Miso is a well-known seasoning that we add to Japanese soup, salad dressing, fish, chicken, and more. However, did you know that you can add miso to rice as well? Let me show you how I use fermented soybean paste to add savoriness to mixed rice in my delicious Gobo and Miso Takikomi Gohan recipe!
What is Takikomi Gohan?
Takikomi gohan (炊き込みご飯) is a Japanese mixed rice dish typically seasoned with soy sauce and other savory seasonings. In Japan, we add different kinds of vegetables, meat, and mushrooms depending on the season. This way, we can enjoy the food each season offers and get extra nutrition instead of just plain white rice.
People are always creative about the ingredients they add to takikomi gohan. Today, I added gobo (burdock root) and leftover fish cake called chikuwa. I seasoned it with miso this time because the savory taste goes really well with both ingredients. If you’re tired of just plain rice, I hope you will add my Gobo and Miso Takikomi Gohan recipe to your repertoire!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This simple recipe requires a short list of ingredients. It’s easy to customize, too!
- Japanese short-grain rice
- water — you can substitute it with dashi (Japanese soup stock) for extra flavor and umami
- gobo (burdock root)
- chikuwa (fish cake) — or substitute a different protein like chicken, aburaage, or tofu
- carrot — try different vegetables like shiitake mushrooms, peas, or shio kombu
- miso — I use koji miso or awase miso
- soy sauce, mirin, and sake — vary the seasonings with salt, sesame oil, or the condiments of your choice
- yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste) — optional, for serving
- shredded nori seaweed — for garnish
How To Make Gobo and Miso Takikomi Gohan
This staple of Japanese home cooking is so easy to make in your rice cooker!
- Wash the rice and drain it well. Add the drained rice to the inner pot of a rice cooker. If you don’t have one, you can use a pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe. You can see my Instant Pot Takikomi Gohan recipe to see the method I use.
- Prepare the ingredients. Peel, thinly slice, and soak the gobo. Cut and thinly slice the carrot and chikuwa. Mix the seasonings in a small bowl.
- Add the seasonings, water, and ingredients on top of the rice in the rice cooker. Do not mix them into the rice. Close the lid.
- Cook. Then, gently mix and serve hot!
3 Cooking Tips for Gobo and Miso Takikomi Gohan
- Thinly cut the ingredients so they cook through faster and become tender. This works best when pairing with tender and moist Japanese rice. If you leave the ingredients chunky, they will stay firm and won’t match the soft texture of the cooked rice.
- Add the seasonings to the rice first, then add enough water to reach the correct water line on the rice cooker’s inner pot.
- Do not mix the vegetables and chikuwa into the rice before cooking. Scatter all the ingredients on top so that the rice cooks evenly.
How To Store
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the freezer for a month. I prefer freezing the takikomi gohan since cooked rice gets hard and dry when refrigerated. You can read more about it in my tutorial How to Store Cooked Rice.
Mixed Rice Dishes You’ll Love
There are many delicious variations of Japanese mixed rice. Try some of my recipes, or customize your own!
- Takikomi Gohan (classic Japanese mixed rice)
- Instant Pot Takikomi Gohan
- Hijiki Rice (takikomi gohan with dried seaweed)
- Sweet Onion Takikomi Gohan
- Matsutake Gohan (wild pine mushroom rice)
- Kuri Gohan (chestnut rice)
- Ginger Rice
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Gobo and Miso Takikomi Gohan
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (3 rice cooker cups; yields 6⅔ cups (990 g) of cooked rice)
- 1 gobo (burdock root)
- 1 carrot
- 2 pieces chikuwa (fish cake)
For the Seasonings
For Serving
- yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste) (optional)
- shredded nori seaweed (kizami nori) (to garnish)
Instructions
- Before You Start…Please note that this recipe requires 20 minutes of soaking rice time.Gather all the ingredients. Rinse 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice until the water is almost clear. If you‘re not sure how to rinse the rice properly, see the rinsing section of my tutorial How to Make Rice. Drain well in a fine-mesh strainer, shaking off the water out. Transfer to the inner bowl of the rice cooker. Tip: If you don‘t have a rice cooker, see how to cook short-grain rice with a pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
- Peel 1 gobo (burdock root). Cut it in half lengthwise, then thinly slice it diagonally.
- In a medium bowl, soak the gobo in water for 15 minutes to prevent it from changing color. Change the water a few times and drain well.
- Peel 1 carrot. Cut it in half lengthwise and slice thinly. Cut 2 pieces chikuwa (fish cake) into thin pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine 4 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp miso, 2 Tbsp mirin, and 1 Tbsp sake and mix well. Pour the seasonings into the rice cooker.
- Mix well, and then add water up to the 3-cup line on the inner bowl.
- Add the gobo root, carrot, and chikuwa on top of the rice. Do not mix together with rice. Rice cooks evenly when it‘s not mixed with other ingredients. Place in the rice cooker, let the rice soak for 20 minutes, and then start cooking. If you have a Mixed Rice option, use it (see Notes below).
- When the rice is done cooking, wait 10 minutes before you open the rice cooker to allow it to finish steaming. Mix well and serve the Takikomi Gohan with yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste) for spicy taste and garnish with shredded nori seaweed (kizami nori).
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the freezer for a month. I prefer freezing the cooked rice to refrigerating it. You can read more about it in my tutorial How to Store Cooked Rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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