Tekka Don is a rice bowl with marinated tuna Sashimi on top

Tekka Don is a rice bowl with marinated tuna Sashimi on top.  It is an extremely easy dish to make if you have good Sashimi grade tuna (raw tuna that is sold to be eaten raw).  Even though the dish is not complicated, Tekka Don tastes really good and is much more special than typical Donburi (rice bowl) dishes such as Oyakodon.

The bright red color of raw tuna is said to give this the name Tekka (“hot iron”) and it’s also very pretty.  Raw tuna can be a little pricey to have for everyday lunch, but it’s great for more special occasions.  With Miso Soup and some vegetable side dishes, you’ll have a perfect meal for your family.

It may be a little hard to get good Sashimi grade tuna from your local market in some area.  Japanese markets are still the best bet to get it, but you may have good fish markets who carry Sashimi.  Also, stores like Catalina Offshore Products have an online store that can ship all over the country (USA).  Their tuna is shipped frozen, but the taste after defrosting is so good you may not tell the difference.

We used pre-cut tuna Sashimi, but a block of tuna works the same.  You just need to cut it into 1/2″ (1cm) thickness (or thinner).  (Best to sharpen your knife before cutting.)  If you already have Mentsuyu in your fridge, skip the step 1.

Tekka Don Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients :

1/2 lb (225g) sliced tuna, Sashimi grade

6 Tbsp Mentsuyu or

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp Sake

2 Tbsp Mirin

Steamed Rice

sesame seeds

Wasabi

Roasted Seaweed, thinly cut

Instructions :

If you are not using Mentsuyu, combine and boil soy sauce, Sake, and Mirinin a small pan, remove from heat immediately, and let cool.

If the tuna is in a block, cut tuna sashimi into 1/2"(1cm) thick pieces.

Marinade Tuna pieces in cooled soy sauce mixture (or Mentsuyu) for 10-15 minutes.

Serve rice in a bowl, and top with marinaded tuna, sesame seeds, wasabi, and Roasted Seaweed. Pour some of the marinade sauce over rice if you want.

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Kinoko Gohan is a kind of Takikomi Gohan

Kinoko Gohan is a kind of Takikomi Gohan, seasoned steamed rice with meat and vegetables. For Kinoko Gohan we use mushrooms (kinoko).  The Umami savory taste and aroma from mushrooms are absorbed into the rice while it cooks, which makes the dish so delicious.

There are a lot of foods that are in season in the fall in Japan.  Fish like saury pike (sanma), chestnuts, egg plant, and fruits like pears and persimmons.  Japanese people enjoy so much the tastes of autumn, and mushrooms are one of the favorites.  There are a lot of mushrooms in Japan, but popular ones are Shiitake, Shimeji, and Enoki.  There are other varieties too, but they may be hard to get at local markets outside Japan.  Today you can find mushrooms that are cultivated all year round and may not need to wait to make mushroom dishes until fall; however, we still want to feel the season through different foods.

We used Shiitake and Shimeji in this recipe, but you can also use different mushrooms.  Enoki will work too and also Maitake and Eringi if you can find them at Japanese or Asian markets.  You can add protein, like some chicken if you want some meat or Aburaage, thin fried tofu.

Kinoko Gohan is easy to make using simple ingredients.  Make it for dinner, and you too can enjoy the taste of Japanese autumn wherever you are!

Kinoko Gohan Recipe

Ingredients :

1 package Shimeji mushrooms

5 Shiitake mushrooms

2 cups rice (180 ml per cup)

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Sake

2 Tbsp Mirin

water

2 green onions, chopped

Instructions :

Separate Shimeji mushrooms into pieces. Slice Shiitake thinly.

Wash rice and put in the rice cooker's removable bowl.

 Add salt, Soy Sauce, Sake and Mirin and stir.

 Add enough water to reach the line for 2 cups of rice, and then add mushrooms. 

Cook like white rice (according to the rice cooker instructions).

After the rice is done, mix in green onions.

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