Hijiki Seaweed Rice (ひじきの炊き込みご飯, Hijiki no Takikomi Gohan)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rice cooker, donabe, or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Rice paddle (shamoji)
• •Measuring cup

Instructions

1. 1

   Wash the rice

   Put the rice in a bowl, cover it with cool water, and swirl with your hand. Pour off the cloudy water and repeat until the water is nearly clear. Wash it twice, wash it thrice, as the old jingle has it. This clears loose starch from the surface so the finished grains separate instead of clinging. Cover the washed rice with fresh water and soak for 20 minutes, then drain well for 10 minutes.

   The draining matters because the cooking liquid will be measured later. Wet rice carrying extra water throws off the balance before the pot even begins.
2. 2

   Soak the hijiki

   Rinse the dried hijiki briefly, then soak it in plenty of cool water for 20 to 30 minutes, until the strands swell and loosen. Drain it, rinse again under running water, and squeeze gently. Discard the soaking water. This removes sand, softens the strong sea edge, and keeps the hijiki from staining the rice with harshness.

   Hijiki expands much more than its dry weight suggests. Ten grams is enough for this rice; a heavy hand turns a quiet dish into a lecture.
3. 3

   Make the dashi

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in the 2 cups cold water and warm it slowly over low heat. Pull the konbu out just before the water boils, when small bubbles climb the sides of the pot. Add the katsuobushi all at once, take the pot off the heat, and let the flakes sink for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain through a cloth or fine sieve and let it drip on its own.

   Boiling konbu can make dashi bitter and slick, and squeezing the bonito flakes presses out heavy flavors. You are guarding clarity, not wringing out a towel.
4. 4

   Prepare the toppings

   Pour boiling water over the abura-age, or simmer it for 30 seconds, then pat it dry and slice it into thin strips. This removes excess surface oil so the dashi stays clean and the tofu pouch drinks seasoning properly. Cut the carrot into fine matchsticks so it cooks in the same time as the rice.

5. 5

   Measure the liquid

   In a measuring cup, combine the shōyu, sake, mirin, and salt. Add enough dashi to make 420ml total liquid, about 1 3/4 cups. If using a rice cooker, put the drained rice in the cooker bowl, add the seasonings first, then add dashi to the 2-cup line. The seasonings count as liquid, and this is the detail that decides the texture.

6. 6

   Layer and cook

   Put the drained rice in a rice cooker or heavy pot and pour the measured liquid over it. Scatter the hijiki, abura-age, and carrot evenly on top, but don't stir them into the rice. Cook on the regular white-rice setting. For a pot, cover tightly, bring to a boil over medium heat, lower the heat, cook 13 minutes, then turn off the heat without lifting the lid.

   The toppings sit on top so the rice cooks in an even layer. Stir them in now and some grains take too much water while others stay firm.
7. 7

   Rest and fold

   Let the rice rest, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes after cooking. This pause lets the moisture settle evenly through the pot. Then fold from the bottom with a rice paddle, lifting rather than mashing, until the hijiki and vegetables run through the rice. Finish with snow pea slivers and sesame if using. Serve in modest bowls while warm, or at room temperature for bento.

Chef Tips

• •Buy hijiki from a shop with steady turnover and choose me-hijiki, the small leaf form, for rice. It softens neatly and threads through the grains without feeling woody.
• •Hijiki naturally contains inorganic arsenic, so keep it as a small, occasional food and always soak, rinse, and discard the soaking water. That is not fear talking. It is just good housekeeping.
• •For a meatless table, make the dashi with konbu and dried shiitake soaked overnight in cold water. That is temple-kitchen honmono, not a compromise, though the flavor will be rounder and darker than bonito dashi.
• •Don't use instant dashi here. In a seasoned rice dish this plain, the stock is not decoration; it is the floor the whole room stands on.
• •Leftover hijiki gohan makes a fine onigiri. Shape it while the rice is just warm, with damp salted hands, and keep the portions small enough that the seaweed stays in balance.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated. Warm it only enough to take off the chill before measuring.
• •The hijiki can be soaked, rinsed, drained, and refrigerated for 1 day before cooking.
• •Cooked hijiki gohan keeps 3 days refrigerated. Reheat it gently with a spoonful of water, or shape leftovers into onigiri and freeze them wrapped tightly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 220g)