Marina Eats: Rice Cooker Takenoko Gohan and Koufuku Graffiti

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Koufuku Graffiti is this season’s scrumdiddlyumptious offering for food anime. Our main girl, Machiko Ryou, lives alone with the memories of her grandmother’s meals and their time together. Her lessons learned in the kitchen and love for the company of others compels her to continually cook favorites and experiment with new dishes to eat together with her friends.

Episode three, titled “Jinwari, Bariri,” features takenoko gohan. Requested by Ryou’s cousin, Kirin, the bamboo shoot rice dish has a comforting, yet refreshing, taste and texture reminiscent of spring. Along with their friend, they savor the freshly cooked rice along with a side of clear, hot soup. The result is healthy fullness that leaves the mouth and stomach satisfied.

There are many variations to making takenoko gohan, and I went with one of the easiest methods using my rice cooker. Follow along and let me know how yours turns out!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups short-grain white rice
• 2 cups water (or mushroom water)
• 2 teaspoons cooking sake / mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound boiled bamboo shoots
  *Can be found at the Asian Grocery store fresh or pre-packaged. If you’re really in a pinch, you can use the canned bamboo shoots found in the Asian aisle of most major grocery stores.
• 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms
  *I used dried shiitake mushrooms and hydrated them before putting them in the slow cooker. The remaining water can be substituted in with the water in the rice cooker
• 2 ounces kombu (dried kelp seaweed)
• Sansho and salt, to taste
• Scallion or other green herb, garnish

Directions:

1. If using dried shiitake mushrooms, hydrate them in a bowl of water until fully soaked.
2. Clean rice until water runs clear and place in cooker with water and shiitake water.
3. Add mirin/sake, soy sauce, and salt to rice cooker and let sit for ten minutes.
4. Chop bamboo shoots into bite-size pieces–I first cut them into three large pieces, then sliced length-wise to get the traditional comb-shape.
   
5. Place shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots into rice cooker and cover with kombu.
   
6. Cover and cook as normal.
7. When finished, remove kombu and stir rice in cooker until all ingredients are fully mixed.
   
8. Paddle servings into rice bowls and top with sansho, salt, and green herbs to your liking!
   

Notes:

• Leftover takenoko gohan goes great into other dishes, like omurice and fried rice.
• For a more authentic taste, try cooking this in a clay pot. The rice along the edges will crisp to a nice golden brown that adds some delightful texture when mixed at the end, like in Koufuku Graffiti.
• Sources:
  • Koufuku Grafitti (tv series), Episode 3, “Jinwari, Bariri.”
  • http://www.npr.org/2011/05/17/136394366/steamed-rice-with-bamboo-shoots-takenoko-gohan
  • http://www.japancentre.com/recipes/takenoko-bamboo-shoot-rice