Chestnut Rice (Kuri Gohan) (Video) 栗ご飯

Chestnut Rice or Kuri Gohan is a traditional Japanese rice recipe in the fall when chestnuts are in season. This aromatic chestnut rice with black sesame seeds and a pinch of salt is perfect for cozy autumn evenings.

Every fall, I am thankful for all the new crops that farmers cultivate and harvest. The autumn season provides abundant harvests of delicious foods that include rice, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, mushrooms, and chestnuts. Every year, I eagerly anticipate the special dishes that we make in Japan with these seasonal ingredients.

Today, I want to share my recipe for Japanese Chestnut Rice (Kuri Gohan 栗ご飯). It’s one of the signature dishes that signals the arrival of autumn in Japan. It’s such a warm and comforting dish that brings back fond memories.

What is Kuri Gohan?

Kuri gohan (栗ご飯) is a traditional Japanese seasonal dish of rice (gohan) with fresh chestnuts (kuri), two autumn crops in Japan.

In this dish, we cook Japanese short-grain white rice together with sweet and nutty chestnuts. Sometimes, we add a bit of glutinous rice (mochigome) for a slightly chewy and sticky texture. We also season the cooking liquid (today, I’ve added Japanese sake and salt) and garnish the finished dish with salted black sesame seeds.

Chestnuts are a precious cultural ingredient in Japan. They were cultivated in ancient times and served as an important food source during the autumn and winter seasons.

Although no longer a staple these days, the chestnut is an important ingredient in osechi ryori (Japanese New Year cuisine). A dish called kuri kinton, or candied chestnuts and sweet potatoes, symbolizes economic fortune and wealth in the new year. We also use them in sweet confections like mizu yokan or make whole roasted chestnuts for a delicious snack and nostalgic autumn street food.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Kuri Gohan

• uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice
• sweet rice/glutinous rice (mochigome) – you can substitute the same amount of short-grain rice, if you prefer
• sake
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• fresh chestnuts – if your chestnuts are big, cut them in half so they will cook evenly
• water
• toasted black sesame seeds and kosher salt – for the garnish

How To Make Kuri Gohan

I cook my chestnut rice in a heavy pot on the stovetop, but you could use an electric rice cooker, too.

1. Wash the short-grain rice and the mochi rice. Drain the washed rice well in a sieve.
2. Put the raw chestnuts in boiling water in a medium pot, cover with the lid, and turn off the heat. Set aside for 30 minutes and drain. 
3. Peel off the outer hard shell and inner skin of the chestnuts with a knife while still warm. Soak the peeled chestnuts for 10 minutes in a bowl of water (use a few changes of water).
4. Add all the ingredients except the chestnuts to a heavy bottom pot and lightly mix together. Then, place the chestnuts on top of the rice.
5. Cook the chestnut rice. Cover the pot tightly and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and cook for 1213 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. Remove from the heat.
6. Let the rice rest with the lid on for 10 minutes to steam. Gently fluff the rice with a rice paddle. Serve in individual bowls and sprinkle black sesame seeds and salt on top.

Use Japanese Short-Grain Rice for Chestnut Rice

Good Japanese rice has this beautiful pearly white shape. It is shiny, aromatic, and resilient when it’s cooked, and each grain of rice is perfectly fluffy and distinct. When you chew the grain, it has a slight sweetness and a wonderful bouncy texture.

New Crop Rice in Autumn

My father’s side of the family was from Niigata prefecture (新潟県) before they moved to Tokyo. Niigata is known throughout Japan as the home of Koshihikari rice, sworn by many to be the best in Japan. Every fall, my family would receive a new crop of rice from our family and friends in Niigata and I still remember how delicious the freshly milled rice was.

Earlier this year, our friends at Far West Rice invited us to visit their rice field so that we can see how they transplant rice from green house to the field. This project was a very special experiment for Far West Rice as well because for the very first time, they tried to grow rice the Japanese way. Typically in the US, the seeding is done by airplane dropping seeds into flooded fields.

