Ochadzuke

Ochadzuke (or ochazuke) literally means to place or pour green tea onto something, in this case a bowl of rice, and is usually a simple dish. Great for cold weather, or when you have a cold, or just want a refreshing "ahhh" kind of meal. I like to add my own flavors to dishes, so this version has a bit more complexity in the rice. It was the perfect "I want a filling dish with few spices today" kind of meal.



Makes 2 servings (or 1 for a hungry person)

Ingredients:

Dried shittake mushrooms, about 5, soaked in a small amount of water for at least an hour, reserve the water
Konbu seaweed, small slice, soaked together with the shiitake
White rice, presoaked for at least an hour, rinsed
1 tiny packet of various grains that you put in rice
2 tablespoons canned corn
Shiso furikake, the purple rice sprinkly stuff
Black pepper

Topping:

Fresh ginger, about 1 tablespoon finely diced
Soft tofu, 1/2 block, diced into small pieces
Powdered Aonori seaweed
Black sesame seeds
Shaved dried seaweed, like the kind you sprinkle on okonomiyaki
Umeboshi, pickled plum
Fresh green tea

Place the rice in a rice cooker. Slice up the shiitake, and put in the rice cooker as well. Add the corn, the grains from the packet, and add the mushroom/konbu soaking water. Use the piece of konbu for something else later if desired. Add a bit more water to the rice cooker pot if necessary, mix well, and set the rice to cook. You can kinda kick back until the rice is almost ready.

Once the rice is almost done, boil the water for a fresh bit of green tea. Pour the hot water in a teapot with the green tea leaves and let sit while you prepare the other stuff. You can do this step last if you don't like your tea as strong.

Once the rice is done, add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of shiso furikake, and the black pepper to the rice. Mix well, but softly, with a rice paddle. Let sit while you get the other ingredients ready to top.

Place all the delicious mushroomy rice from the rice cooker into a large bowl. Top the rice with the fresh ginger and add the tofu around the edges. Slowly pour in the hot green tea to liking.

Sprinkle the middle with aonori, then with sesame seeds, then with the shaved seaweed, and finally place an umeboshi or two on top of it all.

Makes a perfect warm dish that is filling, rather easy, and delicious.