Kinoko takikomi gohan
(Japanese mushroom rice)

For ➏
600 g (3 cups) Japanese premium short-grain rice (or substitute with brown rice)
70 cl (3 cups) dashi stock (substitute with 3 cups water mixed with 1 ts dried bonito dashi powder)*
3 tbs soy sauce (shoyu)
2 tbs mirin
1 tbs cooking sake
2 dried shiitake mushrooms
15 cl (1 cup) water (for reconstituting dried shiitake mushrooms; this reserve liquid is to be combined with the dashi stock)
100 g (½ cup) of fresh mixed mushrooms (shimeji mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, and hiratake mushrooms)

Wash and rinse rice until water runs clear. Drain and set aside in rice cooker**.
Rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms in 15 cl water for 30-60 m. Remove shiitake mushrooms and squeeze excess water from them.
Reserve the soaking liquid.
Slice rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and either slice or break apart fresh mushrooms with your hands into large bite-sized pieces.
Add soy sauce, mirin, and sake to the washed rice in the rice cooker**.
Add reserved shiitake liquid to a large measuring cup. Add water to the reserved shiitake liquid until a total of 3 cups is measured. Otherwise, measure a total of 3 cups of liquid, combining the reserved shiitake liquid and water.
Add 1 ts dried bonito dashi powder (or konbu dashi) and dissolve the powder with the water and reserved shiitake liquid mixture to make a dashi stock.
Add this combined dashi stock to the rice cooker to make 3 cups of liquid according to the measuring guide indicated within the inner bowl of your rice cooker**. If more liquid is needed to meet the 3-cup marker indicated on the inner rice cooker bowl, add water.
Add dried shiitake slices and fresh mushroom mixture to the rice. Gently incorporate all of the ingredients. Steam the rice according to the instructions provided with your rice cooker**.
After the rice is steamed, allow it to rest in the rice cooker** for 10 m.

Gently mix the rice and serve.

*Substitute katsuo (bonito fish) dashi with konbu (kelp) dashi for a vegan dish.
**Steam the rice on a stove-top instead. Use same volume of rice and liquid (like 1½ cup for 2-4 persons. 1½ cup uncooked rice will make 4½ cup steamed rice)
[optional]: rinse the rice in 2 or 3 changes of water until it runs clear and not milky. It will make the rice less sticky.
[optional]: soak the rice for at least 30 m to give it a softer texture.
Add the rice to the pan.
Either use your hand or gently shake the pan to make sure the rice level is even.
Start by adding the same volume of water/liquid. Then place your middle finger on top of the rice and continue adding water until it just reaches just to the first knuckle of your middle finger.
Bring the water to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. You want to see bubbles gently forming around the edges of the pot.
Cover, turn the heat down to low, and let the rice simmer for about 20-22 m, until all the water is absorbed and the grains are soft.
Turn the heat off. Leave the pot on the burner and let the rice sit, covered, for another 10 m.
Fluff and serve.
Or combine the rice with Japanese mushroom recipes like salted mushrooms an/or shimeji.