Years ago when I visited Japan, I had several occasions to eat rice cooked in a donabe (Japanese clay pot) at Japanese inns called ryokan and at rice specialty restaurants. It utterly blew my mind. The rice was unbelievably tender and fluffy—so tasty that I could not stop thinking about it! At home, I’d been using my reliable rice cooker that made good, decent rice. And I had eaten rice made in a donabe countless times growing up. But this time, I was determined to start using a donabe that’s made just for cooking rice. My quest did not disappoint! Let me show you how I cook rice in a donabe in this tutorial and recipe.
What is Donabe?
Donabe (土鍋) is a centuries-old Japanese cooking vessel made of special clay. It holds heat exceptionally well, which makes it ideal for dishes that require liquid and long cooking times. A highly versatile tool for everyday cooking, donabe come in different sizes and variations to suit the ingredients or servings you’re preparing.
Donabe is essentially the ultimate one-pot wonder. You may be familiar with these earthenware vessels used to make Shabu Shabu and other hot pot dishes. Donabe is excellent for making soups, stews, and braised dishes as well as steamed and roasted foods. It also cooks the most amazing rice you’ve ever had! I believe that a Japanese clay pot has the best capability to cook rice. In today’s recipe, I’m using a donabe rice cooker, which is specifically designed just for this task.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Cook your rice perfectly in a donabe. Make the most delicious rice, simply put—so fluffy and tender! Retain heat and moisture. A donabe keeps your food so warm. Simple, rustic, and gorgeous tableware in which to serve your rice. Easy to use and maintain.
Making rice with a handmade donabe also brings a more profound and sacred experience of the tradition of cooking rice. A high-quality donabe is not cheap, but it’s the best rice cooker your money can buy. The donabe will be your lifelong companion in the kitchen.
Can I Cook Brown Rice in a Donabe?
Yes, you can. However, the soaking time, cooking time, and steaming (resting) time for Japanese short-grain brown rice are all much longer than for white rice. Also, the rice-to-water ratio is 1 to 1.6 (or 1.7) for Japanese short-grain brown rice, so you’ll have to add more water for brown rice compared to white rice. For the purposes of this tutorial, I’ll explain the process for cooking white rice. Please see the recipe card below for the complete instructions for how to cook brown rice in a donabe.
The Right Rice-to-Water Ratio for Short-Grain White Rice
The Japanese golden ratio for white rice to water is 1 to 1.1 (or 1.2). This means to cook 1 part Japanese short-grain white rice in 1.1 or 1.2 parts room-temperature water. In Japan, we measure uncooked rice using the plastic rice cooker cup that comes with the rice cooker. This rice cooker cup measures ¾ cup (180 ml) and we call that amount ichi go (一合). Here’s how much water you need for each rice cooker cup of uncooked short-grain white rice following the 1-to-1.1 (or 1.2) ratio: 1 rice cooker cup (180 ml) = add 200 ml of water2 rice cooker cups (360 ml) = 400 ml3 rice cooker cups (540 ml) = 600 ml 4 rice cooker cups (720 ml) = 800 ml5 rice cooker cups (900 ml) = 1000 mlCalculation: 180 ml x 1.1 (or 1.2) = 198 ml (or 216 ml)
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make White Rice in a Donabe
Japanese short-grain white rice Water (at room temperature)
How To Cook Short-Grain White Rice in a Donabe
How Much Rice Do I Need to Cook?
