Steps

1. Place 2 cups of rice in a bowl, wash gently with water, and drain in a colander. (Key tip!) Wash gently, like stroking, to avoid washing away the rice's flavor.
   🕒 00:16
2. Gently brush off the soil from 70g of burdock root with aluminum foil, then rinse with water. (Key tip!) The flavor and aroma of burdock root are concentrated on the surface, so be careful not to scrape too much.
   🕒 01:00
3. Pat the rinsed burdock root dry, slice thinly, then julienne.
   🕒 02:02
4. Soak the cut burdock root in enough water to cover and remove any bitterness.
   🕒 02:42
5. Thinly slice 50g of carrot lengthwise, then julienne.
   🕒 02:49
6. Thinly slice 15g of ginger, stack the slices, then finely mince.
   🕒 03:22
7. Trim the roots from 1/2 pack of mitsuba. Finely chop the stems and cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
   🕒 03:48
8. Cut 1 fried tofu pouch into bite-sized pieces. Do not blanch; use as is.
   🕒 04:13
9. Remove any yellow fat or tough sinews from 1/2 chicken thigh (160g) and cut into bite-sized pieces.
   🕒 04:30
10. Tear 1 pack of maitake mushrooms into bite-sized pieces by hand instead of using a knife. (Key tip!) Tearing by hand creates a rough surface that enhances the flavor.
    🕒 05:02
11. Separately place the cut vegetables (burdock root, carrot, ginger, fried tofu pouch, maitake mushrooms) onto plates, excluding the mitsuba.
    🕒 05:23
12. In a bowl, combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine), 2 tbsp cooking sake (rice wine), 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp hondashi (Japanese fish stock granules), and 200cc water. Mix well to create the seasoning sauce.
    🕒 05:34
13. Drain the burdock root that has been soaking to remove bitterness.
    🕒 06:13
14. Place the chicken thigh skin-side down in a dry frying pan and cook over low heat until the skin is crispy. (Key tip!) Crisping the skin removes any gaminess from the chicken and adds a savory aroma.
    🕒 06:21
15. Once the skin is colored, add the vegetables (burdock root, carrot, ginger, fried tofu pouch, maitake mushrooms) to the frying pan, add 1 tbsp sesame oil and 3 pinches of salt, and sauté over low heat until fragrant. (Key tip!) Sautéing the vegetables first draws out their flavors, which then infuse into the broth, enriching the overall taste of the mixed rice.
    🕒 06:47
16. Add the seasoning sauce to the sautéed vegetables and chicken, and gently heat over low heat until it simmers.
    🕒 07:37
17. Once simmering, reduce heat to very low and let it cook for 2 minutes to allow the flavors of the chicken and vegetables to meld.
    🕒 07:50
18. Turn off the heat after 2 minutes. The ingredients and broth for the mixed rice are now complete.
    🕒 08:00
19. Transfer the drained rice to the inner pot of your rice cooker.
    🕒 08:11
20. Prepare a colander and a bowl. Separate the ingredients from the broth by straining. (Key tip!) Separating the ingredients from the broth allows for precise water adjustments during cooking, ensuring the rice is not mushy and cooks perfectly.
    🕒 08:17
21. Pour only the strained broth into the inner pot with the rice. Gently shake the pot to level the rice.
    🕒 08:35
22. Add water to reach the 2-cup mark, making fine adjustments to the water level.
    🕒 08:50
23. Once the water level is adjusted, evenly distribute the strained ingredients over the rice. Do not mix the ingredients with the rice. (Key tip!) Mixing the ingredients before cooking can result in undercooked rice, so place them on top without mixing.
    🕒 08:57
24. Set the inner pot in the rice cooker and cook using the standard cooking mode.
    🕒 09:15
25. Once cooked, gently fluff the rice by making cutting motions with a spatula to avoid crushing the grains.
    🕒 09:30
26. For the finishing touch, add 3 pinches of salt and lightly mix throughout the rice.
    🕒 09:37
27. Add the chopped mitsuba and gently mix everything together. Your mixed rice is now complete.
    🕒 09:48