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YAMASA's BENTO Recipes

Russian-Roulette Rice Ball Bento

A fun recipe for cute, smiley-faced rice balls of various flavors.
It’s a great choice for party settings with friends and families—you won’t know what you’ll get until you bite into these delicious treats!

Tips:

To make the fried-chicken (kara age) chili sauce, simply mix ketchup and ground pepper, with a sprinkle of ‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness Tokusen Shoyu’（Soy Sauce） to enhance flavor.

Servings: 3-4 people

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Calories : 395kcal (per serving)

Salt: 4.3g (per serving)

Credit to: Go Igarashi

Ingredients:

Steamed rice: 300g

Pickled Plum (Umeboshi): 2 pieces

Canned tuna: 20g

Mayonaise: 1 teaspoon

Wasabi: 4 teaspoons

Baked laver/seaweed (yaki nori): few slices (for making the eyes and mouths)

Mini tomatoes: 6 pieces

Baby Cheese: 3 pieces (cut in half)

Premade Fried-chicken (kara age): 100g

Ketchup: 4 teaspoons

‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness’: 1 teaspoon

Ground pepper: 1/6 teaspoon

Lettuce: few pieces

Steps:

[1. Making the Russian roulette rice balls]

Blend tuna and mayonnaise and set aside. Split the rice into 6 servings, and stuff each one with either pickled plum, tuna-and-mayo blend, or wasabi.
Cut the baked laver into shapes of eyes and mouths, and place them on the rice to make the smiley faces.

[2. Tomato and cheese picks]

After layering the tomato and cheese, use a toothpick to hold them together.

[3. fried-chicken (kara age) chili sauce]

Dress the fried chicken with ketchup, ‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness’, and ground pepper.

After completing all three dishes, arrange them in the Bento box with lettuce.

*This recipe uses ‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness’

Bear Bento

Open the lid to come face-to-face with a cute bear gazing up at you.
The rice used for the ‘bear’ is seasoned with ‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness’ to give it a delicious flavoring.

Tips:

Steam the rice with ‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness’ to produce a savory flavor of veggies and rice.

Servings: 1 people

Cooking time: 25 minutes(excluding time for steaming rice)

Calories : 510kcal

Ingredients:

Rice: 300g

Sliced cheese: 1 slice, cut into an oval

Baked laver/seaweed (yaki nori): a few slices to make the mouth, nose, and eyes Eggs: 2

YAMASA Kombu Tsuyu Shirodasi: 1 teaspoon

Salad oil: a sprinkle

Sliced ham: 2 slices

Broccoli: 2 pieces

Lettuce: A few pieces

[A]:

Water: some

‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness Tokusen Shoyu’（Soy Sauce）: 2 tablespoons

Sweet sake (mirin): 2 tablespoons

*Carrot: 1/4, finely chopped

*Onion: 1/4, finely chopped

*Be sure to chop up the carrots and onions into fine pieces!

Steps:

[1. Steaming the rice]

Gently wash the rice and place it in a steamer. Add ingredients A and water, and steam.

[2. Making the ‘bear’]

Take 100g of steamed rice, and shape them in a bear with its face and ears. Place the cheese on the face, together with the baked laver for its eyes, nose, and mouth.

[3. Making the flower-shaped ham]

Fold the ham and make 3mm cuts on the edge. Roll the ham into a flower.

[4. Making the heart-shaped rolled fried eggs]

Stir in ‘YAMASA Kombu Tsuyu Shirodasi’ to the eggs before frying them on an oiled frying pan. Roll the egg into a cylinder while it is still half-cooked. Cut the cylinder into pieces of 1.5cm in width. Take one piece, place the sliced side upwards, and cut diagonally. Flip one piece over, and put them together to make a heart.

[5. Decorating the Bento]

Lay the lettuce on the bottom of the Bento box, and place the ‘bear’ in it. Adorn with the flowers, heart-shaped eggs, and broccoli to give it a yummy look.

* This recipe uses ‘YAMASA Kombu Tsuyu Shirodasi’

‘Oink Oink!’ Piggy Nori Bento

If the ‘bear’ isn’t cute enough to catch your attention, perhaps you could give this Bento a try. The adorable piggy is made of layers of lightly flavored rice and nori. The ginger-fried pork can be quite filling; it’s a good idea to garnish the meal with a refreshing taste of boiled spinach.

Tips:

Try to flavor the boiled spinach lightly as possible. This is where the ‘YAMASA Kombu Pons Gelee’ comes handy!

Ingredients:

Steamed Rice: 150g

‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness Tokusen Shoyu’（Soy Sauce）: a sprinkle

Baked laver/seaweed (yaki nori): a few slices, cut into shapes of the face, ears, eyes, and nose. Set aside, and prepare two other slices to place between the rice.

Sliced cheese: a few slices

Ham: a few slices, cut into an oval to use for the nose, and use the rest to make heart shapes with a cookie cutter.

Thinly sliced pork: 100g, cut into 4cm-width pieces

Salt: 1/6 teaspoon

Black pepper: a sprinkle

Grated ginger: 1/2 teaspoon

Corn starch: 1/2 teaspoon

Onions: 1/4, sliced into wedges

‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness Tokusen Shoyu’（Soy Sauce）: 1 teaspoon

Sweet sake (mirin): 1 teaspoon

Salad oil: 1/2 teaspoon

Spinach: 50g

‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness Tokusen Shoyu’（Soy Sauce）: 1/2 teaspoon

Dried bonito shavings: 1g

‘YAMASA Kombu Pons Gelee’: 1 teaspoon

Lettuce: a few pieces for decoration

Steps:

[1. Making the layered rice]

Spread 1/3 of the rice at the bottom of the Bento box, and place the baked laver on it. Sprinkle ‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness Tokusen Shoyu’（Soy Sauce） on top, and repeat one more time. Lastly, layer the last 1/3 of rice on top.

[2. Making the ‘pig’]

On the rice, place the piggy’s face and ears (baked laver), and its eyes and nose (cheese). Lastly, place the iris of the eye and the nostrils (baked laver), together with the heart-shaped ham.

[3. Preparing the ginger-fried pork]

Rub salt, pepper, and ginger into the pork. Sprinkle with cornstarch.

[4. Cooking the ginger-fried pork]

On medium heat, stir-fry the onions on an oiled pan until soft. Lower the heat and add the pork until cooked. Add ‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness Tokusen Shoyu’（Soy Sauce） and sweet sake, and stir until the onions and pork are thoroughly covered with the sauce.

[5. Making the boiled spinach]

Place the spinach in a bowl, and cover with a plastic wrap. After microwaving for 50 seconds (600W), add ‘YAMASA A Drop of Freshness Tokusen Shoyu’（Soy Sauce） and the dried bonito. Mix well.

* This recipe uses ‘YAMASA Kombu Pons Gelee’