Nanakusa Gayu (Seven Herb Rice Porridge)

• portioner: 4 servings
• aktiv tid: 10 minutes
• total tid: 45 minutes

Ingredienser

¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (1 rice cooker cup) 1

4¼ cups water (1 L) 1

1½ inches daikon radish

7 kinds of herbs/greens of your choice (a very small portion, about 1–2 stems/sprigs each; I used fresh daikon leaves, spinach, chrysanthemum greens (shungiku), komatsuna greens, mizuna, mitsuba, and green onions; or use 1 freeze-dried nanakusa set package from a Japanese grocery store; in Japan, get 1 fresh nanakusa set package) 1–2 1 1

½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (divided; plus more, to taste)

2 pieces Japanese rice cake (mochi) (optional)

condiments of your choice (optional; typically salty condiments like tsukemono, simmered kombu, or umeboshi)

1 rice bowl cooked Japanese short-grain rice (1 cup, 150 g) 1 150

2–3 rice bowls water (2–3 cups, 400–600 ml; adjust to your preferred consistency) 2–3 400–600

Instruktioner

Gather all the ingredients. You will need a very small portion of each herb/green (I did not use the whole leaves you see in this picture). You will also need a heavy-bottomed pot like a donabe or Dutch oven, which cooks the rice more evenly because the heat distribution is not as strong and direct as a regular pot.

To Wash and Cook the Rice

Wash ¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice and drain well in a fine-mesh sieve. For detailed instructions on how to wash rice, see my How to Cook Rice recipe card. Transfer the well-drained rice to a donabe or heavy-bottomed pot.

Add 4¼ cups water to the donabe. Optionally, you can soak the rice for 30 minutes at this step. Then, turn the stove‘s heat to medium and stir occasionally while you bring it to a boil.

As soon as it‘s boiling, reduce the heat to low and gently mix once with a spoon, making sure the rice is not stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover the donabe with the lid slightly ajar (to avoid boiling over) and cook for 30 minutes. Do not open the lid or stir while cooking. Note: If you soaked the rice for 30 minutes, you can shorten the cooking time by 5–10 minutes.

To Prepare the Daikon and Herbs/Greens

While cooking the rice, let‘s prepare the daikon and greens. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Peel 1½ inches daikon radish and cut it into quarters lengthwise. Then, cut them crosswise into ⅛-inch (3-mm) quarter slices.

When the water is boiling, add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and the daikon.

Blanch until tender, about 4–5 minutes. To keep the boiling water for the next step, scoop out the daikon with a fine-mesh skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer it to a dish or tray.

Cut in half crosswise the 7 kinds of herbs/greens of your choice, including the tender stems. Blanch in the boiling water for 20–30 seconds. Tip: Salt water keeps the green color bright.

Drain and immediately transfer the greens to iced water. This also helps keep the greens‘ bright color and stops cooking further.

Once cooled, squeeze out the water. Cut into ½-inch (1.3-cm) pieces. Aim for about 4 Tbsp of cooked and chopped herbs/greens. Tip: Don‘t let the greens soak in water too long, otherwise they will lose nutrients.

To Steam the Nanakusa Gayu

After cooking the rice for 30 minutes (or 20–25 minutes if you pre-soaked the rice), check the consistency. It should be thick and soupy, not pasty. If it‘s too thick, you can add water. Season it with ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and check the taste. You can always add more salt later.

Add the greens and daikon and stir to mix. Turn off the heat and cover tightly, then allow to rest and steam for 5 minutes.

Optional: If you are adding mochi to the rice porridge, cut 2 pieces Japanese rice cake (mochi) in half and toast them in a frying pan or toaster oven until golden and puffed up. Add to the rice porridge.

To Serve

Serve immediately in individual rice bowls with salty condiments of your choice such as tsukemono, simmered kombu (tsukudani), or umeboshi.

To Make the Porridge with Cooked Rice (optional; 2 servings)

One rice bowl of cooked rice yields 2 servings of rice porridge. In a donabe or heavy-bottomed pot like a Dutch oven, add 1 rice bowl cooked Japanese short-grain rice (1 cup, 150 g) and 2–3 rice bowls water (2–3 cups, 400–600 ml). Here, I used 3 rice bowls of water for 1 rice bowl of cooked rice to show a looser porridge consistency.

Bring it to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling, stir the rice once and reduce the heat to low. Cover the donabe with a lid slightly ajar and cook for 10 minutes. Do not open the lid or stir while cooking.

After 10 minutes, check the consistency. Add the blanched greens and cooked daikon (see my previous steps on how to prepare them) and mix gently. For 2 servings, I used a half package (1 small packet) of freeze-dried nanakusa; alternatively, you could use 2 Tbsp cooked and chopped herbs/greens.

Cook until the greens are warm and add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste. Once the porridge reaches the consistency you like, serve it in individual rice bowls. Enjoy!

To Store

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them for 2 days in the refrigerator or for up to a month in the freezer.

Näring

• Kalorier: 139 kcal
• Totalt fett: 0.2 g
• Mättat fett: 0.1 g
• Omättat fett: 0.2 g
• Natrium: 158 mg
• Totala kolhydrater: 31 g
• Kostfiber: 1 g
• Totalt socker: 1 g
• Protein: 3 g