Iri-kuromame gohan / steamed rice with toasted black soybeans

When something crunchy is wanted in steamed rice, how about toasted kuromame black soybeans? Kuromame's dark skin also adds nice color to the rice. Its deeper flavor than regular daizu soybeans is another benefit, ensuring tasty results without seasoning. I mix in some mochigome sweet rice, partly because the uruchimai regular rice I use is medium grain. If you use short-grain regular rice, which is more glutenous than medium-grain regular rice, adding mochigome is optional.

1/3 of recipe:
221 calories; 6.5 g protein; 2.3 g fat; 41.8 g carbohydrate; 39.9 g net carbs; 0 (0.4) mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.9 g fiber; 226 mg potassium

1/2 of recipe:
331 calories; 9.7 g protein; 3.4 g fat; 62.7 g carbohydrate; 59.9 g net carbs; 1 (0.6) mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.8 g fiber; 338 mg potassium

Chawanmushi / steamed savory custard

Heavenly soft custard that quickly disappears on your tongue after releasing its umami-packed flavor. When serving only a small number of people, chawanmushi is easy to make in a regular pot or deeper pan with lid. Finishing with a smooth surface and no obvious holes is the sign of extra silky texture; for this, cook at low heat once water starts to bubble and the pot is filled with steam! While all solid ingredients can be immersed in the egg-dashi mixture, shrimp is placed after custard has basically solidified so that it stays on top along with mitsuba leaves and yuzu peel, the aromatic garnishes.

1/2 of recipe:
66 calories; 7.7 g protein; 2.7 g fat; 2.2 g carbohydrate; 1.8 g net carbs; 210 mg sodium; 125 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

Seri okowa / steamed sweet rice with water dropwort

The mellow aroma that wafts up from okowa steamed sweet rice is comforting in cold seasons. Seri water dropwort acts as a counterpoint even when a smaller amount is used, as seri's slightly bitter taste and vibrant color provide just enough punch.

1/2 of recipe:
277 calories; 5.4 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 59.3 g carbohydrate; 58.3 g net carbs; 96 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

1/3 of recipe:
185 calories; 3.6 g protein; 0.6 g fat; 39.6 g carbohydrate; 38.9 g net carbs; 64 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 0.7 g fiber

Mukago ginnan gohan / steamed rice with mountain yam aerial tubers and gingko nuts

A great combination of fall harvest -- mukago, small marble-size aerial tubers, and ginnan gingko nuts. Ginkgo nuts' slightly chewy texture and bittersweet taste perfectly compliment the somewhat creamy texture and subtle nutty taste of mukago. To bring out the best of both ingredients, the steamed rice below is flavored with salt (shiokoji salted rice malt). Mochigome sweet rice is also mixed in to enhance the aroma. 

1/2 of recipe:
281 calories; 4.8 g protein; 0.8 g fat; 59.1 g carbohydrate; 59.3 g net carbs; 104 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

1/3 of recipe:
187 calories; 3.2 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 39.4 g carbohydrate; 39.5 g net carbs; 69 mg sodium; ０ mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber

Okara-iritamago no okaka mazegohan / steamed rice with scrambled soybean pulp, egg and bonito flakes

An easy makeover of plain steamed rice into a tasty comfort meal. Scrambled eggs fluffed up with fiber-rich okara increase the overall volume of rice, so even one-third of the entire recipe is quite filling. Mild okara-egg is balanced with the strong taste and aroma of okaka or katsuobushi bonito flakes. Although forms are totally different, onigiri rice balls came to mind when I first tasted this rice. Yummy!

1/3 of recipe:
229 calories; 6.6 g protein; 3.5 g fat; 40.4 g carbohydrate; 38.9 g net carbs; 41 mg sodium; 72 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
343 calories; 9.9 g protein; 5.2 g fat; 60.6 g carbohydrate; 58.4 g net carbs; 61 mg sodium; 108 mg cholesterol; 2.2 g fiber

Kuri chakin / mashed steamed chestnut cakes

These little sweets are a personal experiment that I made as a substitute for kuri kinton, a chestnut dish for financial luck that is often part of the New Year's Day meal. While standard ingredients for kuri chakin are only chestnuts and sugar, I mixed chestnuts with shiroan bean paste and roasted satsumaimo. These sweets are not as yellow as typical kuri kinton, so they might not have the Midas touch, but they can provide a gently sweet reward and relaxing moment.

