• Gather all the ingredients. You will need a very small portion of each herb/green (I did not use the whole leaves you see in this picture). You will also need a heavy-bottomed pot like a donabe or Dutch oven, which cooks the rice more evenly because the heat distribution is gentler than a regular pot.
  

To Wash and Cook the Rice

• Wash ¾ cup uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (see how in my How to Cook Rice recipe card). Drain well in a fine-mesh sieve, then transfer the rice to a donabe or heavy-bottomed pot.
  
• Add 4¼ cups water. Soak the rice for 30 minutes (optional). Then, bring it to a boil over medium heat while stirring occasionally.

  Nami's Tip: Soaking the rice will reduce the cooking time by 5–10 minutes.
  
• As soon as it‘s boiling, reduce the heat to low and gently mix once with a spoon to keep the rice from sticking to the pot. Cover the donabe with the lid slightly ajar (to avoid boiling over) and gently cook for 30 minutes. Do not open the lid or stir while cooking.

  Nami's Tip: If you soaked the rice for 30 minutes, you can shorten the cooking time by 5–10 minutes.
  

To Blanch the Daikon and Herbs/Greens

• While the rice cooks, prepare the daikon and herbs/greens. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Peel 1½ inches daikon radish and cut it lengthwise into quarters. Then, cut crosswise into ⅛-inch (3-mm) quarter slices.
  
• When the water is boiling, add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and the daikon.
  
• Blanch until tender, about 4–5 minutes. Scoop out the daikon with a skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer it to a tray. Keep the water boiling for the next step.
  
• Cut the 7 kinds of herbs/greens of your choice crosswise in half, including the tender stems. Add to the boiling water and blanch for 20–30 seconds.

  Nami's Tip: Salt water keeps the green color bright.
  
• Drain and immediately transfer the greens to iced water. This helps keep the color bright and stops the cooking.
  
• Cool briefly, then squeeze out the water. Cut crosswise into ½-inch (1.3-cm) pieces. You'll need about 4 Tbsp of cooked and chopped herbs/greens.

  Nami's Tip: Don‘t soak the greens in water too long, or they will lose nutrients.
  

To Steam the Nanakusa Gayu

• After cooking the rice for 30 minutes (or 20–25 minutes if you pre-soaked the rice), check the consistency. It should be thick and soupy, but not pasty. Add water if it's too thick. Next, season with ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste.
  
• Add the greens and daikon and stir. Turn off the heat and cover tightly. Allow to rest and steam for 5 minutes.
  

To Add Mochi (optional)

• Cut 2 pieces Japanese rice cake (kiri mochi) in half. Toast them in a dry frying pan or toaster oven until golden and puffed up. Add to the rice porridge.
  

To Serve

• Serve immediately in individual rice bowls with salty condiments of your choice such as tsukemono, simmered kombu (tsukudani), or umeboshi.
  

To Use Cooked Rice (optional; 2 servings)

• Here, I'll show you how to cook 2 servings with one bowl of cooked rice. Add 1 rice bowl cooked Japanese short-grain rice (1 cup, 150 g) and 2–3 rice bowls water (2–3 cups, 400–600 ml) to a donabe or heavy-bottomed pot. Here, I used 3 rice bowls of water and 1 rice bowl of cooked rice to show a looser porridge consistency.
  
• Bring it to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling, stir the rice once and reduce the heat to low. Cover the donabe with the lid slightly ajar and cook for 10 minutes. Do not open the lid or stir while cooking.
  
• After 10 minutes, check the consistency. Add half the cooked daikon and 2 Tbsp blanched and chopped herbs/greens (see my previous steps for how to cook) or a half package (1 small packet) freeze-dried nanakusa. Mix gently.
  
• Cook until the greens are warm and add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to taste. Once the porridge reaches the consistency you like, serve it in individual rice bowls. Enjoy!
  

To Store

• You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container for 2 days in the refrigerator or up to a month in the freezer.