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I am on a roll with rice and vegetables.  I make one pot of this vegetable rice and I am set for the day.   I have been eating  so much rice lately, I am feeling bad I haven't made any soba in a few days.

Rice goes well with root vegetables like carrots and burdock.  I also add dried shitake mushrooms for flavor and fried tofu pouches for texture and protein.   The rice taste good even on the next day. I wrap it in nori seaweed and make rice balls.

Age tofu (deep fried tofu pouches), dried shitake mushrooms,

Burdock and carrot root - sliced thinly

Cooked in the electric rice cooker - a no brainer way to

make rice.

The burdock and shitake add an earthy flavor to the rice.

Serves 4

2 cups rice

2 cups water

1 Age-tofu (deep fried tofu pouch)

4 dried shitake mushrooms, hydrated

1/2 carrot, peeled and slice into thin rectangles, 1/8 inch thick

1/2 burdock, scrubbed and shaved into thin slices

1 Tbls rice vinegar (for soaking the shaved burdock and carrots)

6-8 Mitsuba leaves - garnish (optional)

Sesame seeds and Maldon salt - for the table  (optional)

Seasoning for the rice:

2 Tbls sake

1/4 Tsp salt

2 Tbls salt

1/3 Tsp sugar

One hour before cooking the rice:  Wash the rice 3-4 times.  Drain water.  Add the measured water and let stand.

Blanch the Age-tofu for 2-3 mintues.  Drain water. Slice thinly into 1/4 inch wide pieces, about 1 inch long. 

Wash the hydrated shitake mushrooms.  Remove the stems and discard.  Slice the caps into thin slices.

Slice the carrots into thin rectangles, about 1 inch in width, 1/8 inch thick.

Wash the burdock. Take a clean brush and wash the skin without peeling it off.

With a sharp knife, shave the burdock, as if you were shaving a pencil.  Drop the shavings into a bowl of water with the tablespoon of vinegar.  The water will turn brown. Drain water.  Change the water once more and then drain.

Put the sliced carrots, shitake mushrooms and burdock on a plate.  

Add the seasoning and vegetables into the rice.  Mix the ingredients and then cook the rice as you would normal rice.  

Serve the rice with Mitsuba leaves.  You can mix them into the rice or garnish the top.

You can also sprinkle roasted sesame seeds and salt.