Hijiki Gohan

Doesn't this make you hungry?

For some reason, I re-hydrated a whole package of hijiki when I was making the hijiki no nimono the other day. Of course it's way more than two people could possibly need or want to eat so it was sitting in my fridge waiting to be made into this.

I prepare the hijiki, agedofu, and vegetables in the same way as the hijiki no nimono recipe, minus the renkon. Then, I added it to the rice and let the rice cooker do the rest. By the way, if you've got any leftovers of this, they make great onigiri.

For hijiki no nimono:

1 1/2 cups re-hydrated hijiki
1/2 cup agedofu
1 carrot, cut into thin, rectangular bars
1/2 cup frozen edamame
1/2 cup dashi stock
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp mirin
vegetable oil for frying (I sometimes use a light sesame oil in this.)

For rice:

2 cups Japanese rice

2 tsp sake

2 tsp shoyu

Serves 4
Time: 1 hr.

Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Put in rice cooker and add twice the amount of water. Let stand for at least 30 minutes (1 hour would be ideal.) before turning on the rice cooker.

Pour boiling water over the agedofu to remove excess oil. Pat dry and slice into 1 inch lengths of about 1/4 inch thickness.

Put the frozen edamame in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let stand for a couple of minutes before draining. Set aside.

Fry the carrot for a few minutes. Then add the agedofu and hijiki. Fry at medium heat for another minute or two.

Add the dashi, sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce. Simmer on medium heat with a drop lid until most of the liquid has been absorbed. If you don't have a drop lid handy, a piece of wax paper does the trick. Cut it to fit into the pot and slice a few little slits in the center to let some of the steam escape. I love a drop lid for helping food absorb flavors evenly and allowing everything to keep its shape.

When the nimono is done, add it to the rice cooker along with the edamame and 2 tsps. each of sake and shoyu. Turn on the rice cooker and let it work its magic. Goes great with miso soup, fish dishes, and other nimono.