A really easy one-pot meal in Japan is mixed rice. That is, rice cooked with seasonings and other (usually seasonal) ingredients. For example, chestnut mixed rice is popular in the autumn because chestnuts are most plentiful during that time. The mixed rice version I made, contains primarily shimeji mushrooms and chicken thigh. There is however, a bit of carrot and fried tofu in there as well. The garnishes are sesame seeds and nori seaweed. Mixed rice can be made with any type of meat or fish, as well as any type of mushroom and almost any type of vegetable. The only seasonings I used were black pepper, a dash of soy sauce, a dash of mirin and a pinch of sugar. The ingredients are really the main flavours.
First I washed the rice (1 cup) and set it soaking in water with the seasonings. In a pan I fried the chicken (cut into tiny pieces, two thighs), the mushrooms (one packet), carrot (1) and deep fried tofu (just two squares). I tossed on some pepper and just a slight dash of soy sauce. When it was fully cooked, I placed it on top of my rice in the rice cooker. Then... ON. That's it! So simple! When the cooker is finished, the rice and ingredients simply need to be gently mixed.
There was a delightful restaurant in Niigata that my husband and I often went to which served only mixed rice. I brought my parents and brothers there for supper one evening when they came to visit. There were so many different kinds of mixed rice, plus the seasonal specialities. One of my favourites was the chestnut and mushroom rice. Fantastic! If you were feeling wealthy, you could order the matsutake mushroom rice. Matsutake mushrooms are highly prized and super expensive, but quite possibly the most delicious mushrooms on the planet! A soup made of matsutake mushrooms is likely what they serve in heaven. ^_^
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