Ingredients (6 servings)

3 cups* Japanese rice
1 cup abura-age
1 cup water
3 tbsp soy sauce
11/2 tbsp sugar
1-2 cups chopped matsutake mushrooms
11/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sake
1 tsp dashi-no-moto

Directions

Wash rice and soak in water for 1/2 hour. Then, in a colander, drain water and set aside.
Pour hot water over abura-age to drain off fat, and then finely chop.
Mix water, soy sauce, sugar, abura-age and mushrooms in a pan and cook at low heat for about 10 minutes.
Squeeze and save the liquid out of the above mixture. Add enough water to the liquid to make 3 Japanese cups, or 540 ml.
Put drained rice in a rice cooker and add the above 3 Japanese cups of liquid. Add salt, sake and dashi-no-moto. Mix and then cook.
When rice is done, place abura-age and mushroom mixture onto the cooked rice, cover and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Mix and serve.
Note: Matsutake mushrooms are seasonal, so freeze them when available. Fresh shiitake mushrooms, other mushrooms, bamboo shoots, etc. can be substituted.

More recipes from "Home Away From Home ­ -  The Vancouver Tonari Gumi Cookbook"

Unagi Sushi	Stuffed Teriyaki Chicken
Matsutake Gohan

The Japanese Community Volunteers Association  (Tonari Gumi www.tonarigumi.ca) in Vancouver BC published a unique recipe book called Home Away From Home. All 74 recipes were produced by seniors who come to their drop-in center. They compiled all of the recipes — traditional recipes that have been handed down to them — and tested them to ensure that there were local ingredients to make the dishes. This cookbook is a labor of love. The seniors wanted to make sure that all recipes are passed on to their own children and grandchildren. They have graciously allowed Ibuki to share a few of their recipes  found on this page with our readers.

$25 at Kinokuniya bookstore in Seattle and Portland