Mame Gohan (Green Pea Rice)

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• ⅔ cup green peas
  Ingredient note

  Source: ⅔ cup green peas
• ½ tsp + ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  Ingredient note

  Source: ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt; Source: ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice
• ½ Tbsp sake
  Ingredient note

  Source: ½ Tbsp sake
• 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (2 x 2 inches, 5 x 5 cm per piece)
  Ingredient note

  Source: 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) (2 x 2 inches, 5 x 5 cm per piece)

1. Gather all the ingredients. For the steamed rice, 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked white rice, enough for 4 rice bowl servings. See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe. Quickly rinse ⅔ cup green peas. Rinse 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice and drain well (click here to see the proper way to rinse rice).
2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups (480 ml) water to boil and add ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
3. Add the green peas and cook for 4 minutes, or until the peas are firm but tender (eat one and you’ll see). Remove from the heat and let the peas cool in the cooking liquid. This will prevent the peas from getting wrinkles.
4. Once the peas have cooled, reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the cooking liquid.
5. In the inner pot of a rice cooker, add the well-drained rice. Then, add the reserved cooking liquid. Add more water to the rice cooker’s 2-cup line. Add ½ Tbsp sake and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and mix well. Place 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) on top and start cooking the rice. For my family's preference, I usually add extra water, so in the image, you see the water is at the 2½-cup line.
6. Once the rice is done cooking, discard the kombu.
7. Now, add the peas and toss gently with the steamed rice. The peas will change color with the remaining heat. Therefore, I recommend NOT to keep the rice in the rice cooker for a long time (no more than 2 hours). You have two choices: 1) you could add green peas to the portion you need, or 2) transfer the rice to an airtight container and store it, and serve it as you need.
8. Transfer the leftover rice in airtight containers and close the lid to keep the moisture in. Let cool completely before storing the containers in the freezer (read my tutorial post).