This is a super-easy dish and if you don't have a rice cooker, buy one. They're amazing and worth the small investment (under $50 for one with fuzzy logic - this is the one I have Aroma ARC-1000 Professional Rice Cooker/Food Steamer - I love it). Also, I chopped the garlic and ginger in my mini-chopper. Under $20 and so much easier to get out and clean than my full size. Hand chopping is fine as well, but I don't have the knife skills or time to make the chop so fine.