Hiruzen Okowa
Quick answer
- Total time
- 555 min
- Level
- Hard
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 16
About this dish
Hiruzen okowa is a steamed mixed glutinous-rice dish from Maniwa in Okayama, combining sticky rice and barley with chicken, chestnuts, burdock, fuki, dried shiitake, and fried tofu.
Read more
It developed after Daisen okowa crossed into the Hiruzen area, and barley became part of the local version through community nutrition programs from the 1950s. Families served it for New Year, seasonal celebrations, festivals, and household gatherings. Its defining method is to sauté and simmer the filling, reserve the seasoned cooking liquid, and sprinkle that liquid over the grains during steaming. Soaked grains and briefly dried chestnuts become glossy and pleasantly chewy, while blanched green beans added at the end preserve a fresh green accent.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Peel both skins from 300g chestnuts, spread on a clean mesh without overlapping, and dry outdoors for 8 hours on a clear dry day.
Soak 600g glutinous rice in ample cold water for 8 hours, 75g barley for 30 minutes, and 1g dried shiitake in warm water until soft.
- 2Season
Dissolve 6g salt in boiling water, blanch 40g green beans for 2 minutes, and cut diagonally into 2cm pieces.
Blanch 80g fuki in the same water for 3 minutes, chill, peel, and cut to 1cm. Cut 80g chicken into 1.5cm pieces and shave 80g burdock into thin slivers.
- 3Heat
Squeeze and slice the rehydrated shiitake, cut 80g carrot into 3mm quarter-rounds, and slice 30g fried tofu 1.5cm wide.
Heat 12g oil, sauté chicken 3 minutes, then add burdock, fuki, shiitake, and tofu and cook 2 minutes more.
- 4Finish
Add 200ml water and 10ml mirin, then 12g sugar and 20ml soy sauce, and simmer 10 minutes.
Once the chicken center reaches 74°C, strain and reserve the filling and cooking liquid separately.
- 5Control
Drain rice and barley for 20 minutes, then coat with the remaining 12g oil.
Line a steamer with damp cloth and spread the grains mixed evenly with cooked filling, carrot, and dried chestnuts. Once steam rises strongly, steam over high heat for 30 minutes.
- 6Finish
Open the steamer, sprinkle the reserved cooking liquid gradually and evenly over all the grains, and steam 15 minutes more.
Confirm the rice is translucent through the center and chestnuts are tender, transfer to a wide bowl, fold in green beans, and rest 5 minutes.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Hiruzen combination of glutinous rice and barley
- Finish cue
- Confirm the rice is translucent through the center and chestnuts are tender, transfer to a wide bowl, fold in green beans, and rest 5 minutes.
- Storage and reheating
- Skip outdoor drying in rain or humidity and keep the chestnuts refrigerated.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official food safety guidance.
This recipe
555min, 16 ingredients
Category median
38.5min, 8 ingredients
Based on 214 recipes
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