By using an electric cooking pot, you can make delicious rice koji while using cooking functions such as steaming and keeping warm all in one device.
*Electric cooking pots, also known as “automatic cooking pots” or “hot cooks,” are kitchen appliances that can be used to make stews, steamed dishes, and a variety of fermented foods at home, such as koji, amazake, and tempeh.
Ingredients & Tools
No bamboo steamer or koji lid is required. You can make it with just these tools.
・500g rice
・2g-4g koji starter
・1 steaming cloth
・1 sheet of baking sheet
・1 bleached cloth
・Thermometer
・Tea strainer (a canned tea strainer is convenient)
・Rice paddle
The Process of Making Rice Koji
| Preparation the day before | ・Wash the rice ・Soak the washed rice in water |
| Day 1 | ・Drain the washed rice thoroughly. ・Steam the rice using the “Steam” setting of your electric cooking pot. ・Remove the steamed rice and sprinkle with koji starter (seeding). ・Wrap the rice in a cloth and keep it warm using the “Keep Warm” setting of your electric cooking pot. ・First koji maintenance |
| Day 2 | ・Second koji maintenance |
| Day 3 | ・Completion of koji |
How to Make Rice Koji
1. Wash Rice
Wash the rice thoroughly to remove all bran and dirt.
2. Soaking
Soak the rice in clean water. The soaking time depends on the temperature, but a good guideline is 6 to 12 hours in spring and autumn, 3 to 5 hours in summer, and 15 to 20 hours in winter.
3. Strain Rice
Place the rice in a colander and leave it for 1-2 hours to drain the water thoroughly.
4. Prepare the Electric Cooking Pot
Pour water into the inner pot and place the steaming plate on top. *At this time, make sure that the water does not come above the steaming plate. If the water touches the rice while steaming, it will become soggy and the rice will not be cooked properly. Be careful not to add too much water so that the boiling water does not come into contact with the rice.
5. Set Rice
Wrap the rice in a steaming cloth and place it on the steaming plate.
6. Steaming
Tightly close the lid of the electric cooking pot. Make sure the pressure release valve is set to “Sealed.” Press the “Steam” button and set the time to 40 minutes. After a while, the temperature and pressure will rise and the countdown will begin.
7. Cool the Rice
Once the rice is steamed, spread it out on a special cloth. We use a Pairen (food grade polypropylene) cloth here. Mix it with a rice paddle in a cutting motion and let it cool.
8. Adding Koji Starter
Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the rice, and when it reaches about 45°C, sprinkle half of the koji starter. Mix the rice to loosen it up, and when it reaches about 35°C, sprinkle the remaining koji starter.
9. Wrapping
Once the rice reaches a temperature of 32°C, wrap it in a food grade polypropylene cloth, and then wrap it in a cotton cloth such as bleached cloth. Insert a thermometer so you can check the temperature during fermentation.
10. Propagation
Just like step 4, pour water into the inner pot and place the steaming plate on top. (If there is enough water left after steaming the rice, you can leave it as is.)
Place the wrapped steamed rice on a steaming plate.
Press the “Keep Warm” button, set the “Temperature” to 32°C, and the “Time” to 48 hours.
11. First Koji Maintenance
After about 18-20 hours, the temperature of the steamed rice will rise to about 38-40°C. Loosen the steamed rice with your hands to lower the temperature. After that, adjust the set temperature so that the it remains between 36°C and 40°C. If it rises too much, please spread it again.
12. Finishing
The koji is ready approximately 42-50 hours after the starter is added. When the koji is well mixed and has a chestnut-like aroma, it is ready.
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