July 6, 2020

Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Rice) Recipe

Takenoko Gohan Bamboo Rice Recipe is a simple, rice dish flavored with Japanese seasonings and mixed with bamboo shoots. I also added aburaage (deep fried tofu) and konnyaku in this recipe. It is flavored with traditional Japanese seasonings.

Bamboo rice is a seasonal dish that is often enjoy in Spring. Japan has seasonal dishes according to four distinct seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. You can find bamboo shoots in Japan between March and May. The bamboo represent the coming of spring after the cold winter.

I was able to find bamboo shoots in an Asian market in the USA and decided to share this recipe. Please try this bamboo rice (takenoko gohan) recipe and let me know what you think!

Bamboo rice can be cooked various ways such as with a rice cooker, a dutch oven, or an Instant Pot (pressure cooker). In this recipe, I demonstrate how to cook takenoko gohan using a pressure cooker.

Tips for Making Takenoko Gohan Recipe

I added aburaage (fried tofu) and konnyaku, but this dish also tastes good with other vegetables. You can add carrots, mushrooms (shiitake), or other vegetables.
This dish is meant as a side to go with other tsukemono or asazuke, so I did not add a lot of seasonings. If it is bland for your taste, please add more soy sauce or some salt. You can also eat it with a main dish and use the takenoko to balance out the flavorful main dish.
This dish is easy to prepare as vegetarian if you use konbu dashi instead of regular dashi as one of the Japanese seasonings.

Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Rice) Recipe

Takenoko gohan (rice with bamboo shoots) is a simple, rice dish flavored with Japanese seasonings and mixed with bamboo shoots. I also added aburaage (deep fried tofu) and konnyaku in this recipe. This dish is easy to prepare as vegetarian if you use konbu dashi instead of regular dashi as one of the Japanese seasonings.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Pressure cooker

Ingredients

Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Rice) Main Ingredients

250 grams bamboo shoot (~1/2 lb)
90 grams konjac (konnyaku) (~3 ounces)
2 pieces of deep fried tofu
450 grams washed rice (~1 lb)

Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Rice) Sauce

1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cooking alcohol
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp soy sauce (add more according to your taste)
1 tsp dashi
600 mL water

Instructions

Ingredient Preparation

Slice the bamboo into small bite-sized pieces
Slice the konnyaku into small bite-sized pieces
After cutting the konnyaku, wash it with water
Slice the deep fried tofu pieces into thin slices
Soak the sliced deep fried tofu pieces in hot water for 2-3 minutes
Wash the rice multiple times and remove the milky colored water
Add the rice into a pressure cooker pot

Takenoko Gohan (Bamboo Rice) Sauce

Add the sugar, cooking alcohol, mirin, soy sauce, dashi and water into the pressure cooker pot with the rice
Finally, add the sliced bamboo, konnyaku and deep fried tofu pieces into the same pressure cooker pot
Cook on low pressure for 12 minutes (or follow your pressure cooker's "rice" cooking program)
Open the pressure cook and mix everything well
Serve and enjoy