Wakame Rice (Soy Sauce Flavor)
わかめごはん（しょうゆ味） · Wakame Gohan
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Wakame gohan is one of the best-loved rice dishes on Japanese school lunch menus, and this version leans savory with a light touch of soy sauce. Salted fresh wakame is simmered with carrot and shirasu in dashi, then folded into freshly cooked rice so the seaweed's flavor runs through every bite. The wakame is chopped small and the carrot cut into thin strips so everything is easy for little mouths to manage, and the mild seasoning makes it a comfortable dish even for children who are wary of seaweed. Because the seasoning goes partly into the rice and partly into the topping, the flavor stays even without ever becoming salty.
Toddlers to adults. The whole family can eat this exactly as written.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
Printing uses the number of adults and children set under Ingredients, so set those first.
Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 90 griceJapanese short-grain white rice (japonica), which cooks up soft and slightly sticky. The amount listed is for uncooked rice. Substitute: Sushi rice, or another short-grain or medium-grain rice such as Calrose.
- 15 gcarrot
- 6 gsalted fresh wakameFresh wakame seaweed preserved in salt; it is rinsed and soaked before use. Substitute: Dried wakame (use about one-tenth the weight and rehydrate in water)
- 9 gshirasu (dried baby sardines)Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
- 2.4 gvegetable oil
- 24 mldashi stockJapanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
Seasonings (A)
- 2.4 gsugar
- 5.4 gsoy sauce
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- rice (米)
- Japanese short-grain white rice (japonica), which cooks up soft and slightly sticky. The amount listed is for uncooked rice. Substitute: Sushi rice, or another short-grain or medium-grain rice such as Calrose.
- salted fresh wakame (塩蔵生わかめ)
- Fresh wakame seaweed preserved in salt; it is rinsed and soaked before use. Substitute: Dried wakame (use about one-tenth the weight and rehydrate in water)
- shirasu (dried baby sardines) (しらす干し)
- Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
- dashi stock (だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock, usually made from kombu (dried kelp) and/or bonito flakes; the base of most Japanese soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a mild unsalted chicken or vegetable stock.
Directions
- 1
Rinse the rice, transfer it to a sieve and let it drain. Put it in the rice cooker, add water to the marked line and let it soak for at least 30 minutes. Combine the Seasonings (A), stir 1/3 of the mixture into the rice and start cooking.
- 2
Cut the carrot into thin strips about 4 cm long.
- 3
Soak the salted wakame in plenty of water for about 5 to 10 minutes, changing the water a few times to draw out the salt. Squeeze out the water and chop roughly. Put the shirasu in a sieve and pour boiling water over it to remove excess salt.
- 4
Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan and cook the carrot over low heat for about 2 minutes.
- 5
Add the dashi stock, the remaining 2/3 of the Seasonings (A), the wakame and the shirasu, and simmer over low heat for about 5 to 8 minutes. Finally, turn the heat to high and cook off the remaining liquid.
- 6
When the rice from step 1 is done, add the mixture from step 5 and fold it through.
Tips for Best Results
- For how to make the dashi stock, see step 1 of the Oyakodon recipe.
- Fresh wakame is quite different from dried cut wakame: it has a plump, springy bite and a much deeper seaweed flavor. Do give it a try!
Freezing Instructions
Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and freeze. To eat, reheat in the microwave still in the wrap.
Keeps for about 2 weeks (but enjoy it as soon as you can).
Nutrition
Nutrition values include the rice.
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 262.5 kcal | 525 kcal | 262.5 kcal |
| Protein | 6.1 g | 12.1 g | 6.1 g |
| Fat | 2.6 g | 5.1 g | 2.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54.2 g | 108.3 g | 54.2 g |
| Fiber | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.8 g | 1.7 g | 0.8 g |
| Calcium | 27 mg | 54 mg | 27 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 127.5 mg | 255 mg | 127.5 mg |
| Phosphorus | 105.8 mg | 211.5 mg | 105.8 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | Phosphorus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 262.5 kcal | 6.1 g | 2.6 g | 54.2 g | 0.6 g | 0.8 g | 27 mg | 0.6 mg | 127.5 mg | 105.8 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 525 kcal | 12.1 g | 5.1 g | 108.3 g | 1.2 g | 1.7 g | 54 mg | 1.2 mg | 255 mg | 211.5 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
