Gomoku; Japanese winter brown rice dish
POSTED ON February 2, 2011
gomoku
Gomoku is often called a five vegetable Japanese rice stew; but, I feel the word stew is misleading as it isn’t really stew-like. I thought maybe I could call my version a pilaf but that word doesn’t explain what it is well either. Pilaf doesn’t conjure up the deeply warming and nourishing properties that this dish beholds.You can decide what you want to call it once you are enjoying a bowl for dinner- chances are you won’t care what name it goes by because you’ll be rapt by how simple ingredients can come together to form such a flavorful and healing meal.
Everything in this (almost) one pot meal has strong healing properties. Burdock is revered as one of nature’s best blood purifiers, eliminating toxins from all parts of the body: liver, kidneys, lymphatic system and gall bladder. Burdock is used for improving skin and hair and maybe best known for its use in the treatment of cancer.
Lotus root supports the lungs and increases energy, while shitake mushrooms lower cholesterol and kombu infuses the dish with rich minerals….oh and you know that brown rice is a great blood cleanser, packed with B vitamins and rice bran, (the outer husk of brown rice) is the most nutrient-dense substance ever studied.
ingredients
Today in New York it’s raining ice, so instead of facing the elements in a hunt for fresh lotus root, I made the gomoku without it. I just increased the amount of carrots and burdock. I am planning to order some dried lotus root from here so I can have it on hand.
I love to sprinkle this meal with toasted sesame seeds; today I served the Gomoku with black sesame gomasio, recipe coming next!
prepped
cooking tempeh
opening my treasured pressure cooker
gomoku with lotus root
topped with black sesame gomasio
Gomoku
1 cup short grain brown rice
½ cup sweet brown rice
2 ¼ cups filtered water, plus more for soaking rice
2 inch strip kombu seaweed
3 dried shitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons unrefined sesame oil (not toasted)
¼ pound tempeh, cut in ¾ inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium carrot, cut in ¾ inch cubes
6 inch piece burdock, cut in ¾ inch cubes
3 inch piece lotus root, peeled and sliced
½ inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon tamari
1 teaspoon mirin, optional
Toasted black sesame seeds, chives or scallions to serve
Wash rice and drain well. Place in a bowl, cover with filtered water and allow to soak over night.
Drain soaking liquid off rice, rinse again, drain, place in a pressure cooker * and set aside.
Combine 2 ¼ cup water, kombu and shitake mushrooms in a pot and bring up to a boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a cast iron skillet warm the oil over medium high heat. Add tempeh and sauté until golden on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
Drain kombu and shitake, reserving liquid, slice shitake and cut kombu into ½ inch pieces and place in the pressure cooker on top of the rice. Layer onion, carrot, burdock, lotus root and ginger over rice, kombu and shitake. Add cooked tempeh and sprinkle with tamari and mirin.
Measure reserved cooking liquid, adding water, if needed to equal 2 cups. Slowly pour over tempeh, rice and vegetables.
Lock lid of pressure cooker in place and bring up to full pressure over high heat, lower heat and cook for 50 minutes. Allow pressure to come down naturally and let sit an additional 10 minutes.
Remove lid and gently stir.
Serves 4 to 6 people.
*Note about pressure cookers
I know I talk a lot about pressure cookers and use them in many of my recipes. To me they are one of the most useful pots to have. For everything from soups, beans, and whole grain porridges to risotto and stews, they cook everything well and fast!
If you are in the market for one, this is what I have Kuhn Rikon. You can buy the larger one here on sale!
My best friend gave me mine about 14 years ago and I use it almost every day.
I have never made this dish without a pressure cooker; I feel like it may not cook properly in a pot. Please let me know if you try it.
POSTED IN Gluten free, Grains, Mains
tweet it
pin it
wow looks amazing! i like your new layout too 🙂
Oh, this looks wonderful! I’m also hooked on my pressure cooker and am delighted to be inspired to try different things in it. Thank you!
I’m happy to hear you love yours too! I hesitate to post too many recipes using the pressure cooker
as I know not everyone owns one…but they are the best investment.
Hope you like the gomoku. Thanks for writing!
Regarding pressure cooker recipes – I say go for it. It will just inspire those who haven’t yet discovered their magic!
This just looks beautiful. So healthy and so tasty at the same time. I love brown rice.
I linked to your blog from design sponge and have become enamored with the rice stew recipe. I don’t have a pressure cooker and have never used one. Would you recommend getting a 6 quart or an 8? Or doesn’t it matter?
I found all of the ingredients at an Asian food store which is pretty nice since living in New Hampshire is nowhere near big city living.
Thanks. I look forward to seeing more recipes.
I would recommend a 6 quart if you are cooking for one or two or even three. If you like to make large pots of soup
or beans then get the larger. I have been cooking for two with leftovers in a 5 quart for years.
Happy that you found my blog!
Thanks for witing.
Amy
I was referred to your website by Colleen Suhanosky and am delighted to have discovered your work….I have recently moved to the city in order to study yoga formally at Jivamukti and live just a block away from Angelica…I orchestrate my dog walking route to include passage by the restaurant during your lunch and dinner services and love to gaze upon the enjoyment of guests in their communion of sharing your creations…and in the misery of forebearing the past week of weather it occurred to me that the verdant glory of color I love to see on the plates is as close I can come to a stroll through my garden…an aspect of my former life I didn’t anticipate I would miss as much as I do. I am hoping you can reference a purveyor of fresh lotus root..as well as burdock>>>preferably organic…as well as of a source here in the city of frontier organic spices which are sold in bulk…I have celiac and am desperate to restock thecurry spices I cannot live without as well a sreluctant to drive home to Delaware in order to do so..also reared in a kitchen with daily use of a pressure cooker..totally wowed by your blog and happy to add it to my repertoire of instant favorites!!!!!…Tara Donlick
Hi Tara,
Happy to hear that your enjoying coconut and quinoa. I no longer work at Angelica Kitchen, but yes, the food there the freshest organic plant based food you can get in New York. I get organic burdock at Commodities on 1st ave (between 10th and 11th street). They also sell bulk organic spices from Frontier.
China town is the best place for fresh lotus root, but it isn’t organic.
Please subscribe so you won’t miss a post 🙂
Happy cooking!
Amy.