For this experiment:

1. Far West Rice sprouted the rice seed in the greenhouse until they became seedlings.
2. Once the seedlings reached a certain maturity in the greenhouse, they were then ready to be transplanted to the field.
3. The seedling plants had to reach a point of maturity so they would be able to flourish and tolerate the conditions in the field.

Here are some photos and videos we captured on our trip.

When fall came, their special koshi rice was ready for harvest.

Here’s our friend Ted harvesting the stalks using the Japanese harvester. It’s small compared to a typical American harvester.

Far West Rice will only polish and pack the rice when an order is placed so that the rice stays fresh and keeps the rice in optimal condition. Their rice is simply incomparable. A perfect bowl of heavenly good rice. And it goes so well with freshly harvested chestnuts.

Other Rice Recipes You’ll Love

• Takikomi Gohan (Japanese Mixed Rice)
• Sekihan (Red Bean Rice)
• Bamboo Rice (Takenoko Gohan)
• Mame Gohan (Green Pea Rice)
• Tamago Kake Gohan (TKG) (Hot Rice with Raw Egg and Soy Sauce)
• Japanese Sticky Rice with Chicken and Vegetables (Okowa)
• Sansai Gohan (Rice with Mountain Vegetables)
• Matsutake Gohan (Wild Pine Mushroom Rice)

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Chestnut Rice (Kuri Gohan)

4.77 from 13 votes

Chestnut Rice or Kuri Gohan is a traditional Japanese rice recipe in the fall when chestnuts are in season. This aromatic chestnut rice with black sesame seeds and a pinch of salt is perfect for cozy autumn evenings.

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Video

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Soaking Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Servings: 5

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (480 ml)
• ▢ ¼ cup sweet rice/glutinous rice (mochigome) (60 ml; or you can omit and use ¼ cup short-grain rice instead)
• ▢ 1 Tbsp sake
• ▢ 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ 20–25 chestnuts (if your chestnuts are big, you may use less and cut them in half so that they will cook evenly)
• ▢ 2⅔ cups water

For the Toppings

• ▢ toasted black sesame seeds
• ▢ Diamond Crystal kosher salt (optional)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Gather all the ingredients.
  
• Put 2 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice and ¼ cup sweet rice/glutinous rice (mochigome) in a large bowl. Gently wash the rice with cold water and discard the cloudy water. Repeat this process about 3–4 times until the water becomes almost clear. Let the rice soak in water for 30 minutes. Transfer the rice into a sieve and drain for 15 minutes.
  
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Put 20–25 chestnuts in boiling water, cover with the lid, and turn off the heat. Set aside for 30 minutes and drain. Tip: It’s easier to peel when they are still warm.
  
• Using a knife, make an incision around the edge where the flat surface and bottom of a chestnut meets. Then, start peeling the shell.
  
• Then, peel the inner skin completely and soak in a bowl of water for 10 minutes. Peel and soak the rest of the chestnuts, changing the water a few times.
  
• Put the drained rice, 2⅔ cups water, 1 Tbsp sake, and 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt in a heavy bottom pot and lightly mix it all together. Then, place the chestnuts on top.
  
• Bring the rice to a boil over medium heat. Take a quick peek to see if water is boiling (otherwise, do not open the lid). Once the water is boiling, turn the heat to low and cook covered for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed (take a quick peek!). If you see there is still water left, close the lid and continue cooking for a little longer.
  
• Remove the pot with the lid on from the heat source and let the rice steam for 10 minutes before opening the lid.
  
• Fluff up and mix the rice; wet a rice paddle and slice through the rice with the rice paddle, then fold over the rice. Sprinkle Diamond Crystal kosher salt and toasted black sesame seeds on top.
  

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the freezer for a month.

Notes

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 391 kcal · Carbohydrates: 86 g · Protein: 6 g · Fat: 1 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g · Sodium: 227 mg · Potassium: 231 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Vitamin A: 9 IU · Vitamin C: 14 mg · Calcium: 27 mg · Iron: 4 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: chestnut, japanese rice, mixed rice

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