Takenoko Gohan (Japanese Bamboo Rice)
Takenoko Gohan is a Japanese rice dish that allows you to fully enjoy the flavor and texture of bamboo shoots. Experience the exquisite harmony between rice and bamboo shoots.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Japanese short-grain rice (1 rice cooker cup for 2 servings)
- 2.8 oz boiled bamboo shoots
- 0.7 oz aburaage (deep-fried tofu)
Bonito dashi:
- ⅚ cup water
- ⅕ cup bonito flakes (katsuobushi)
Seasonings:
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce (Regular soy sauce can be used as a substitute; the main difference is the color.)
Topping:
- sansho leaves (Japanese pepper)
Instructions
- Place a sieve over a bowl, add rice, and rinse it with water. Repeat this process several times, changing the water each time.
- Soak the rinsed rice in water in a pot for at least 30 minutes.
- Put water (as specified in the recipe) in a pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, add bonito flakes, and let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and strain the mixture through a sieve lined with paper towels or a cloth (such as cheesecloth). Alternatively, if you don't mind having some fine bonito flakes remaining, you can simply use a fine-mesh strainer. Bonito dashi is now ready.
- Cut bamboo shoots into bite-sized pieces along the fibers for the upper part, about ⅕-inch (5mm) thick. For the bottom to middle part, slice them into bite-sized pieces against the direction of the fibers, about ⅕-inch (5mm) thick. Finely chop the aburaage.
- Discard the water in which the rice was soaked from the pot. Combine the drained rice with the dashi (⅔ cup/160 ml per 2 servings) and seasonings (sake, mirin, salt, and soy sauce). Then, evenly distribute the bamboo shoots and aburaage on top.
- Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or slightly longer for larger quantities (11 minutes for 4 servings, 12 minutes for 6 servings).
- Turn off the heat and let it steam for 10 minutes with the lid still on.
- Serve in each bowl and top with sansho leaves for color (optional).
Notes
- If you already have bonito dashi or another type of dashi, skip steps 3 and 4. In this case, use ⅔ cup (160ml) of your dashi for 2 servings.
- You can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 345kcal
Enjoyed this recipe?I’d really appreciate it if you shared it with your friends.
