This recipe came about one night when I wasn’t feeling overly hungry or well and didn’t have many ingredients in the house. I knew I felt like having rice, but not just plain rice. I’ve been cooking my rice using a similar method to the one below for a while now, adding ghee instead of sesame oil and using 2.5 times the amount of water than rice. That – and spotting a bag of dried shiitakes – was the inspiration for this dish, a Japanesey rice bowl that’s now on my list of comfort foods.
Recipe
Super-simple shiitake miso rice
A fuss-free method of cooking rice and an almost empty fridge were the inspiration for this Japanesey bowl that’s now on my list of comfort foods.
Serves 2
- 2/3 cup x basmati rice (I like the super-long, aged variety)
- 2 cups x water
- 1 TBSP x untoasted sesame oil
- 1 handful x dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tsp x grated ginger
- 1 TBSP x white miso
- 1 tsp x ume (salted plum) vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Optional additions
- Drizzle of toasted sesame oil
- 2 x fried eggs (1 per serving)
- 1 x spring onion, finely sliced
- 1 tsp x furikake
Instructions
Wash the rice until the water runs clear, then place it in a medium pot with the water and 1 TBSP x untoasted sesame oil.
Chop the shiitake mushrooms into bite-sized pieces (I use scissors; it’s easier than with a knife) and add them to the pot with the rice and water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a steady simmer over a medium heat with the lid off until the water has evaporated, stirring frequently to avoid the rice sticking to the bottom of the pot. Wrap the lid of the pot in a clean tea towel and keep nearby until the water has evaporated.
Remove the pot from the heat and place the wrapped lid on top. Leave to stand for about 10-15 minutes.
If you’re adding extras like a fried egg or spring onions on top, prepare them while the rice is standing.
Once the 10-15 minutes is up, the rice should be thoroughly cooked. Stir in the grated ginger, miso paste and vinegar until well combined. Taste and tweak the flavour if necessary, adding a dash more ginger, miso or vinegar as desired.
Spoon into bowls and top with additions to taste.