Method

Wash rice and drain in sieve or colander.  Wash hijiki and remoisturize in abundant water for 20 minutes.  Drain in sieve or colander.

Make dashi: either 1)simmer dashi "teabag" in 3 cups water for 10 minutes or 2) simmer 12 x 2 " piece of kombu (dried kelp) in 3 cups water for 10 minutes, remove from heat, add 1/2 cup bonito flakes, let mixture steep for 1 minute, then strain out kombu and bonito flakes.

Place hijiki, carrot, and pork into electric rice cooker.  Add enough dashi to cook rice (exact amount will vary by type of rice cooker).  When that mixture comes to a boil, add rice, soy sauce, and salt to taste; continue cooking until rice is done.

When rice is cooked, let it steam for 10 minutes; do not remove lid.  Then stir ingredients together.  Serve immediately, garnishing individual portions with leek.

Variations: Almost limitless.  Almost any leftovers can be chopped up and added into the rice.

 

Reprinted with permission from © Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio, Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, published by Ten Speed Press click for book review

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