame seeds over rice and enjoy!
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Matsutake Gohan

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 Matsutake Gohan
It's Matsutake season! You can't let the fall go without trying the mesmerizing aroma of Matsutake! Love living in the Northwest!
Course Rice
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Rice
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Clean matsutake with damp paper towel if you see any dirt. You can shave off the very bottom of the mushroom if it's too dirty.
  2. Slice matsutake mushroom stems, and tear the stump by hand into small pieces.
  3. Rinse and polish rice and strain it through a collandar. Put it aside (for about 30 minutes)
  4. In a Dutch oven or any deep pot you have, put in the rice and add dashi, soysauce, sake and salt. Add in sliced matsutake. If you have an electric rice cooker. Note: If you have an electric rice cooker just cook the matsutake rice with all the ingredients as you normally cook rice.
  5. Place the pot, turn on the heat over High and wait for the liquid to start boiling. A lid is not required.
  6. Turn the heat down to simmer, put the lid on if you haven't done it yet, then cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat then but do not remove the lid yet.
  7. Wait for 15 minutes. Open the lid and fluff the matsutake rice! Don't pass out with the incredible aroma!
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Fresh Ginger Rice

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 Fresh Ginger Rice
If you see fresh young ginger at a market, this is a must-try recipe to enjoy the wonderful aroma and spicy flavor of fresh ginger.
Course Rice
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Rice
Cuisine Japanese
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Give a quick rinse to rice under running water and strain it through a colander.
  2. In a medium sized dutch oven or pot, add in rice, water, sake and salt. Stir the liquid.
  3. Add in the ginger.
  4. Place the dutch oven over high heat. No lid is needed. Stir occasionally to avoid the rice to stick at the bottom.
  5. Once the water boils, then put the lid on and turn the heat down to simmer.
  6. Cook for 12 minutes and turn off the heat. Do not open the lead yet. The rice is still cooking. Wait another 15 minutes.
  7. Open the lid, add the shiso leaves and fluff the rice.
Recipe Notes

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