In Japan, gohan, rice, is synonymous with meal. It’s a cinch to toss a few seasonal ingredients into a pot of cooking rice to make an instant meal that utilizes all the season has to offer. And this is sweet potato and chestnut season, folks. Kuri (chestnuts) and satsumaimo (sweet potatoes) are two popular fall comfort foods in Japan.

Chestnut Rice with Sweet Potatoes

This dish makes use of both Japanese sweet potatoes and chestnuts. You can substitute Western sweet potatoes for satsumaimo and replace fresh cooked chestnuts with the precooked variety available in four ounce bags. If you have a rice cooker, this recipe practically makes itself, but it’s still easy to make on the stove top.

Satsumaimo Kuri Gohan

Satsumaimo Kuri Gohan

2 cups sushi rice*, washed
2 cups water
10 large chestnuts, cooked, shelled and halved*
1 large or 2 small satsumaimo *
2 1/2 Tbs mirin
1 tsp salt
1, 4″ piece kombu** (optional)
black sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

• Dice the satsumaimo into bite-size pieces. Set aside. Wipe the white residue from the kombu with a damp, clean cloth. Set aside.

• To a medium cooking pot, add all the ingredients (except the sesame seeds!), mix well and bring to boil. Cover the pot and let simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Let the rice sit for 5-10 minutes to absorb the flavors and to further cook the potatoes.

• If you’re using a rice cooker- add all the ingredients, except the sesame seeds!, to the cooker, mix well and cook as per the directions. Letting the rice sit longer will result in very cooked potatoes- I let mine sit 45 minutes.

• For both rice cooker and stove top- Remove the kombu, fluff the rice and spoon evenly into 4 bowls. Sprinkle with the black sesame and serve immediately.

Makes 4 Servings

Difficulty: Easy | Time: 30 minutes | Ingredient Availability: Easy

*You can substitute regular white rice for sushi rice, but it’ll lack the sticky texture of the Japanese variety.

*You may also use prepackaged chestnuts as long as they’re cooked and not in syrup or sweetened in any way.

*Satsumaimo are tastier than any home-grown sweet tater that I’ve ever had, but they’re also damn hard to find outside an Asian market. Substitute regular sweet taters for the Japanese variety if you can’t find ‘em.

**A sushi chef once told me that adding kombu to vegetables enhances their natural flavor. You won’t even notice a seaweed flavor, but you may notice some added depth to the dish.