In the Pokémon: Sun & Moon animated series Professor Kukui (or Professor Cookie as Smalls appropriately likes to call him; "cookie" being the name cooks were given in wagon trains in the Old West) cooks up many tasty-looking dishes in the background during he and Ash's domestic moments. One such time that caught my eye is in episode 9 when Kukiu makes this simple taco rice! He and Ash are at home, talking about the events of the episode, and while they talk Professor Kukiu is in the kitchen whipping this up and then sets a bowl each in front of Ash and Pikachu, no words about. After a moment they start digging in. Pikachu's reactions to the food are so adorable, look at him drooling!Taco rice, or "takoraisu" (not "tako" as in the Japanese word for octopus!), is a very popular dish from Okinawa, Japan, originally created in the early 80s just outside of Camp Hanson for the American service members there. It's since become an iconic dish and is served all over Japan, though Okinawa is the real hotbed for it. Taco rice has been one of my husband's favorite dishes since living in Japan for many years when he was younger, and because of the military connection, it makes this dish a great one for me to make. :) (Well, those things and also because it's in Pokémon!)
Note: Taco rice is a taco with rice instead of a taco shell. That being said, there are so many toppings you could put on! Because I'm going for the one represented in the Sun & Moon episode (white, brown, green, red = rice, beef, lettuce, tomato) that's what I'm sharing below, but you can see a photo at the end of the post of some other ingredients I added afterwards (see the "Topping Suggestions" in the ingredient list below).
I added guacamole to the green layer and pico de gallo to the red layer, but you could certainly use those instead of the lettuce and tomato or leave them out all together. I also wanted to make my own taco seasoning this time around, but you can use a store-bought taco seasoning if you'd like. ;) ALSO, if you're vegetarian you could totally substitute beans or refried beans for the meat, no problem!
Professor Kukui's Takoraisu
Ingredients:
3 Cups Cooked, Fluffy White Rice ("polished"/rinsed before cooking)
Pico de Gallo
1 Large Tomato, de-seeded & finely chopped (~1 Cup)
1/2 Small Red Onion, finely chopped
1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, de-seeded & finely chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Cilantro
1-2 tsp. Lime Juice
1/4 tsp. Salt
Taco Meat
2 tsp. Oil
1 Large Clove Garlic, minced
1/2 Medium Onion, finely chopped
1 lb. Ground Beef
Homemade Taco Seasoning (see below*) OR 1 pkt. store-bought Taco Seasoning
3/4 Cup Pineapple Juice
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
Simple Guacamole
1 Large Avocado, peeled & mashed
1-2 tsp. Lime Juice
1/4 tsp.+ Salt
Other Toppings
1/4 Small Head of Lettuce (not incl. the hard white parts), finely shredded
2 Tomatoes, diced
Topping Suggestions
Shredded or Crumbled Cheese (like mozzarella or cotija)
Chopped Black Olives
Cut Corn
Sour Cream
Directions:
Pico de gallo: Combine all of the pico de gallo ingredients & add more lime & salt if desired. Set aside until needed.
Taco meat: Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat & sauté the garlic & onions until tender. Add in the ground beef & cook just until no longer pink, breaking the meat up with a spatula as it cooks. Drain the meat well & then return it to the pan. Stir in all of the taco seasoning, & then pour in the pineapple juice & soy sauce. Heat to boiling & then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
Simple Guacamole: Using a fork, mash together the guacamole ingredients, adding more salt & lime juice to taste if you'd like.
To build the taco rice, spoon a portion of rice into a bowl or onto a plate & top with some of the taco meat. Next, spoon on some guacamole & sprinkle on a bit of shredded lettuce. Add on some tomatoes & pico de gallo. Of course, you can omit the lettuce &/or tomatoes all together, or leave off the guac. &/or pico de gallo; it's up to you! You can add on other toppings & make it just how you like. :)
*Homemade Taco Seasoning
(From foodrenegade.com with minor change.)
Feel free to adjust the measurements below to fit your taste.
Simply combine these ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Paprika (smoked is great)
1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano
1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
Pinch of Ground Black Pepper
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