Rice Cooker Japanese-Style Mushroom Chicken Rice

A representative of Japanese home cooking, it has a refreshing yet layered flavor, with tender chicken and the sweetness of shiitake mushrooms and burdock root (or carrots) perfectly infused into the rice. Ingredients: 2 cups white rice (washed and drained) 1 boneless chicken thigh (cut into bite-sized pieces) 3 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and thinly sliced, reserve soaking water) A little shredded carrot and burdock root Seasonings: 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (or soy sauce base), 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake Instructions: Marinate chicken: Lightly marinate the chicken thigh pieces with a little soy sauce and sake for 10 minutes. Adjust water: Place the washed rice in the inner pot, add the seasonings (soy sauce, mirin), then pour in the shiitake mushroom soaking water. Top up with plain water to the usual level for 2 cups of rice. Layer and cook: Evenly spread the chicken pieces, shiitake mushroom slices, shredded carrot, and burdock root over the rice (do not mix). Add 1.5 cups of water to the outer pot of the rice cooker and press the cook button. Mix well: Once cooked, let it steam for 15 minutes. Open the lid and gently mix from the bottom up with a rice paddle.