Bamboo Shoot Rice

Takenoko Gohan

Spring is the high season for freshly foraged bamboo shoots and they taste really wonderful. They are crisp tender and full of sweet spring flavors. In Japan, people enjoy so many different kinds of bamboo dishes while the fresh shoots are in season. Bamboo shoot rice used to be my favorite bamboo dish my mom made when I was a child. This dish also tastes great at room temperature or even cold. If fresh bamboo shoots are not available, pre-cooked bamboo shoot can be found at Japanese grocery stores and they are sold all year round.

Equipment

Double-lid donabe rice cooker, Kamado-san (3 rice-cup size)

Servings

4 - 6

Ingredients

• 2 rice-cups (360 ml) short grain rice, rinsed
• 1 1/3 cups (320 ml) kombu and bonito dashi or your choice of dashi
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon white tamari
• 1 rectangular piece abura-age (fried tofu pouch), blanched, cut crosswise into thin strips, then halved crosswise
• 1 medium (about 8 oz/ 240 g) pre-cooked bamboo shoot, thinly-sliced into bite-size pieces
• Thinly sliced shiso leaves, for garnish

Procedure

1. Combine the rice, dashi, sake soy sauce, and white tamari in Kamado-san. Let the rice soak for 20 minutes.
2. Spread the abura-age over the rice, followed by the bamboo shoot, in even layers.
3. Cover Kamado-san with both lids and cook over medium-high heat for 13 - 15 minutes, or until 2 - 3 minutes after the steam starts puffing out of the top lid.
4. Turn off the heat and let it stand for 20 minutes.
5. Uncover and gently fluff the contents with a spatula. Serve into individual bowls and garnish with some sliced shiso leaves.

Abura-age and bamboo shoots are layered over the rice to cook.

The tender bamboo shoots taste so perfect with the lightly-seasoned rice.