Open Umay
Japanese
Studio Ghibli-style tricolor bento
A sweet and comforting Japanese bento, featuring soft rice, sweet and savory chicken soboro, fine scrambled eggs, and green peas. It evokes the simple, colorful, and carefully arranged meals you might imagine in a Studio Ghibli film.
4 servings20 min prep35 min cook
4 servings
Ingredients
Japanese short-grain rice or sushi rice300 g (10.6 oz)base
water420 ml (1 3/4 cups)pantry
ground chicken400 g (14.1 oz)base
eggs4base
frozen green peas250 g (8.8 oz)base
soy sauce60 ml (1/4 cup)pantry
mirin45 ml (3 tbsp)pantry
light brown sugar2 tbsppantry
fresh ginger15 g (0.5 oz)pantry
neutral oil1 tbsppantry
toasted sesame oil1 tsppantry
fine saltto tastepantry
white sesame seeds1 tbspgarnish
nori sheet1garnish
Steps
- Rinse the rice in a bowl, changing the water until it runs almost clear, then let it drain briefly before cooking it with the water; it should come out glossy, tender, and slightly sticky.
- While the rice cooks, finely grate the ginger, then mix it with the soy sauce, mirin, and some of the sugar to create a glossy, fragrant seasoning.
- Heat a skillet with the neutral oil, add the ground chicken, and stir constantly with chopsticks or a spatula to break it into fine, even crumbles; pour in the seasoning and let it reduce until the meat is shiny, juicy, and there is almost no liquid left at the bottom.
- Beat the eggs with the remaining sugar and a pinch of salt, then cook them over low heat, stirring constantly to form fine, soft, pale yellow curds without browning.
- Blanch the green peas in simmering water until they are bright green and tender, drain them, then dress with the toasted sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
- Fluff the hot rice with a damp spatula, without mashing it, until the steam subsides and the grains remain supple.
- Divide the rice among bowls or bento boxes, then arrange the chicken, eggs, and green peas in neat parallel strips to create the tricolor effect.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and finely cut nori, then serve warm or at room temperature, with the colors still clearly defined.
Why it works
Chef notes
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