Back To School Takikomi Gohan Bento Lunch Boxes

Nothing beats a homemade bento box style lunch. A homemade lunch is one of the ultimate expressions of true love and one filled with Bachan’s takikomi gohan is one of the best. Who wouldn’t be happy to open up a bento filled with super flavorful, umami flavored rice studded with salmon, mushrooms, and carrots?

What is takikomi gohan?

Takikomi gohan is a Japanese dish consisting of rice cooked with dashi and soy sauce as well as mushrooms, vegetables, and protein. It’s a dish where all the ingredients are cooked with the rice, making it a one pot meal that’s hearty, comforting, and easy to make. Typically, it’s made in the fall time, during the season of the new rice harvest, which is when rice is the best. Moreover, the fall harvest yields lots of root vegetables and mushrooms. That makes it perfect for back-to-school. That being said, it’s also perfect for showcasing any seasonal ingredients. Part of the beauty of takikomi gohan is its ability to be customized.

What does takikomi gohan mean?

Takikomi gohan loosely translates to mixed rice. If we want to get technical, takikomi means “boiled with” and gohan means rice. Essentially, it’s rice cooked (aka boiled) together with other ingredients. All the ingredients mingle together while the rice is cooking, which makes both the rice and vegetables extra flavorful. As a bonus, takikomi gohan is beautiful as well: glossy and colorful.

Takikomi gohan ingredients

Takikomi gohan can be made with almost anything. The essentials are short grain rice, seasoning, and mushrooms. Here we’re going to make a super umami-forward Bachan’s seasoned takikomi gohan with mushrooms, carrots, and salmon. For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

short grain rice - short grain rice is key for takikomi gohan. Japanese short grain rice is soft, moist, and a tiny bit nutty. As the name implies, the grains are short and chubby. There’s a natural slight stickiness to the rice and Japanese rice prides itself on being chewy and flavorful.

dashi - dashi is a key Japanese ingredient and one of the backbones of Japanese cuisine. While you can certainly make dashi from scratch using kombu (dried kelp) and bonito (dried shaved amberjack fish), there are easy to find instant dashi packs and granules sold online and in Asian grocery stores. Simply follow the package directions. If you don’t have dashi, you can always substitute chicken or vegetable stock.

Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce - while typical takikomi gohan is seasoned with soy sauce, we’re going to amp up the flavor with Bachan’s. Bachan’s is a beautiful mix of traditionally brewed soy sauce, aged Japanese mirin, organic rice vinegar, organic garlic, organic ginger, and green onion.

carrots - carrots are perfect in takikomi gohan. They add sweetness and color, turning nice and tender while being cooked with the rice.

mushrooms - almost all takikomi gohan recipes include mushrooms and that’s because they are a flavor booster. Here we’re using simple cremini mushrooms, but there are so many kinds of mushrooms out there that you can experiment with. Some other mushrooms that would work great are button, shiitake (either fresh or dried; if using dried, be sure to rehydrate first), portobello, oyster, beech, maitake, or enoki.

salmon - salmon cooks beautifully in takikomi gohan. Be sure to choose a fresh, firm fillet.

How do you make takikomi gohan?

Prep - start off by washing your vegetables and cutting them into bite size pieces. Julienne the carrots into matchsticks and slice the mushrooms. Cut the salmon into 1/2 inch cubes.

Simmer - get a large, heavy bottomed pot with a tight fitting lid and add in rice, dashi, and Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Add - while the rice is coming to a simmer, add the carrots, then the mushrooms and salmon by sprinkling them on top of the rice.

Cook - when everything comes to a boil and is bubbling rapidly, turn the heat down as low as it goes and put the lid on the pot. Let the rice cook, covered, for 16 minutes.

Steam - When the 16 minutes is up, remove the pot from the heat, keeping the lid on to steam the rice. Don’t peek.

Mix - After the rice has finished steaming, carefully open the lid and mix the rice, carrots, mushrooms, and salmon. Enjoy!

What kind of rice is best?

We’re making a Japanese dish, so using Japanese rice is a no brainer.  Most, if not all, Japanese rice is short grain rice. There are many varieties of short grain rice, one of the most popular is Koshihikari. They even grow it in California. That being said, if you can’t find Japanese short grain rice, Californian-grown medium grain rice like Kokuho Rose, Nishiki, and Calrose will work too.

Can I make vegetarian takikomi gohan?

Absolutely - to make this a vegetarian takikomi gohan, omit the salmon and substitute in your favorite tofu or double up on the mushrooms, maybe even using a variety of types. Also, don’t forget to use vegan dashi, which is made from shiitake and kombu.

What do you serve with takikomi gohan?

Takikomi gohan is served as both a simple meal and sometimes as an accompaniment or side dish. You can have a simple meal of just takikomi gohan, or you can serve it as a side dish alongside your favorite mains and vegetables.

Can you make takikomi gohan in a rice cooker?

Making takikomi gohan in a rice cooker is incredibly easy. Simply layer the ingredients in, close the lid and cook as usual. The rice should be cooked in the same amount of time, especially if you have a “smart” rice cooker. If you don’t, add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time or simply let the takikomi gohan steam for a bit longer without opening the lid after the rice cooker indicates that it’s finished.

How do you make a bento box?

A bento box is simply a packed lunch. Usually, bentos have several compartments with different items. For this bento box, we’re keeping the main meal as takikomi gohan and adding extra vegetables and fruit on the side. Bentos are packed up pleasingly and aesthetically making them a pleasure to eat. You can add some pizzazz to your bento by thinly slicing carrots and cutting them into shapes using cookie cutters.

Happy takikomi gohan making!