Cooking chestnuts

One of my favorite fall dishes is "kuri gohan," or chestnut rice. The "recipe" is ridiculously simple (essentially cook chestnuts with rice; my problem is cooking the chestnuts. I did what one cookbook said: pour boiling water over them, then bring slowly to a boil again. Trouble is, that merely seemed to parboil them. While the skin came off easily enough, the nuts are hard and crunchy and not soft/mushy. How long are you supposed to boil/cook them??

Now that these chestnuts are peeled but undercooked, what's the best way to get them soft and edible? Microwave them with a little water? For how long?

Experienced suggestions welcome!

Cooking chestnuts

One of my favorite fall dishes is "kuri gohan," or chestnut rice. The "recipe" is ridiculously simple (essentially cook chestnuts with rice; my problem is cooking the chestnuts. I did what one cookbook said: pour boiling water over them, then bring slowly to a boil again. Trouble is, that merely seemed to parboil them. While the skin came off easily enough, the nuts are hard and crunchy and not soft/mushy. How long are you supposed to boil/cook them??

Now that these chestnuts are peeled but undercooked, what's the best way to get them soft and edible? Microwave them with a little water? For how long?

Experienced suggestions welcome!

Cooking chestnuts

One of my favorite fall dishes is "kuri gohan," or chestnut rice. The "recipe" is ridiculously simple (essentially cook chestnuts with rice; my problem is cooking the chestnuts. I did what one cookbook said: pour boiling water over them, then bring slowly to a boil again. Trouble is, that merely seemed to parboil them. While the skin came off easily enough, the nuts are hard and crunchy and not soft/mushy. How long are you supposed to boil/cook them??

Now that these chestnuts are peeled but undercooked, what's the best way to get them soft and edible? Microwave them with a little water? For how long?

Experienced suggestions welcome!