私の真新しい土鍋！

J was utterly spontaneous and random. One night when she was in a shopping mood (at home), she simply announced that she bought me a donabe and it would arrive in a week. Say whuuuuttt. I was at a dinner. I looked at the glass of sake in my hand and wondered if I was drunk or she was. 

Said donabe arrived. It was gorgeous — a Banko (萬古焼) double lids / 2-go capacity, compatible with electric induction hobs. It actually indicated that it's dishwasher-friendly. LOL! Well, I could do stew, but to cook rice in a donabe, you need double lids. I have tried cooking rice in a Staub cast iron. It works. But I would always prefer a donabe. This is a proper donabe for rice. OMG. The is such a magnificent gift. あれまあ! どうもありがとうございます！

The instructions said that this pot didn't have to be seasoned. Okaaaay. Let's go! I haven't cooked rice in a donabe for five years. I need to understand the heat of this donabe and my hob's heating properties. The pot held lines within, not just for the design, but it's also to help us figure out water levels without having to stick a finger in it. 

Of course I used an old batch of rice as a test batch. I have to remember that 1-go is 180ml / 米1合は180cc (180ml) です. Double-checked that. If the water levels are wrong, then everything would be screwed mushy or burnt. 

The first batch held a bit of a burnt bottom. But not charred black, thank gawwd. No burnt smell in rice either. Totally edible. I considered whether to throw out this test batch. It would be a waste, but it's a test batch. Scooped out a small bowl. Seared a sunny-side-up too. Then I sprinkled furikake and fried shallots on the rice. That was lunch. A very delicious lunch, really.

The man said he was coming back from the office and was going to get a late lunch, and asked if I had any fluffy rice left. He would get a meat and side dishes for himself. So I dried the donabe, took out a 180ml of rice grains, and cooked him a second batch. 

I died laughing when he came back with the food— he had chicken tikka and dhal. Do these go with Japanese sticky steamed white rice????! He said they do. I was like...... NOPE. NOT FOR ME. 

The man ate a small portion of the rice clean with furikake, and with the egg first. Then he took another portion of rice to go with the chicken tikka and dhal. loved the soft texture of the rice with the spices. 

My rice is ふわふわ ! 😍

The donabe is so easy to whip out and cook rice with. TBH, it's easier than using a rice cooker. It's tastier, and a pot is easier to wash over removing four parts from the electric cooker. I'm going to designate this donabe to do rice. Japanese rice and claypot rice. I can do proper claypot rice now!!!!!! For only two persons though. Maybe three small eaters. 

I haven't bought 新米 last year. I still have rice left and can't justify throwing it out without actually eating it. My current pack of rice is from... 2021. Hahahaha. We really don't take much rice at home. One pack goes a looooong way. I guess I should buy a pack soon, or wait till August. Sure, the soft and fluffy rice is everything. But whether I got the science for this particular pot, I think the bottom of the donabe is proof. 💫

This pot can do 鍋巴. Oh YES.