Thursday, November 21, 2013

Sticky Rice Panda Bento


I made sticky rice today, which I love to do on extra busy days because all I do is throw everything into the Zojirushi and walk away. This batch is made with half white half brown glutinous (sticky rice) which I presoaked overnight to make sure it got nice and soft. About midway through cooking I tossed in finely chopped baby bok choy, sliced shiitake mushrooms, sliced lup cheong, and cubed kabocha. Yes, the kabocha goes really well in this dish! You won't hear any complaints about it. I guarantee it. After cooking, sprinkle some green onions on top for a fresh look. The top tier of the cute panda box holds strawberries, grapes, and persimmon from a neighbor's tree. I know you are excited to hear about the winner of the ECOlunchboxes Tri Bento -- the winner has been chosen! I'm waiting to hear back from her, and if I don't get response (or if she is located outside the U.S.), I'll have to pick another. Check your email! Maybe it's YOU! Stay tuned!

8 comments:

  1. I really need to come over and try your sticky rice one day. It always looks so delicious!

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  2. Looks very yummy and the bento box is so cute!

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  3. Can you post the full recipe please (measurements, seasonings, etc) for those of us who are challenged at being spontaneous cooks?

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    1. Thanks for your interest! I use 1 (Japanese) cup of regular white rice to 2 cups of mochi (glutinous or sticky) rice, and add water to the line on the rice pot for "Sweet Rice" -- I use a Zojirushi rice cooker, which makes the process very easy. There is no recipe for the add-ins: I use about 1 cup or reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms, sliced, 1 cup of chopped baby bok choy, 2 sliced lup cheong (Chinese sausage), and 1 cup of cubed kabocha squash. I toss those ingredients right on top of the nearly cooked rice, when there is about 8 minutes or so remaining of cook time. The steam will soften the ingredients and then you can simply stir everything together when the rice is done. I also add chopped scallion at the end. If your family prefers it, you can drizzle shoyu or sesame oil just before serving. That's it! Season to your taste. Hope this helps!

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  4. Super Cute! I'm just getting into Bento Boxes, myself! Blogged about it today!

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