Aromatic Mugwort and Yam Nutritious Rice
How to Make Nutritious Rice with Wild Chive Sauce. A Spring-Infused Mugwort Rice Dish.
This nutritious rice is made with fresh, seasonal mugwort, known for its earthy aroma, and yam, which is beneficial for managing blood sugar levels. It’s a wholesome and flavorful meal, perfect for spring.
Rice Ingredients
- 2 cups rice
- 1 handful mugwort (cleaned)
- 100g carrot
- 100g yam
- 1 shiitake mushroom
- 1 handful wild chives (for sauce)
Wild Chive Sauce
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 1 Tbsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
- Sesame seeds (toasted)
- Sesame oil
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 1 Tbsp vinegar
- 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
- Sesame seeds (toasted)
- Sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, rinse the rice 3 to 4 times until the water runs clear. Then, let it soak in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Soaking the rice helps it cook evenly and become tender. (*If you’re short on time, you can cook the rice without soaking, but be mindful that soaking it for too long can make the rice mushy.)
Step 2
Gently wipe any dirt off the shiitake mushroom with a paper towel. Then, dice it into small, bite-sized cubes.
Step 3
Dice the carrot into cubes, similar in size to the shiitake mushroom. (*Feel free to substitute or add other vegetables you have on hand, such as sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, to make this dish even more versatile.)
Step 4
Peel the yam carefully. Then, dice it into cubes, just like the shiitake mushroom. Yams can be sticky, so wearing disposable gloves while cutting will prevent your hands from getting messy. (*Tip: To prevent the yam from browning after peeling, you can lightly brush it with diluted vinegar before dicing.)
Step 5
Combine all the diced vegetables (shiitake mushroom, carrot, yam) in the rice cooker pot with the soaked rice. Mix them well. You can also layer the ingredients, but mixing them beforehand ensures an even distribution of vegetables in every spoonful of rice.
Step 6
Transfer the mixed rice and vegetables into the rice cooker (a cast iron pot works wonderfully). Arrange the cleaned mugwort leaves gently on top of the rice. Add just enough water to cover the rice and ingredients lightly. Start cooking on high heat until it boils, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer until the rice is cooked. (*Since vegetables release moisture, use slightly less water than you normally would for cooking plain rice.)
Step 7
While the rice is cooking, trim the roots of the wild chives and chop them into about 1cm lengths. This will preserve their fresh, pungent flavor. (*If wild chives are unavailable, finely chopped scallions can be used as a substitute.)
Step 8
In a bowl, combine the chopped wild chives with soy sauce, cooking wine, vinegar, red pepper flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and sesame oil. Mix everything thoroughly to create the flavorful wild chive sauce. (*A little tip for the sauce: I find that adding cooking wine helps balance the saltiness of the soy sauce and prevents the sauce from becoming watery if I were to add water.)
Step 9
Serve the aromatic mugwort nutritious rice in bowls. Drizzle the prepared wild chive sauce over the top and mix well for a delightful spring meal that captures the essence of the season.
