Recipe
Chestnut rice (kuri gohan)
An autumn rice scented with tender chestnuts, with salt, sake and kombu. It works very well with French chestnuts.
Edited by EMA
Original JAPANITIES recipe. Results may vary with ingredients and equipment.
Checked on: · Source : JAPANITIES editorial team
Ingredients
- 2 gō of Japanese rice (300 g)
- About 300 g chestnuts in their shells (about 200 g peeled); or 200 g vacuum-packed peeled chestnuts
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 piece of kombu, 5 cm square
- 360 ml water
- A little black sesame
Method
- Soak the chestnuts in boiling water for 10 minutes to soften them, then remove the shell and thin skin with a knife. Cut large ones in half.
- Rinse them in water for 10 minutes, then drain.
- Wash the rice, soak it for 30 minutes and drain.
- In a rice cooker or pan, put the rice, water, sake, salt and kombu; stir lightly and place the chestnuts on top.
- In a rice cooker: normal cooking. In a pan: lid on, high heat until boiling, then 12 minutes on low; turn off and rest for 10 minutes.
- Remove the kombu and mix gently without crushing the chestnuts. Serve with black sesame.
Tips
- Chestnut skins come off more easily after soaking in hot water. Be careful not to burn yourself.
- Place the chestnuts on the rice without mixing them in before cooking: they keep their shape.
- For a touch of sweetness, add 1 tsp mirin.
- In France: fresh chestnuts and marrons are sold in autumn.
Rice for the chestnut moon
Jūsan’ya is also called the “chestnut moon”. Kuri gohan goes with moon dango, both as an offering and at the meal.
A small tip｜Chestnut rice with butter
Add a knob of butter and enjoy the rice while still hot: it is delicious that way too!