Okayu is a traditional family dish, a must in Japanese cuisine. Presentation:
- Okayu, a rice-based dish for babies and adults in Japan
- Recipe for okayu with a pot
- Recipe for okayu with a pressure cooker
- Our tips for eating okayu
Okayu, a rice-based dish for babies and adults in Japan
As we said in the article on Japanese rice, rice in Japan takes a very important place in Japanese gastronomy, so much so that when the baby diversifies (around 6 months) the first thing he tastes is rice porridge called okayu お粥
Okayu is also a recipe for adults, served when the person is sick like a small flu, fever etc…. Also served for the elderly but also for breakfast accompanied by miso soup and cooked fish.
When your baby starts to diversify, theokayu is mixed, just crushed or left as a grain if your baby can eat pieces (around 12 months). I find that it is a good starch base that goes well with all vegetables or meats. It is important to note that its texture is quite thick.
This dish is not very spectacular but very pleasant to eat. The rice should be cooked for a long time and gently, each grain of rice swells with water and takes on a smooth appearance.
Recipe for okayu (rice porridge) for your baby from 6 months
Equipment
- Strainer
- Saucepan
- Blender
- If you want to make more quantity you need 200 ml of Japanese rice, 1L of water
Ingredients
- 200 ml water
Instructions
- Wash the rice 3 to 4 times until the water is clear. Then take 2 tablespoons of the washed rice and put it in 200 ml of water in the pan.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to minimum.
- Simmer for 30 to 50 minutes over very low heat, without covering or stirring. If the water decreases too much during cooking, add the necessary amount.
- Just mix it all together and it's ready!
Recipe for okayu with a pressure cooker
Here is an explanatory video from TokyoUrbanBaby of the okayu recipe by a Japanese woman with a pressure cooker while making rice for adults
For those who are looking for the pressure cooker she is using is a top of the line Zojirushi Rice Cooker. It is a top of the line appliance with incredible quality that will give you great tasting rice! If you have less budget but are looking for a very good model as well, we can recommend the NeuroFuzzy from Zojirushi as well. And if you want a sturdy and inexpensive model, go for the Cuisinart model which is small, compact but efficient.
Our tips for eating okayu
You can add in theokayu rather sweet vegetables like carrot, corn, sweet potato…
If you want the adult version, do not mix it and add either umeboshi (salted plums), some konbu (seaweed), meat or cooked fish according to your desires of the moment.
My mother is of Chinese descent and she often made this dish (粥 zhou) for me when I was sick, a delight! She used to put me some bits of meat in very small pieces and chopped green onions, a little soy sauce to salt it! Okayu is a very common recipe in East Asia under different names and is easily digested.
