Corn & Hijiki Rice
Corn & Hijiki Rice
About this Recipe
Cooked in a traditional donabe (clay pot), this dish combines Japanese rice with fresh corn and the sea vegetable hijiki. Corn and hijiki might be striking in their differences — one a cereal grain cultivated all over the world and the other a wild sea plant that grows on the rocky coastlines of Japan, China, and Korea — but both are slightly sweet and starchy like root vegetables. Mineral-rich hijiki is reminiscent of carrot and burdock, and they’re often all simmered together in Japanese cooking. Juicy, sweet corn and the earth-meets-ocean flavor of hijiki are good together, especially with fluffy, warm, slightly sticky short-grain rice.
The Benefits
Hijiki is high in fiber, which helps improve digestive health and maximize the intake of nutrients. It’s also a good source of minerals and vitamins including iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K.
Note: Hijiki and light soy sauce are available at Japanese markets and online. You will need to prepare the recipe Kombu & Shiitake Mushroom Dashi, or use purchased dashi.
Equipment: Double-lidded donabe rice cooker
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1 Tbsp dried hijiki seaweed
- 1½ cups (360 ml) short-grain rice, rinsed
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) sake
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) usukuchi shoyu (light soy sauce)
- 1¼ cups plus 2 Tbsp (330 ml) Kombu & Shiitake Mushroom Dashi
- Kernels from 1 ear of corn
- 2 Tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter (in 2 slices)
- Minced chives, for garnish
Directions
-
Step 1
Soak the hijiki in plenty of water in a bowl for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse the hijiki in running water. Drain again and squeeze the hijiki to get rid of excess water. Set aside. -
Step 2
In a donabe, combine the rice, sake, sea salt, light soy sauce, and dashi. Let the rice soak for 20 minutes. -
Step 3
Sprinkle the hijiki in a thin layer over the rice, followed by the corn, in even layers. -
Step 4
Cover the donabe with both lids and cook over medium-high heat for 13 to 15 minutes — or until 2 to 3 minutes after the steam starts puffing out of the steam hole in the top lid. (If you use a regular classic-style donabe with a single lid, start with high heat, then once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed.) -
Step 5
Turn off the heat and let it stand for 20 minutes. -
Step 6
Uncover and quickly add the butter. Using a spatula, gently fluff the contents so that the butter is evenly mixed with the rice. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with some chopped chives.
Level Up: For added nutrients and variety, add 1 packet (about 2 oz / 48 g) mochi mugi barley to the rice, if you like. When doing so, increase the dashi by 1/2 cup (120 ml) and add an additional 1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce. Mochi mugi barley is available at Japanese markets and online.
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About the author
Naoko Takei
Naoko Takei is a cookbook author, teacher, and the founder of Toiro in Los Angeles, a cookware shop devoted to the traditional pottery of Iga, Japan.
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