One chakin cake (1/10 of recipe):
54 calories; 1.0 g protein; 0.2 g fat; 12.1 g carbohydrate; 10.7 g net carbs; 1 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.4 g fiber

Satsumaimo no ukishima / steamed bean paste cake with roasted sweet potato

This moist and gently sweet sponge cake is another great teatime companion. While it contains sweet bean paste, its egg and flour content lets it also complement Western meals when served as a dessert.  Below, I replaced some shiroan white bean paste with yakiimo roasted satsumaimo sweet potato, and threw in some apple bits cooked with mikan tangerine and cinnamon.

Whole recipe:
464 calories; 14.9 g protein; 5.8 g fat; 88.3 g carbohydrate; 78.7 g net carbs; 77 mg sodium; 196 mg cholesterol; 9.6 g fiber

Kabugohan / steamed rice with Japanese turnip

This is a simple steamed rice, but it reminds me of the warming and soothing rice porridge you would eat when not feeling well -- meaning, it offers that much tenderness. Kabu turnip is grated, and the pooled juice is used as part of cooking liquid in order to make the most of the vegetable's sweet taste. Very pleasant.

1/3 of recipe: 199 calories; 3.8 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 42.1 g carbohydrate; 40.7 g net carbs; 75 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.4 g fiber

1/2 of recipe: 298 calories; 5.7 g protein; 0.8 g fat; 63.2 g carbohydrate; 61.1 g net carbs; 113 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.1 g fiber

Tomorokoshi gohan / steamed rice with corn

Sweet kernels of corn instantly make ordinary rice a summer dish. Julienned green shiso perilla leaves offer a nice counter punch, preventing the rice from becoming too mellow.

1/3 of recipe:
209 calories; 4.0 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 43.5 g carbohydrate; 42.5 g net carbs; 79 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.0 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
313 calories; 6.0 g protein; 1.3 g fat; 65.3 g carbohydrate; 63.8 g net carbs; 101 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

Hiyajiru / steamed barley rice with cold sesame-miso soup with cucumber and grilled fish

Literally called "cold soup," this soupy rice dish is a quick meal for hot days in southern Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture. When I first learned about this dish, the description sounded reminiscent of neko manma [lit. cat rice], where you pour miso soup over steamed rice and shovel it in, and at first I was doubtful: Would this actually taste good? Well, there was nothing to do but to try to figure that out. The mixture of miso and sesame paste is first toasted for a deep rich taste, while cucumber, shiso leaves and ginger contribute to a refreshing aftertaste. When the soup is prepared in the cool of the morning, the rest is quite easy and fast. While cucumber is available all year around nowadays, in oriental medicine it is known for cooling down your body -- a very appropriate vegetable for the dog days of summer.
This is another great choice when having little appetite on hot days!

1/2 of recipe, served with 120 g steamed barley rice:
370 calories; 26.8 g protein; 8.8 g fat; 45.2 g carbohydrate; 40.9 g net carbs; 452 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 4.3 g fiber

1/2 of recipe, soup only:
209 calories; 24.0 g protein; 8.3 g fat; 9.6 g carbohydrate; 7.0 g net carbs; 452 mg sodium; 35 mg cholesterol; 2.6 g fiber

Kaburamushi / steamed fish with grated Japanese turnip

Another super-light steamed fish dish topped with a fluffy white blanket of turnip and aromatic gin-an dashi sauce. This is generally regarded as a cold season dish in Japan, yet erratic weather and different growing seasons here offer good excuses to serve this on chilly days -- it warms you up from inside.

