Japanese Chestnut Rice (Kurigohan) 日式栗子饭

It has been awhile since my last trip to Hokkaido and I am definitely missing the food, weather and the beautiful things there. Oh and the onsen! Another trip there?? Hmmm.... fingers crossed! Keke... so to reminisce the good times there, I cooked something Japanese at home. Brief post, less words this time!

Japanese Chestnut Rice (Kurigohan)

Recipe by Annieliciousfood

420g or 2 cups Japanese Rice
52g or 1/4 cups Glutinous Rice
20pcs Small Chestnuts / Kuri (I used ready-to-eat chestnuts in a pack bought from the supermarket)
1 pc Dried Konbu
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Mirin
1 tbsp Sake
1 tsp Sugar
583ml or 2 2/3 cup Water

Garnishing option
Some black sesame seeds (I used white sesame instead)
Some spring onions

1. Soak kuri in hot water for about 30 minutes. Crack open the chestnuts and discard the shells. Soak peeled chestnuts in hot water for another 10 minutes. Drain the chestnut in a colander.
Wash and soak dried konbu for 10 minutes or until the konbu is soft. 
2. Wash rice till water turns clear and soak the rice in room temperature water for 30 minutes and then drain it in a colander. 3. The preparation is just like how you usually cook Japanese rice. Not difficult.
4. Put rice, water, soy sauce, mirin, soft konbu, sugar and sake in a rice cooker. Lightly mix them. Place chestnuts on top and start cooking. 

5. When rice is cooked, keep the rice warm in the rice cooker for about 10 minutes before opening the lid. Garnish and serve.

Note:

If you have any leftover chestnut rice, do not throw it away! You may just place leftover into a clean bowl, cover with clingwrap when cooled and refrigerate it. Steam it the next day for about 8min and it's ready to consume.