Chestnut Sticky Rice (栗おこわ, Kuri Okowa)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Seiro (bamboo or wooden steamer), or a metal steamer insert
• •Damp cotton steaming cloth
• •Small sharp knife for peeling chestnuts
• •Fine sieve

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the chestnuts

   Put the chestnuts in a bowl and cover them with hot water for 30 minutes, or with cold water overnight. The soak is not ceremony. It softens the shell and the inner skin, so the knife can work cleanly instead of skidding.

2. 2

   Peel the chestnuts

   Trim a small slice from the flat base of each chestnut, then pull away the hard outer shell. Pare off the thin brown inner skin until the chestnut is clean and pale. Drop each peeled chestnut into cold water as you work, which keeps the surface from darkening and rinses away a little bitterness.

   Take off all of the inner skin. A little left behind tastes tannic, and this dish has no sauce to hide it.
3. 3

   Wash the rice

   Wash the mochigome in several changes of cold water, rubbing the grains lightly with your palm, until the water runs almost clear. You're removing surface starch, not polishing the rice into silence. Too much loose starch makes the finished okowa gummy instead of glossy.

4. 4

   Soak the rice

   Cover the washed rice with fresh water and soak for 1 hour. Drain it well in a sieve for 20 minutes. Mochigome needs this drink before cooking, and it needs the drain after it, or the grains steam unevenly and carry extra water into the cloth.

5. 5

   Season the rice

   Stir the drained rice with the sake, salt, and sugar if using. Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. That white bloom on the surface is flavor. Tuck the konbu among the rice so it lends a quiet depth without turning the dish into broth.

6. 6

   Set the steamer

   Line a seiro or metal steamer with a damp cotton cloth. Spread the rice in an even layer, scatter the chestnuts through it, and fold the cloth edges loosely over the top. The cloth holds the grains together while letting vapor move through them, which is how okowa gets its springy gloss.

7. 7

   Steam until glossy

   Set the steamer over steadily boiling water, cover, and steam for 35 to 40 minutes. Halfway through, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of hot water over the rice and gently turn it from the edges toward the center. This evens the moisture without crushing the grains. The rice is done when it looks glossy and clings softly, and the chestnuts yield when pressed.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Remove the konbu and let the okowa rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Resting lets the moisture settle through the grains instead of sitting on the surface. Serve in small bowls with black sesame scattered over the top, and let the chestnuts show.

Chef Tips

• •Choose chestnuts that feel heavy for their size, with tight, glossy shells and no rattle when shaken. A rattling chestnut has pulled away from its shell and is usually dry inside.
• •If fresh chestnuts are past their season, don't pretend. Use good jarred peeled chestnuts in water, not syrup, and add them for the final 20 minutes of steaming so they stay whole.
• •A seiro gives the nicest texture because it sheds excess moisture, but a metal steamer lined with a damp cloth works well. Keep the water below the rice and refill with boiling water if the pot runs low.
• •Serve less than you think. Okowa is richer than ordinary rice, and a modest mound with space around it feels more generous than a bowl packed to the rim.

Advance Preparation

• •The chestnuts can be soaked overnight, peeled in the morning, and held in cold water for a few hours before cooking.
• •The mochigome can soak for up to 4 hours, but drain it well before steaming so the finished rice stays glossy rather than wet.
• •Cooked kuri okowa is best the day it is made. Leftovers can be wrapped tightly and gently reheated in a steamer the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)