Name: Japanese Mixed Rice with Chicken and Seasonal Vegetables
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 cups (400 g) Japanese short-grain rice, rinsed until water runs clear; 2 cups (480 ml) dashi stock (kombu and bonito); 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp mirin; 1 tbsp sake; 3/4 tsp fine sea salt; 200 g boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1.5 cm pieces; 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced; 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced into 8 mm cubes; 80 g burdock root (gobo), peeled and julienned; 1 sheet aburaage (fried tofu pouch), cut into 1 cm strips; 100 g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces; 2 tbsp chopped fresh mitsuba or scallion greens

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A comforting Japanese rice dish where short-grain rice is simmered together with chicken, mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables in seasoned dashi. The grains absorb every drop of savory broth, infusing each bite with deep umami flavor in a single pot.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time50 mins

Servings4

Yield4 servings

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

480 kcalCalories
7 gFat
1.5 gSaturated Fat
78 gCarbs
3 gFiber
3 gSugar
22 gProtein
780 mgSodium
550 mgPotassium
55 mgCalcium
2.5 mgIron
8 mgVitamin C
320 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the seasoned rice

2 cups (400 g) Japanese short-grain rice, rinsed until water runs clear
2 cups (480 ml) dashi stock (kombu and bonito)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sake
3/4 tsp fine sea salt

For the toppings and mix-ins

200 g boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1.5 cm pieces
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced into 8 mm cubes
80 g burdock root (gobo), peeled and julienned
1 sheet aburaage (fried tofu pouch), cut into 1 cm strips
100 g green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 cm pieces

For garnish

2 tbsp chopped fresh mitsuba or scallion greens

Directions

Rinse the rice in cold water 4 to 5 times until the water runs nearly clear, drain well, and let stand for 20 minutes to remove excess surface moisture.
In a small bowl, whisk together the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt until the salt fully dissolves; this seasoned broth is the flavor base for the rice.
Transfer the drained rice to a heavy-bottomed donabe, Dutch oven, or rice cooker bowl, pour the seasoned dashi over the top, and let the rice soak for 10 minutes.
Distribute the chicken, shiitake, carrot, burdock, and aburaage evenly across the surface of the rice in a single layer; do not stir.
Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes, then immediately reduce to the lowest possible heat and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.
Scatter the green beans evenly over the top, re-cover, and continue cooking for 3 more minutes so they remain bright and just tender.
Remove from the heat and let the pot rest, still covered, for 10 minutes to allow the rice to finish steaming and the flavors to settle.
Uncover and gently fold the rice with a wooden spatula or rice paddle, mixing the toppings evenly through the grains without crushing them.
Spoon into warmed bowls, top with mitsuba or scallion greens, and serve immediately while hot.

Cook’s Notes

Use Japanese short-grain rice for the proper chewy texture; long-grain varieties will not absorb the dashi as well and will turn out dry.
Cut all vegetables to a similar small size so they finish cooking in the same time as the rice without leaving raw spots.
Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking; the trapped steam is essential for even cooking and full flavor absorption.
For deeper umami, soak the rinsed rice in the seasoned dashi for up to 30 minutes before turning on the heat.
Leftovers keep refrigerated for 2 days; reheat in a covered pan with a tablespoon of water to refresh the rice.