Sweet Onion Takikomi Gohan

Caramelized sweet onion, seasoned with soy sauce and mirin, this simple Sweet Onion Takikomi Gohan is flavorful and aromatic rice to accompany your next Japanese meal.

Ingredients

• 2 rice cooker cups uncooked Japanese short-grain rice ((180 ml x 2 = 360 ml; yields roughly 4 servings/4 US cups))
• ½ sweet onion
• 2 tsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc.)
• ⅛ tsp kosher or sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
• mitsuba (Japanese parsley) ((or green onion/scallion to garnish))
• 2 Tbsp mirin ((or 2 Tbsp sake/water + 2 tsp sugar))
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

0. Gather all the ingredients.
1. Rinse rice until water is almost clear. Soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve for 15 minutes.
2. Thinly slice the onion. I cut the onion against the grain so the onion keeps the texture after cooked.
3. In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and pinch of salt and sauté onion until they are tender.
4. Add mirin and soy sauce.
5. Continue to sauté until the sauce is thickened.
6. Add the drained rice into the rice cooker and pour the sauteed onion including sauce.
7. Add the water up to “2 cup line” on the inner bowl and click start to cook. If you have a “Mixed Rice” option, use it (see Notes below).
8. When rice is finished cooking, chop mitsuba into small pieces and fluff up the rice with a rice scooper. Serve the rice and garnish with mitsuba.
9. To Serve
10. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for a month.