Jul 25, 2025

Salmon and Dashi Takikomi Gohan Using Brown Rice 炊き込みご飯

No fuss rice cooker recipe, especially hassle-free for people who doesn't want to deal with greasy kitchen in the end.


This time I'm using brown rice and homemade Japanese stock. However, if you would like to skip the stock making process, simply add some Japanese dashi powder instead, can't be easier than that.


Salmon and dashi takikomi gohan using brown rice -


Salmon and dashi takikomi gohan using brown rice


Ingredients (about 6 portions)?

  • 4 rice measuring cups brown rice
  • 2 or about 440 grams salmon fillets
  • 700ml Japanese dashi (or use some dashi powder instead)
  • 1 medium fried bean curd skin 油豆腐皮
  • 1/4 cup hijiki
  • 1 small bundle or about 250 grams Japanese mustard spinach コマツナ
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 pack or about 100 grams brown beech mushroom
  • 2 tablespoons Japanese tsuyu


How?

Rinse the brown rice, basically just like how you would prepare the rice usually. Once ready, drain and set aside first. 


You can make the Japanese dashi from scratch by soaking the kombu and katsuobushi in water. I have an old post Japanese fried tofu pouch and beef udon, from there you will find more details on how to make Japanese dashi.


However, if it seems too troublesome, simply add some Japanese dashi powder to warm water instead, or use any sort of already made Japanese stock.


Add 2 tablespoons of Japanese tsuyu to the rice then pour in dashi till it reaches about 3.5 cups measurement inside the rice cooker pot. Mine was about 700ml. Give it a quick mix. Set aside while prepping other ingredients.


It's important to soak the rice first especially we are using brown rice. Otherwise the grains can be too tough or not fully cooked through in the end if skipping the soaking time.


Double making sure there are no bones hidden somewhere inside the salmon. Remove the skin before use.


Salmon fillets after removing the skin

Either use hot water to rinse the fried bean curd skin or soak in hot water for a short moment. This will help drawing out excess oil from the tofu skin. Once ready, squeeze out the liquid then cut into strips.


Peel and cut the carrot to strips, like julienne the carrot, but it doesn't have to be too thin. Trim-off the mushroom ends then separate to individual pieces. Destem the Japanese mustard spinach and cut to shorter sections. You can use bok choy instead or other similar Asian leafy greens.


Transfer prepped ingredients to the rice cooker. I would add the carrot first then leafy greens last, putting bean curd strips, hijiki, and mushroom in between.


Adding vegetable ingredients for the salmon takikomi gohan

There is no need to mix the ingredients with rice. Mostly because we are using brown rice, so I prefer to keep the rice on the bottom, suppose to get fully cooked-through more easily that way.


On the very top, transfer salmon fillets over.


Adding salmon fillets for the dashi takikomi gohan

Press that button on the rice cooker and simply cook away. If you have a specific setting for takikomi gohan, choose that instead.


Once ready, remove the inner pot from the rice cooker.


Salmon and dashi takikomi gohan using brown rice

Remove the fish fillets. Fluff the rice and make sure all the ingredients are evenly blended together.


Salmon and dashi takikomi gohan using brown rice before adding back the salmon

Roughly break the salmon into large chunks then add back to the rice mixture. Just give it a few gentle mix again. The salmon rice should be ready to serve.


Salmon and dashi takikomi gohan using brown rice

Salmon and dashi takikomi gohan using brown rice

Remember not to over-mix the rice once adding back the fish. We are aiming for chunky salmon texture, so over-mixing can cause the salmon to break into tiny pieces instead, not good.


Other takikomi gohan recipes:


Jul 18, 2025

Seared Eggplant with Dried Shrimp and Garlic 醬燒蝦米茄子排

If you want a little change on the usual ways of cooking eggplant, this post might be the right place to look for.


Let it be sliced, diced, or even mushed, these are the common ways to prepare eggplant in both eastern and western countries. But how about steak-shaped? Or more so like a fillet. 


Ready the eggplant into a big square or rectangular steak was somewhat a fun thing to do over the past year. There are many short videos on social media, mostly for Chinese and Japanese recipes using seared eggplant steak. The basic idea is the same, steam then sear the eggplant steak first then added with somewhat heavier seasonings. And here's my version of the recipe.


Seared eggplant with dried shrimp and garlic 醬燒蝦米茄子排 -


Seared eggplant with dried shrimp and garlic


Ingredients?

  • 1 long eggplant
  • 2 tablespoons dried shrimps
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 stalk scallion
  • Some toasted white sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice cooking wine 米酒
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar


How?

Peel the eggplant then cut into 2 or 3 long sections.


Eggplant peeled and sectioned

Steam the eggplant for about 10 minutes. Once ready, remove and wait till cool enough to handle by hand.


After cooling off a bit, make a slit on the eggplant but don't cut all the way done. Gently spread out the eggplant from the cut to flatten it. Score one side, usually the top side of the eggplant steak if needed to help it to stay flattened. 


Flatten and scoring the steamed eggplant section

While preparing the eggplant, soak the dried shrimps in drinkable room temperature water for 10 minutes. Once ready, drain and pat dry then give the dried shrimps a fine chop.


Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Destem and chop the scallion, we are going to use the green part only for garnish in the end.


Have a pan ready and drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil or other preferred cooking oil. Switch to medium high heat and wait till warm. Add in flattened eggplant pieces scoring side down. Sear till the bottom turn slightly golden, flip and sear to other side till golden again.


Searing the eggplant steak

Once ready, have a big plate lined with paper towel. Transfer eggplant over. The paper towel will help in absorbing excess oil.


Still using the same pan, drizzle more oil if not enough to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the dried shrimps and garlic. Stir-fry and cook till aromatic. It might be slightly darkened but definitely not burning the garlic.


Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of Chinese rice cooking wine, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Cook till the sauce has been reduced a little.


Asian sauce with dried shrimp and garlic for the eggplant

Add back the eggplant and make sure both sides are evenly coated with the sauce. Once checked, transfer to serving plate. Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds all over then garnish with some chopped scallion greens.


Seared eggplant with dried shrimp and garlic

This is my Chinese way of prepping eggplant "steak." I've also scrolled through some Japanese recipes, in which they turn the eggplant into a more kabayaki style of seasoning. And the look highly resembles unagi don, one of the Japanese classic rice dishes. 


Seared eggplant with dried shrimp and garlic

That would be fun too, with the sweet and savory flavor often found in Japanese dishes, I suppose you can even sprinkle some sansho powder for a pop of refreshing aroma. 


Other recipes using eggplant: