Japanese Bento Box with Furikake Rice and Sansho Watercress

What goes into a good bento box? This one starts with a base of white Japanese rice, brown short-grain rice, and quinoa cooked together. Watercress seasoned with flaky sea salt and sansho pepper on one side. Frozen peas in another compartment. Furikake sprinkled on the rice. The whole thing comes together in fifteen minutes and holds in the box until lunch without turning soggy or sad. This is the one I keep coming back to.

The rice and quinoa cook in the same pot: wash off the starch, add water, bring to a boil, simmer fifteen minutes, rest five more with the lid on. The watercress goes in raw with salt and pepper. The peas go in frozen and thaw by lunchtime.

Tips for Packing a Bento Box

Wash the rice thoroughly

Rub the rice and quinoa together under cold water to remove the starch. Discard the water and repeat twice. This prevents the cooked grains from being sticky and gummy.

Drain completely before adding the measured water. Too much residual water throws off the ratio.

Let the rice cool before packing

Hot rice in a sealed container creates condensation that makes everything soggy. Let it cool to room temperature before closing the lid.

If you are in a rush, spread the rice on a plate to cool faster. Five minutes is usually enough.

Japanese Bento Box with Furikake Rice and Sansho Watercress

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• Author: Sarah Kiyo Popowa
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2-3
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

A complete and nutritious lunch in one box!
These delicious onigiri rice balls are packed with flavor and texture.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 cups (237 ml) white Japanese rice
• 1 cups (237 ml) brown short-grain rice
• 1 cups (237 ml) quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) water
• 1 bunch (156 g) watercress
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
• 10-15 grains sansh?or
• sichuan pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) frozen peas
• a few spoonfuls zen pebble furikake
• a small bowl of water
• a small plate of sea salt

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Instructions

1. Wash the combined rice and quinoa in your cooking pot with cold water, rubbing off the starch. Discard the water and repeat twice. Drain completely, and add the measured water.
2. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered.
4. Place the watercress in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over to submerge.
5. Leave for 2 minutes, then drain and cool completely under cold running water.
6. Tightly squeeze the watercress to remove excess water.
7. Chop the watercress finely and mix it with salt and sansho pepper.
8. Put the cooked rice and quinoa in a large mixing bowl and gently stir in the frozen peas.
9. Gently fold in the watercress and optional seasonings.
10. Divide the rice into 5 equal parts.
11. Wet your hands with a little salt and gently squeeze each part of the rice into balls, wetting your hands in between each one.
12. Pack a couple of the rice balls in your bento box, or wrap each one in parchment paper or reusable wax wrap.
13. Pack the carrot in any remaining space in the box, or in a separate pot.
14. Put the nuts and dried fruit in a small separate pot.
15. Pack in a bento bag or furoshiki with a napkin.

Notes

• For perfectly formed onigiri, wet your hands frequently with salted water.
• To customize, add other fillings like cooked chicken, salmon, or pickled vegetables.
• Store leftover cooked rice and quinoa separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: Japanese

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1.75 oz
• Calories: 300
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 200
• Fat: 10
• Saturated Fat: 2
• Unsaturated Fat: 7
• Carbohydrates: 60
• Fiber: 5
• Protein: 7

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