119 calories (1/2 of recipe); 15.4 g protein; 1.4 g fat; 9.9 g carbohydrate; 8.3 g net carbs; 177 mg sodium; 31 mg cholesterol; 1.7 g fiber

Saba no oshizushi / pressed sushi with grilled mackerel

A specialty sushi from the eastern part of Toyama Prefecture. This sushi appeared at gatherings of relatives at the house of my grandmother on my mother's side in Urayama (Unazuki). We would all get together for mid-summer obon to welcome ancestors as well as to attend spring and fall ennichi festivals at the local shrine. In my mind's eye, I can see my grandmother and aunties working in the large, earthen floor kitchen, chattering away and laughing against the sounds of running water, chopping vegetables and steaming pots, with indulgent smells filling the air. There, they used several huge wooden molds to make hundreds of sushi to feed dozens of people during their stay at the house and to take home. My mom, the youngest of her siblings, claims that gently breaking up grilled mackerel was her role in the sushi making, but she is not in my picture ...

I have a clear visual recollection of me holding a piece of sushi with vivid green sansho leaves. After my grandmother's health deteriorated and we began buying this type of sushi from shops, sansho was always missing, and needless to say there were differences in taste and texture. It was still home style, but certainly not what my family was familiar with.

Because of the big operation I used to see at grandmother's kitchen, I had long thought making this sushi would be too much work. But when I finally made a satisfactory one, it was surprisingly easy -- why couldn't I make this before?

As with masuzushi pressed salmon sushi, making this -- especially mackerel prep and pressing after assembly -- takes a bit of time. It tastes better the next day, too, so plan ahead.


Whole recipe: 1,212 calories; 32.9 g protein; 28.9 g fat; 187.9 g carbohydrate; 185.4 g net carbs; 443 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt for sushi rice); 69 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber

1/9 cut: 135 calories; 3.7 g protein; 3.2 g fat; 20.9 g carbohydrate; 20.6 g net carbs; 49 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt for sushi rice); 69 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g fiber

Karukan / steamed yam cake

A regional specialty with 300 years of history from Kagoshima in southern Japan. Traditionally made with yamaimo or jinenjo Japanese yam (Dioscorea japonica), regular rice flour, sugar and water, this simple snow-white cake has a nostalgic sweet taste. Karukan has a supple texture like mochi rice cakes but much lighter and spongy like steamed buns, which seems to make your hand automatically reach for one more piece, and another, and ...
The recipe below features more commonly found nagaimo Chinese yam and an egg white for additional fluffy texture. Plain, white cake without topping is the basic style, yet there are a number of flavor and color variations today.

Whole recipe (approx. 360 g), without kumquat confiture:
676 calories; 12.2 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 152.5 g carbohydrate; 150.9 g net carbs; 70 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber

1 piece (approx. 40 g; 1/9 of recipe), without kumquat confiture:
75 calories; 1.4 g protein; 0.1 g fat; 16.9 g carbohydrate; 16.8 g net carbs; 8 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.2 g fiber

Sakura shiokoji gohan / steamed rice with salted cherry blossoms (salted rice malt version)

Sakura shiokoji -- made with the salt used to pickle cherry blossoms -- instantly transforms regular salty-sweet sakura gohan into a sodium-savvy dish with a more subtly salty and milder taste.

1/3 of recipe:
188 calories; 3.1 g protein; 0.5 g fat; 39.8 g carbohydrate; 39.5 g net carbs; 56 mg sodium (when using sakura shiokoji made of kosher salt; excluding pickled cherry blossoms); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.3 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
282 calories; 4.7 g protein; 0.7 g fat; 59.7 g carbohydrate; 59.3 g net carbs; 84 mg sodium (when using sakura shiokoji made of kosher salt; excluding pickled cherry blossoms); 0 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

Bibinba no zakkoku gohan / mixed grain rice for bibimbap

Mixing regular rice and other grains is our current favorite way to make bibimbap. Quinoa makes it less starchy than a simple combination of regular rice and barley or rice with mixed grains; buckwheat groats offer a mellow yet toasty taste and texture; and adding roasted soybeans works as dashi for the steamed rice & grain mixture, and also become crunchy as they cook in a donabe pot (mimicking dolsot stone bowl bibimbap).

1/3 of recipe:
163 calories; 6.3 g protein; 2.5 g fat; 29.4 g carbohydrate; 26.5 g net carbs; 0 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.9 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
245 calories; 9.5 g protein; 3.7 g fat; 44.1 g carbohydrate; 39.7 g net carbs; 0 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 4.4 g fiber

Matsutake to kinua no takikomi gohan / steamed rice with quinoa and matsutake

Very rewarding for the cook in the kitchen! Matsutake's deep aroma fills the air as it cooks -- a fragrant reminder of the season.

