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Nanakusa-gayu (Seven Herb Rice Porridge)
Serves 2 · About 1 hr 10 min (30 min of this is just soaking the rice in water)
Rice porridge cooked from raw rice in a pot, mixed with the boiled and chopped seven spring herbs. A special-day dish eaten on the morning of January 7.
① Wash the rice and soak it in water→② Prepare the seven herbs→③ Cook on low heat→④ Mix in the herbs and finish
What to buy
Vegetables
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Use a deep pot at least 18 cm across. A shallow pot boils over easily.
How to make it
1
Wash the rice and soak it in water
- Put 1/2 rice cup of rice in a bowl, pour in water, mix lightly with your hand and pour off the water. Repeat this 2–3 times
- Put the washed rice and 600 ml water in a pot and let sit 30 min
How to tell it's doneThe rice grains have turned white (they soaked up water).
2
Prepare the seven herbs
- Wash the herbs well in water to get the dirt off. If there are roots, cut them off on the cutting board
- Cut the round white root parts (suzuna = turnip, suzushiro = daikon) into thin rounds on the cutting board
- Bring 1 L water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil in a pot, add the leaves and the rounds, and boil for 1 min
- Drain in a colander, cool in water, and squeeze with your hands to get the water out
- On the cutting board, chop the leaves finely, about 5 mm wide
How to tell it's doneThe leaves are bright green, and no water drips when you press the squeezed leaves with your hand.
3
Cook on low heat
- Put the pot from step 1 over medium heat. When it boils, loosen the rice from the bottom of the pot once with a wooden spatula
- Turn to low heat and put the lid on slightly off-center (so steam comes out of the gap)
- Cook for about 30 min. Do not stir while it cooks (stirring makes it sticky)
How to tell it's doneThe rice grains are puffed up and starting to lose their shape, and it is thick and creamy all over.
Be carefulIf you close the lid tight, it boils over. If it looks like it will boil over, take off the lid and turn the heat down more.
4
Mix in the herbs and finish
- Add 1/2 tsp salt and mix gently from the bottom
- Add all the herbs from step 2, mix, and turn off the heat
- Put the lid on and let sit 2–3 min, then serve in bowls
- Taste it. If the flavor is weak, add salt a pinch at a time
ReadyGreen leaves and white rounds are spread all through the white porridge.
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🔪 Cutting & cooking tips
If it didn't work out
It boiled overThe lid was closed in step 3, or the heat was too high. Next time, put the lid on off-center and turn to low heat as soon as it boils.
It is stickyYou stirred it while it cooked in step 3. Next time, loosen it only once when it boils.
WateryIt did not cook long enough. Keep going on low heat, 5 min at a time.
The leaves are yellowishThey boiled too long in step 2, or stayed on the heat too long after being added in step 4. Next time, boil for 1 min, and turn off the heat right after adding them.
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