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Koji rice | Complete guide to special fermented Japanese rice
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Koji rice recipe

Making koji rice is quite straightforward but before I share the recipe and instructions, there is an unusual ingredient you need to get first. Just be aware this isn't like other cooking recipes because you need to grow koji spored, not cook things. You can use all kinds of white rice as long as it doesn’t have the bran (protective husk) on. Sushi rice, long-grain rice, jasmine rice, arborio, basmati, and short-grain are all excellent options. This recipe doesn’t require any cooking, it’s a simple way to prepare the fermented rice that is going to be your base for other things.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword Rice
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 days
Servings 4 servings
Author Joost Nusselder
Cost $4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • To clean the rice completely, rinse it a few times until the water runs clear. The rinsing process removes starch, and this is important if you want the fermentation to work.
  • The rice needs to soak in water between 8 to 12 hours or overnight.
  • Next, you need to steam the rice until it becomes soft. Do NOT boil the rice. You can use a colander with a sanitized cloth or tea towel to steam it.
  • Let the rice cool down to room temperature.
  • Add the ¼ teaspoon of the koji-kin culture to the rice and mix it up.
  • On a baking dish, spread out all the steamed rice and cover it with a damp cloth. The cloth must be moist but not soaking wet.
  • It’s now time to incubate the rice at a constant temperature of 90 F or 30 C for the next 48 hours. Read down below on how to incubate the rice.
  • Every 12 hours, break apart the clumps. This distributes the moisture and helps mold development.
  • The white mold fibers begin to form after the initial 48 hours. At this point, the rice starts to have a greenish color. If it’s green already, it’s no good!
  • Remove the grains from the incubator to prevent mold spring any further. Be sure to remove the towel and let the koji rice dry.
  • Place the koji rice in your freezer for later use or start making a recipe with it.
  • When you are making the koji rice at home, you only want to use mold powder, so you have to sift it using a fine-mesh strainer.

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