Nutritious Grain Rice - 잡곡밥

Nutritious Grain Rice/ Multi Grain Rice (잡곡밥)

 Bap made with multi grains such as rice, beans, millet, red beans, etc. One version of japgokbap is ogokbap (five grain rice).

Although rice is the staple food for Koreans, they also use other grains. They often combine four other grains with glutinous and regular rice (most commonly glutinous sorghum, glutinous millet, dried black beans and dried sweet beans). Each are cleaned and soaked separately then cooked until the grains have expanded and are well done. The various grains used differ between areas. Koreans tended to use those grains that they planned to plant in the coming year. In the past, Ogokbap was also a substitute of Yakshik for commoners who could not afford to have the ingredients like jujubes, chestnuts, and pine nuts for Yakshik on the first full moon day. From olden days, Koreans have regarded the first full moon day of the year as an important day. People cooked five-grain rice on that day and shared it with neighbors in hopes of peace and a good harvest.

On Jeju, japgokbap was made with rice, sometimes mixed with barley, foxtail millet or red beans. Sometimes barley or millet was the only material for japgokbap. In the lean season of spring, sea villagers mixed bap with green layer or tot, a kind of seaweed, in order to cut down on the use of miscellaneous cereals. In former days, because rice was very scarce, most families cooked gonbap, bap boiled with rice, only on great occasions such as festive days. It was often served out around the neighborhood, since it was a very rare food.

Recipe

Multi Grain Rice (잡곡밥)
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup mixed grains (short grain brown rice, black rice, millet, barley, sorghum, oat, legumes, etc)
2 cups white short grain rice
4 cups water (use less if you prefer firm and chewier texture)
Directions

1. Rinse the mixed grains several times and soak them in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
2. Rinse the white rice. Combine the white rice  and the mixed grains in the Pressure rice cooker.
3. Pour 4 cups of water (or less) and set a multi grain cooking setting if you have. Or use brown rice setting on your electric pressure rice cooker. When done, toss gently to incorporate.
4. If using a stove top pressure cooker, bring the pot to high heat. When you hear the hissing sound and the bell on the lid is shaking, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the steam to work its way. Once all the steam escapes you can open the lid and toss the rice all together.
5. Store the leftover rice in the freezer for the  later use.

Five Grain Rice (오곡밥)

Ingredients
- 360 g (2 cups) glutinous rice
- 80 g (½ cups) black bean
- 85 g (½ cups) glutinous African millet
- 85 g (½ cups) glutinous millet
- 83 g (½ cups) Sweet red bean
300 g (1½ cups) scalding water
500 g (2½ cups) boiling water
- rice water:
100 g (½ cups) sweet red bean boiled water
500 g (2½ cups) water
10.5 g (¾ tbsp) salt

Prepare ingredient

1. Wash the glutinous rice, soak in water for 30 min. and drain water on a strainer for 10 min. (440 g).
2. Wash the black bean, soak in water for 3 hours and drain water on a stariner for 10 min. (140 g).
3. Wash the glutinous African millet by rubbing until washing water to be clear, soak in water for 1 hour, and drain water on a strainer for 10 min. (120 g).
4. Wash the sweet red bean and remove foreign elements, drain water on a strainer for 10 min.
5. Wash the glutinous millet ans drain water on a strainer for 10 min. (114 g).

Directions

1. Put sweet red bean and scalding water into the pot, heat it up for 2 min. on high heat. When it boils, discard the scalding water. Add fresh water to the sweet red bean, heat it up for 3 min. on high heat. Lower the heat to medium, boil for 20 min. taking care the bean no to be burst, drain through a strainer (131 g). Prepare rice cooking water with sweet red bean boiled water after adding water and salt.
2. Put the rice, black bean, glutinous African millet, sweat red bean and rice water into the pot.
3. Heat it up for 2 min. on high heat. When it boils, continue to boil for another 3 min. Lower the heat to medium, add glutinous millet and boil it for 10 min. When the rice become sodden, lower the heat to low, steam for 13 min. Turn the heat off, and let it sit there for 10 min. more to be well done.
4. Mix them with scoop thoroughly and serve in a bowl.

Or you can just follow this simple cooking technique, watch the video^^


Happy cooking^^

Source: International Korean Menu Guide, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Life in Korea, Beyond Kimchee, Hansik - The Taste of Korea,
How to cook and prepare Multigrain Rice