Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
  2             medium  dried shiitake mushrooms
  2               cups  rinsed shortgrain rice -- shinmai
  2 1/3           cups  water -- *see note
  1          7 oz. jar  chestnuts in heavy syrup -- drained
  1              small  sweet potato -- peeled and diced
  1           teaspoon  salt
  2        tablespoons  light soy sauce -- usukuchi shoyu
  2        tablespoons  mirin
  1         tablespoon  toasted sesame seeds
                        radish sprouts -- kaiwari daikon),
                        -- (optional)

Preparation:

Soak mushrooms in a bowl of warm water 30 minutes. Squeeze dry; cut off stems. Dice mushrooms. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine rinsed rice and water; soak 15 minutes. Rinse chestnuts to remove syrup. Drain well; cut into quarters. Add mushrooms, chestnuts, sweet potatoes, salt, soy sauce and mirin to saucepan with rice; stir. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered and undisturbed, 10 minutes. Carefully break up rice mixture with a dampened wooden rice paddle or spatula. Spoon rice mixture into serving bowls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and radish sprouts. Notes: *use 3 tablespoons less water if using shinmai

Nutritional Information:

56 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (16% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 845mg Sodium