BENI SHŌGA, IRIGOMA TO NORI NO MAZEGOHAN 紅生姜、炒りごまと海苔の混ぜご飯
The combination of toasted sesame seeds, pickled ginger and nori calls to mind the aromas of the sushiya (sushi restaurant), but it also features in several other Japanese dishes, such as yakisoba and ramen. There is a perfect completeness in this trio, like a major chord: the nori brings a deep umami that underscores the nuttiness of the sesame, balanced and brightened by the sharp acidity of pickled ginger.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
300 g (10 ½ oz/2 rice cooker cups) rice
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
390 g (13 ¾ oz) water
2 sheets of nori, crumpled and torn or snipped with scissors into flakes
40 g (1 ½ oz) red pickled ginger, finely chopped
Method:
Wash the rice and combine in a rice cooker or saucepan along with the other ingredients, except the nori flakes and ginger.
When the rice is done, fold in the nori and pickled ginger.
Serve the rice hot or at room temperature.
It lasts five days in the refrigerator or one month in the freezer.
Recipe taken from Tim Anderson's new book Japan Easy Bowls & Bento
JapanEasy Bowls & Bento by Tim Anderson (Hardie Grant, £25), Photography by Laura Edwards