Top Rice With Furikake—In Japanese, furikake literally means “sprinkled on.” Furikake is a crunchy, salty, and umami seasoning sensation that usually contains flakes of nori seaweed, sesame seeds, dried fish shavings, salt, and other spices. Furikake is used as a condiment for vegetables and fish in addition to rice.

Make Ochazuke – Ochazuke is a savory and soupy topping for rice. Ocha means “tea” and -zuke means “submerged.” True to its name in Japanese, ochazuke is made by topping a bowl of rice with preferred ingredients like salmon flakes and seaweed and pouring green tea, broth, or hot water over the whole thing.

Cook Japanese Curry—Japanese curry rice, or kare raisu, is another way to transform plain rice into a completely different meal. Japanese curry is a much milder version than Indian curry. It still contains curry powder, chili pepper, and garlic, among other ingredients, but think of it more as a thick, robust gravy to go alongside rice.