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Japanese-Style One-Pot Mushroom Rice

Japanese-Style One-Pot Mushroom Rice

By Hisham Ali HassanApril 5, 2024

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    50 minutes
  • Active time plus cooling
    20 minutes active
  • Rating

Japanese takikomi gohan cooks a variety of ingredients—from sweet peas to hijiki (a type of seaweed) to bamboo shoots—directly on top of short-grain rice. When the cooking is done and the rice has had a chance to rest, the ingredients are stirred into the grains. It’s an easy no-fuss way to make a flavorful, interesting and satisfying pot of rice. We use sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms and shredded carrots to make what is known as kinoko gohan, and we toss the vegetables with soy for savoriness, mirin for sweetness and fresh ginger for spiciness before they go onto the rice. We like the meatiness of shiitakes, but feel free to substitute other types of mushrooms, or use a combination. To finish the dish, we stir in a mix of butter and miso for richness and added umami. Assertive red miso is especially good here, but sweeter, milder white miso is also delicious, so use whichever you prefer or have handy. Serve as a side to almost any type of meat, poultry or seafood, or make it into a light meal on its own by topping it with soft-cooked or fried eggs.

Tip

Don’t skip the step of rinsing the rice. Rinsing the grains before cooking washes away excess starch, which will help prevent the rice from becoming heavy and excessively sticky during cooking.

Ingredients
  • 2

    tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1

    tablespoon mirin

  • 2

    teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 4

    ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced ¼ inch thick

  • 2

    medium carrots, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a box grater

  • 2

    tablespoons salted butter, room temperature

  • 2

    tablespoons red OR white miso

  • 1½

    cups Japanese-style short-grain white rice, rinsed well and drained

Step 1

In a medium bowl, stir together the soy sauce, mirin, ginger and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the mushrooms and carrots, then toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the butter and miso and stir until homogenous; set aside at room temperature.

Step 2

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice and 1½ cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to low. Add the mushroom mixture and any liquid in the bowl, scattering it in an even layer on top of the rice; do not stir. Cover and cook until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and the mushrooms and carrots are softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Uncover and add the miso butter. Using a silicone spatula, fluff the rice, stirring to incorporate the vegetables and butter, until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4

Optional garnish: Thinly sliced scallions

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