Author Notes
Okayu is a Japanese porridge renowned for its abilities to cure anything from garden-variety stomach ailments to hangovers. Curing properties aside, I just love it as a savory breakfast. To make okayu, you cook rice in a larger amount of liquid than is used to make typical rice dishes: you want the result to be "soupy". There are many ways to make okayu, but generally it is quite plain, with white rice, water, and maybe a little poached chicken. Here I've used more nutritious brown rice and added some flavorful stock, vegetables, and garnishes. p.s. The idea for the matcha salt is from Eric Goyer's wonderful book, The Breakaway Cook. —WinnieAb
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Ingredients
- Okayu
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1 cup
short grain brown rice, rinsed
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4 cups
homemade vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water
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2-4 cups
water
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1/2 cup
dried mushrooms (I used porcinis; feel free to use another variety such as shiitakes)
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1 cup
shelled edamame
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4 tablespoons
minced green onions- for serving
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4 tablespoons
minced all-natural pickled ginger (sushi ginger)- for serving
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Matcha salt- for serving (recipe follows)
- Matcha salt
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1 teaspoon
course sea salt
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2 pinches
powdered matcha green tea
Directions
- Okayu
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Place brown rice and 4 cups of the stock or water in a large pot on the stove. Add 2 more cups of water and bring to a boil.
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Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes- 1 hour. Add the additional 2 cups of water only if too much water is getting absorbed; remember that you want the end result to be "soupy".
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Add the edamame and the dried mushrooms and cook for another 30-45 minutes, again adding additional water if necessary.
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When it has finished cooking, scoop the okayu into individual serving dishes and top each one with 1 tablespoon each of the minced green onion and the pickled ginger. Add a generous sprinkling of the matcha salt and serve.
- Matcha salt
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Mix the salt and the matcha in a small bowl. Use as a finishing salt for the okayu.
I grew up in a restaurant family (my parents owned the now closed Quilted Giraffe in NYC) and I've always loved to cook.
My interest in the connection between food and health led me to pursue a graduate degree in naturopathic medicine. I don't practice medicine anymore; I have a blog called Healthy Green Kitchen that I started in May of 2009 and I wrote a book called One Simple Change that will be published in January, 2014.
I live in upstate New York with my family and many pets.
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