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Japanese Brown Rice with Hijiki, Tofu, and Vegetables

  • Prep-time: / Ready In:
  • Makes 8 cups
  • Serving size: 2 cups
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This delectable brown rice with hijiki seaweed is comfort food, Japanese-style, and it’s straightforward to prepare once you have a few key ingredients. The star player is hijiki. This popular sea vegetable, which resembles dried tea leaves, has an easygoing savory taste that’s not as bitter as some seaweeds, and it goes well with shiitake mushrooms. Whole grain brown rice takes on a bright, sweet-and-sour bites when cooked with fresh ginger, garlic, and mirin rice wine (see tip below). Top with tamari-infused baked tofu, crunchy raw daikon, and carrot slices.

Tips

Hijiki: A popular sea vegetable used in Japanese cooking, hijiki is high in fiber and loaded with minerals.

Mirin: This sweet and tangy rice wine is a popular ingredient in Japanese cuisine.

Tofu: There are many brands and styles of tofu. Look for firm tofu (not silken) for the best texture in this recipe.

Gluten-free version: To make this gluten-free, be sure to use a brand of mirin that’s gluten-free, and opt for tamari instead of soy sauce.

For more inspiration, check out these tasty ideas:

By Juliana Hale,

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Ingredients

  • ¼ oz. hijiki seaweed (2 tablespoons)
  • 1 14- to 16-oz. block firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 2 cups short grain brown rice
  • 3½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
  • ½ cup sliced carrot
  • ½ cup chopped daikon radish

Instructions

  • In a small bowl soak hijiki in 1 cup water 30 minutes; drain.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Toss tofu with 1 tablespoon of the tamari. Spread on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are browned.
  • Place rice in a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse under cold water until water runs clear. In a large saucepan combine rice, the remaining 1 tablespoon tamari, the broth, mirin, ginger, garlic, salt, and ½ cup water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
  • Stir in hijiki, mushrooms, carrot, and daikon. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes more or until broth is absorbed and vegetables are tender. Stir in tofu; cook 2 minutes more or until heated through.
Nutritional Information:

Per serving (2 cups): 443 calories, 83 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 618 mg sodium, 10 g fiber, 8 g sugar

Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.

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About the Author

headshot of Juliana Hale

About the Author

Juliana Hale

Juliana Hale is a senior culinary specialist with 20 years of experience in recipe testing and development. She works closely with AllRecipes, Forks Over Knives, Midwest Living, and Traditional Home overseeing testing in the test kitchen for those titles.
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