Japanese Rice Bowl Food

JAPANESE RICE BOWL

Steps:

• In a 4-quart pan, bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add rice and salt. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, then cook until almost tender, 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
• In a small pan, bring soy sauce, sugar, sake, and 3/4 cup water to a boil. Remove from heat and reserve.
• In a 10-inch frying pan over high heat, cook onion in oil until it begins to brown, 3-5 minutes. Add chicken and continue stirring for 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup soy-sake sauce and stir until chicken is cooked, 2 minutes longer.
• Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with chicken, remaining sauce, and cilantro. Serve with ginger.

JAPANESE BEEF AND RICE BOWL (GYUDON)

Steps:

• Cut beef into 1/8 inch thick slices.
• Cut slices into strips about 1 inch wide and 2 or 3 inches long.
• Cut green onions crosswise into 1 inch lengths.
• Reserve.
• Wash rice with cold water.
• Cook rice with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 3/4 cups of water.
• About 10 minutes before serving, heat remaining 1/4 cup water, the mirin and soy sauce to boiling over medium high heat.
• Add beef and boil until beef reaches desired doneness.
• Add green onions and boil 30 seconds.
• Remove from heat.
• Divide rice among 4 individual serving bowls.
• Place equal amounts of beef and onions over rice in each bowl.
• Ladle equal amounts of cooking liquid into each bowl.
• Serve immediately.
• Note: I sometimes add a litte ginger, garlic, pea pods, green beans (cooked), bamboo shoots or water chestnuts to the mix.

OYAKODON (JAPANESE CHICKEN AND EGG RICE BOWL)

Steps:

• Rinse the rice in 3 to 4 changes of water until the rinse water is almost clear, and drain off the rinse water. Bring the rice and 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Place the chicken in a nonstick skillet with a lid, and cook and stir over medium heat until the chicken is no longer pink inside and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, and cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 5 more minutes. Pour in the stock, and whisk in soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, and let simmer until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
• Whisk the eggs in a bowl until well-beaten, and pour over the chicken and stock. Cover the skillet, reduce heat, and allow to steam for about 5 minutes, until the egg is cooked. Remove from heat.
• To serve, place 1 cup of cooked rice per bowl into 4 deep soup bowls, top each bowl with 1/4 of the chicken and egg mixture, and spoon about 1/2 cup of soup into each bowl.

JAPANESE RICE/GOHAN

Steps:

• Rinsing and soaking your rice is key to achieving the perfect texture. Measure the rice into a bowl, cover with cold water, then use your fingers to massage the grains of rice - the water will become cloudy. Drain and rinse again with fresh water. Repeat five more times until the water stays clear.
• Tip the rinsed rice into a saucepan with 400ml water, or 200ml dashi and 200ml water, bring to the boil, then turn down the heat to a low simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid with a steam hole and cook for 15 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to sit for another 15 mins, then stir through the mirin. Remove the lid and give it a good stir. Serve with any or all of the optional toppings.

CHICKEN RAMEN BOWL

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook about 30 seconds more. Add rice vinegar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mirin, fish sauce, and sriracha sauce; stir to combine. Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Add chicken and bok choy; simmer gently until bok choy is just tender, about 2 minutes.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Add ramen noodles and return to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender yet firm to the bite, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and drizzle with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
• While ramen is cooking, fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs and bring to a boil. Gently lower eggs into the boiling water and cook until yolks are barely set, about 7 minutes.
• Fill a large bowl with ice water. Transfer soft boiled eggs to the ice bath to stop the cooking process; let sit about 3 minutes. Drain eggs, carefully peel away shells, and slice in half.
• Divide ramen between 4 bowls. Add broth. Top each with jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, and soft boiled egg. Serve immediately.

JAPANESE-STYLE MACKEREL RICE BOWL

Steps:

• Cook the rice following pack instructions, adding the soya beans to the pan for the final 3 mins.
• Meanwhile, mix together the teriyaki sauce, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Brush a little of the teriyaki sauce mixture over the mackerel and sear the fillets, skin-side down, for 1-2 mins. Turn the fish over and add the teriyaki sauce mixture to the pan, bring to a bubble and cook the sauce for 1-2 mins more. The fish will warm through and the sauce will thicken.
• Spoon the rice into bowls, then top each bowl with a mackerel fillet. Spoon over the sauce and sprinkle over the spring onions. Serve with a blob of wasabi paste, if you like.