Kombu&Ginger Rice

 My husband is on business trip and won't be home for a while so I took the chance to go for my "under 1400 calories diet plan".  Having had Yogurt and banana for breakfast, leftover Bulgur with Zucchini for lunch, my body asked me for hearty Japanese dinner.  The menu;
Kombu&Ginger Takikomi Gohan
Three beans&Vegetable Soup (leftover from Tuesday)
Tomato&Egg Stir-fry
Natto

A Shio-kombu (salted and pre-cut Kombu) package brought from last trip to Japan was about to go bad so I decided to cook mineral-rich rice with it, adding ginger and carrot.  I love the smell when rice is being cooked.  No matter where I live or where I go, the smell of cooking rice helps me relax with a little bit of nostalgia, reminding me of happy family moments in my mother's kitchen.  Added aroma of ginger is specially appetizing!  Making Onigiri(rice balls) with leftover rice is also something I like.

-Mar. 12 grocery shopping € 0.00/ € 153.37 left  

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
2 cups Japanese sticky rice
3 cups water
10g/0,35oz Shio-kombu (if not available, use regular shredded/sheet Kombu for Dashi and add 1 tsp. salt)
1 small carrot
20g/0.7oz ginger
1 tsp. Sake

Directions
1. Rinse the rice under cold running water.  Drain.
2. Slice carrot very thinly and chop ginger finely.
3. In the rice cooker* put rice and water.  Put carrot, ginger and Kombu** on top (don't mix before cooking!) and cook.
* You can cook in the pot too.  Starting over medium heat, lower the heat to minimum when it boiled and cook until all the water is dried about 12-15min.  
** If you have only a sheet of dried Kombu, you'll need pre-preparation.  Soak it in water for 15-30min. to soften and chop it in thin&short strips.  Add 1 tsp. salt when cooking.    

Itadakimasu!!