See how much rice to cook for how many servings you need:
1 rice cooker cup (180 ml, ¾ cup, 150 g) of uncooked short-grain white rice 2¼ cups or 330 g of cooked rice 2 rice bowls 3 onigiri rice balls 1 donburi bowl 2 rice cooker cups (360 ml, 1½ cups, 300 g) of uncooked rice 4⅓ cups, 660 g of cooked rice 4 rice bowls 6 onigiri rice balls 2.5 donburi bowls 3 rice cooker cups (540 ml, 2¼ cups, 450 g) of uncooked rice 6⅔ cups or 990 g of cooked rice 6 rice bowls 9 onigiri rice balls 4 donburi bowls 4 rice cooker cups (720 ml, 3 cups, 600 g) of uncooked rice 8¾ cups or 1320 g of cooked rice 8 rice bowls 12 onigiri rice balls 5 donburi bowls 5 rice cooker cups (900 ml, 3¾ cups, 750 g) of uncooked rice 11 cups or 1650 g of cooked rice 10 rice bowls 15 onigiri rice balls 6 donburi bowls
Cooking Tips for Donabe Rice
Always rinse and wash the rice. We always quickly rinse and wash the rice a few times. This is important to help remove impurities and the natural occurrence of arsenic on the rice. Short-grain rice always requires soaking (20–30 minutes), unlike other kinds of rice. The rice grains are rounder and fatter, so they need a head start to absorb moisture to the core of the kernel. Dry the bottom of the donabe with a towel. Otherwise, the donabe will crack. Never use high heat. Use medium-high (or medium heat for the commercial-grade stove). Let the cooked rice steam for 20 minutes when it’s done cooking. Steaming is essential! It’s the final step in cooking Japanese rice. Without it, your rice will not cook fully. Resist the urge to peek under the lid during this time. If you open the lid, you’ll release the precious steam crucial for this resting period. When you use new crop rice (新米), reduce the water slightly. When you get a different brand of rice, test cooking the rice and adjust the amount of water, if needed. The more rice you have in the pot, the more delicious your cooked rice will be. That’s because the most evenly cooked rice is in the center of the pot. The rice near the bottom and top simply cooks too fast. More rice in the pot means you’ll increase the central proportion of steamed rice for a more delicious outcome. That’s why I recommend cooking at least 2–3 rice cooker cups of uncooked rice at a time, even if you need less. You can always freeze the extra rice with good results.
My Two Favorite Donabe Rice Cookers
Kamado-san – Handcrafted by skilled artisans, Kamado-san donabe is made from special clay sourced from the Iga region of Japan. The double lid works like a pressure cooker, so it delivers heat evenly and retains the temperature extremely well. It has a special glaze that helps the heat penetrate into the core of each rice grain. Your rice keeps warm for a long time, even after you turn off the heat. Hario Gohangama – I use it very frequently and absolutely love this donabe for four reasons: The heat-proof glass lid allows you to see the rice as it cooks. The donabe body is Japanese-made Bankoware (similar to my favorite blue donabe below). It’s very sturdy and won’t chip easily compared to Kamado-san. Even though it requires hand-washing, it’s very easy to clean. Water lines inside the donabe show you how much water to add to 2 or 3 rice cooker cups of rice. I don’t have to measure the water anymore! The whistle on the lid’s knob lets you know when the rice is almost done. When it starts to whistle, wait one minute then turn off the heat. Perfect rice every time!
Where to Buy a Donabe Rice Cooker
You can also see my page on How To Choose the Best Donabe for your overall cooking needs.
A typical rice bowl serving is 1 cup (150 g) of cooked rice. A typical donburi bowl serving is 1⅔ cups (250 g) of cooked rice. A typical onigiri (rice ball) weighs 3.9 oz (110 g) each. One cup of cooked brown rice weighs 5.3 oz (150 g).
Season Your Donabe Before First Use
Before you use a new donabe, you must season it first. The process is simple. See my tutorial How to Season Your Donabe for instructions. In that post, I also share some incredibly useful tips on how to care for your donabe so your precious earthenware pot can last you for a lifetime.
Other Methods of Cooking Japanese Short-Grain Rice
How To Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker How To Cook Rice in a Pot over Stovetop How To Cook Rice in an Instant Pot
More Recipes Using Donabe
Sesame Miso Hot Pot Mizutaki (Chicken Hot Pot) Bamboo Rice Shabu Shabu Sansai Gohan (Rice with Mountain Vegetables)
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