Kayaku Gohan Rice with Vegetables

Embark on a culinary journey with Kayaku Gohan, a comforting Japanese mixed rice dish that's brimming with rich umami flavors and vibrant textures. Made with tender short-grain rice, savory dashi, soy sauce, and mirin, this one-pot recipe is a harmonious blend of julienned carrots, earthy shiitake mushrooms, chewy konnyaku, and crispy aburaage (fried tofu). Cooked together for perfectly infused flavors, this dish is a wholesome, satisfying meal in every bite. Whether prepared in a rice cooker or on the stovetop, Kayaku Gohan is easy to make yet impressively authentic. Serve it warm with optional green onion garnish for a hearty, nourishing side or main dish. Perfect as a healthy comfort food or an introduction to Japanese home-cooking! Keywords: Japanese rice recipe, Kayaku Gohan, mixed rice with vegetables, umami rice dish, one-pot meal.

Nutriscore Rating: 71/100

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:35 mins

Total Time:50 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups Short-grain rice (Japanese rice)
• 2.5 cups Water
• 2 teaspoons Dashi stock (powdered or liquid)
• 2 tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Mirin
• 1 tablespoon Sake (Japanese cooking wine)
• 1 medium, julienned Carrot
• 4 pieces, thinly sliced Shiitake mushrooms
• 0.5 block, diced Konnyaku (yam cake)
• 2 pieces, sliced into thin strips Aburaage (fried tofu pouch)
• 2 stalks, finely chopped Green onions (optional, for garnish)

Directions

Step 1

Rinse the short-grain rice thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside for 10 minutes.

Step 2

If using dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate them in warm water for 20 minutes. Once softened, slice thinly.

Step 3

Prepare the vegetables: julienne the carrot, thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms, dice the konnyaku into small cubes, and slice the aburaage into thin strips.

Step 4

In a small bowl, mix dashi stock powder (or liquid), soy sauce, mirin, and sake to create the seasoning sauce.

Step 5

Place the rinsed rice into a rice cooker or a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the water and the prepared seasoning sauce. Stir to combine.

Step 6

Spread the carrot, shiitake mushrooms, konnyaku, and aburaage evenly over the top of the rice. Do not mix them into the rice at this stage.

Step 7

If using a rice cooker, start the rice cooker and let it cook until completed. If using a pot, cover with a lid, bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest with the lid on for another 10 minutes.

Step 8

Once the cooking is complete, gently fluff the rice and mix the vegetables evenly into the rice using a rice paddle or spatula.

Step 9

Serve the Kayaku Gohan warm, optionally garnished with finely chopped green onions.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	(1417.3g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	956.0

Total Fat 25.5g	0%
Saturated Fat 4.5g	0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 1763.3mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 149.8g	0%
Dietary Fiber 9.6g	0%
Total Sugars 15.6g
Protein 29.3g	0%

Vitamin D 10.8IU	0%
Calcium 395.1mg	0%
Iron 5.5mg	0%
Potassium 1050.5mg	0%

*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Source of Calories

Fat: 24.3%

Protein: 12.4%

Carbs: 63.3%