Shio Koji Cucumber Wakame Rice

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Cooked rice (hot)

  • 1 tablespoon Dried wakame (seaweed)

  • 1 teaspoon Toasted sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon Toasted sesame seed

  • 1/2 teaspoon Fresh ginger (mince)

  • 2 teaspoons Shiokoji, divided

  • Chile flakes to your taste

  • For sagohachi pickling cucumber

  • 1 Persian cucumber (or Japanese cucumber)

  • 1 tablespoon Sagohachi

How to make:

  1. Cut a cucumber in half lengthwise. Place in zip-lock bag with 1 tablespoon Sagohachi and marinade in fridge for 1~2days.

  2. Slice cucumber and squeeze excess liquid.

  3. Meanwhile hydrate wakame seaweed with 2 teaspoon water and 1 teaspoon Siokoji, let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid.

  4. Heat sesame oil in a pan over medium high heat, and stir wakame seaweed for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and add rest of 1 teaspoon Siokoji, ginger and sesame seed.

  5. Fold wakame and pickled cucumber into rice when it still hot, and sprinkle chili flakes. Adjust seasoning.

  6. Enjoy

Tips:

Refreshing cucumber and sesame flavor would be nice for spring to summer. Sagohachi cucumber has much more complexity than just salted cucumber. We love this simple but flavorful rice.

For kids, you can skip ginger and chili flakes.