noun
kettle rice; rice dish cooked and served in a small pot
A traditional Japanese dish where rice is cooked with meat, seafood, vegetables, and seasonings in an individual-sized iron pot (釜). Often served at specialty restaurants or as ekiben.
駅で買った釜飯を新幹線の中で食べた。
I ate the kettle rice I bought at the station on the bullet train.
この店の釜飯は具だくさんで美味しい。
The kettle rice at this restaurant is full of ingredients and delicious.
炊き込みご飯 is rice cooked with ingredients in a regular rice cooker or pot, while 釜飯 is specifically cooked and served in a small individual iron pot, often with a more rustic presentation.
Compound of 釜 (kama, 'iron pot') and 飯 (meshi, 'rice'). The dish originated as a way to cook and serve rice in individual portions using small iron pots.