Rice with Gomashio

I found this recipe on the wonderful blog Tea & Cookies. This humble rice recipe is at once so good and so simple that it has become my new “standard” way of making rice, so it’s graced our table more than once in the past two weeks. I use a bit less salt than recommended, but my real issue is that if you mix the salt with the sesame seeds, the former falls to the bottom, so the last servings are topped with too much salt. I think it’s better to sprinkle salt and sesame seeds separately on the rice. I strongly recommend you make this recipe, though, it’s surprisingly addictive. (And at the rate we’re eating this dish, it makes our huge container of sushi rice seem almost too small.) This makes two generous servings.

1 cup short grain sushi rice
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (black and white, or a mixture of both)
¼ tsp salt
toasted sesame oil, for topping

Thoroughly wash the rice in cold water, until the rinse water runs clear (I use a wire mesh strainer for this). In a small pot with a close-fitting lid, add the washed and drained rice and 1 ½ cup cold water. With the top on the pot, bring the rice mixture to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep an eye on the rice and begin testing it once the water has fully absorbed. Cooking time takes 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the pot used.

Toast the sesame seeds (I do this in a pan).




Spoon the hot rice into a bowl, top with sesame seeds and salt and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve hot.