Takikomi gohan (rice cooked with ingredients inside the pot) is one of the simplest Japanese techniques — everything goes in raw, the rice cooker does the work. Maitake mushrooms release more umami during cooking than almost any other variety, and the combination of that earthiness with soy sauce and a small amount of butter at the end is genuinely exceptional for minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (360g) short-grain Japanese rice
- 150g maitake mushrooms (hen of the woods)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp butter (added at the end)
- 2 cups minus 2 tbsp water (reduced from normal to account for the soy sauce liquid)
- Optional: 2 scallions, thinly sliced (to finish)
Method
1. Wash the rice: Rinse 3-4 times until water runs nearly clear. Drain.
2. Prepare the maitake: Tear maitake apart by hand into medium pieces — do not cut. The torn edges create more surface area and the frilly texture holds better. Cutting compresses the mushroom.
3. Season the cooking liquid: Add soy sauce and mirin to the measured water. Stir to combine.
4. Assemble: Place washed rice in rice cooker bowl. Pour seasoned water over rice. Place maitake pieces on top of the rice. Do not stir — let the mushrooms sit on top.
5. Cook: Use the normal rice setting. The mushrooms will cook in the steam above the rice while the rice cooks below.
6. Finish: When the rice cooker completes, add sesame oil and butter to the pot. Use a rice paddle to fold everything together with a gentle scooping motion — do not stir vigorously. The butter should melt and coat the grains.
7. Rest 5 minutes with the lid closed before serving. Finish with scallion if using.
Notes
- Stovetop method: Place seasoned rice and maitake in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to lowest heat, cover, cook 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, rest 10 minutes.
- The butter is optional but strongly recommended — it rounds the earthiness of the mushroom and makes the rice luxurious.
- Dried maitake works and is often more available — rehydrate in warm water 20 minutes, add the soaking water as part of the cooking liquid (this adds extra mushroom umami).
- Leftovers make an excellent fried rice the next day — the maitake flavor infuses the grains overnight.