1/3 of recipe:
145 calories; 3.9 g protein; 1.1 g fat; 29.1 g carbohydrate; 27.5 g net carbs; 62 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 115-124 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 1.6 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
217 calories; 5.8 g protein; 1.7 g fat; 43.6 g carbohydrate; 41.2 g net carbs; 93 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 172-186 mg with regular soy sauce); 0 mg cholesterol; 2.4 g fiber

Kuro ingenmame-iri kinua gohan / steamed rice with quinoa and black beans

Mixing quinoa with rice results in a lighter texture than regular steamed rice while giving a great nutritional boost. Black beans are added below for a nice crunch.

1/3 of recipe:
163 calories; 4.9 g protein; 1.2 g fat; 32.5 g carbohydrate; 29.9 g net carbs; 0 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.7 g fiber

1/2 of recipe:
245 calories; 7.3 g protein; 1.8 g fat; 48.8 g carbohydrate; 44.8 g net carbs; 0 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 4.0 g fiber

Sake to shimeji no takikomi gohan / steamed rice with salmon and shimeji mushrooms

As the weather cools and we enter the season of mushrooms and return of the salmon, takikomi gohan featuring seasonal ingredients really hits the spot.

1/3 of recipe：
235 calories; 9.1 g protein; 3.3 g fat; 39.8 g carbohydrate; 38.9 g net carbs; 88 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 140 mg with regular soy sauce); 15 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g fiber 

1/2 of recipe：
353 calories; 13.6 g protein; 4.9 g fat; 59.7 g carbohydrate; 58.4 g net carbs; 132 mg sodium (with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 210 mg with regular soy sauce); 23 mg cholesterol; 1.3 g fiber

Petoraaru karei to edamame no myoga-mushi-zushi / steamed sushi with petrale sole and edamame, wrapped in myoga ginger leaves

If you have access to fresh myoga leaves, try them as wrappers. A somewhat intense, refreshing aroma stimulates your senses as you unwrap packets at the table. Below is an example with steamed sushi.

1 packet:
114 calories; 6.0 g protein; 0.8 g fat; 19.3 g carbohydrate; 18.9 g net carbs; 59 mg sodium (with sushizu made with shiokoji & ponzujoyu made with 50% reduced-sodium soy sauce; 210 mg with store-bought sushizu & ponzujoyu); 10 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber

Masuzushi / pressed salmon sushi wrapped with bamboo leaves

A specialty of Toyama, my hometown prefecture, this pressed sushi with masu salmon is wrapped in bamboo leaves and comes in a magewappa round wooden container. It has also been a favorite ekiben (lit. train station bento) of Toyama since 1912, and is a popular souvenir with tourists and business travelers. Masuzushi is traditionally made with sakura masu (Oncorhynchus masou) that come back to the main river running through the prefecture to the Sea of Japan, and more than a dozen long-established masuzushi specialty shops are found near the river off the city center even today. Each shop's masuzushi has slightly different characteristics, and many locals have their favorite shop. Salmon is first treated with salt and then sugar and vinegar, and finally assembled with sushi rice and bamboo leaves. Yet the sushi is not ready for consumption at this point, as it must be pressed for hours to achieve the delicate blend of taste, aroma and texture.

The recipe below is my most successful attempt so far to recreate the masuzushi from a shop I like in Toyama. I use a stainless flour sifter and pie mold bottom as a magewappa substitute, and dried bamboo leaves for chimaki zongzi as a substitute for fresh bamboo leaves.

Whole recipe: 
1,139 calories; 58.5 g protein; 10.4 g fat; 187.0 g carbohydrate; 185.5 g net carbs; 354 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt for sushi rice; 674 mg with kosher salt for sushi rice); 99 mg cholesterol; 1.5 g fiber

1/4 of recipe:
285 calories; 14.6 g protein; 2.6 g fat; 46.7 g carbohydrate; 46.3 g net carbs; 88 mg sodium (with shiokoji salted rice malt for sushi rice; 169 mg with kosher salt for sushi rice); 25 mg cholesterol; 0.4 g fiber