15 Delicious And Traditional Bento Box Recipes
Bento boxes are a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal common in Japanese, Taiwanese, and Korean cuisines and other Asian cultures where rice is the main staple food. A traditional bento holds rice or noodles, fish or meat, with pickled and cooked vegetables, in a box. However, Japanese homemakers often spend time and energy on carefully prepared lunch boxes for their spouses, children, or themselves. With these traditional bento box recipes, you can also prepare a delicious lunch for yourself and your loved ones. Typically, bento box recipes are just leftovers that could be laying around the house. However, you can make a meal specially for bento boxes.
1. Teriyaki Salmon
Teriyaki Salmon Bento box recipes consists of cooked rice, teriyaki salmon and a few small side dishes. Traditionally bento is meant to be eaten at room temperature without re-heating. It is surprising that cold Salmon Teriyaki is quite flavorsome without reheating. It is not fishy at all.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice
30g/1.1oz Goma-ae with blanched green beans
2 X 50g/1.8oz Teriyaki Salmon
1 radish, cut in half
2 slices Dashimaki Tamago (Japanese Rolled Omelette)
2-3 tablespoons Hijiki Seaweed Salad
A bento box of your choice
2 mini foil cupcake liners
Instructions:
While the rice is still hot or warm, place it in the largest compartment of the bento box and let it cool. Put green bean goma-ae in a foil cupcake liner and place in the corner of the rice compartment. In one of the empty compartments, place Teriyaki Salmon pieces, then radish pieces to fill the space in the corner. In the other empty compartment, place Dashimaki Tamago slices, almost vertically to allow space to place Hijiki Seaweed Salad. Put Hijiki Seaweed Salad in a foil cupcake liner and place it next to the egg. Enjoy your traditional bento box.
2. Tonkatsu
Bento box recipes with Tonkatsu as a main is called Tonkatsu Bento. It consists of cooked rice, tonkatsu and a small amount of a few side dishes. It is intended to be eaten at room temperature.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice
50g/1.8oz Goma-ae with snow pea shoots
2 tomato wedges
50g/1.8oz Japanese Potato Salad
A handful of shredded cabbage
100-150g / 3.5-5.3oz Tonkatsu cut into 2cm/¾” wide strips
Black sesame seeds with salt
Bulldog tonkatsu sauce in a tiny bottle/jar/container
A bento box of your choice
A mini foil cupcake liner
Instructions:
1st Box
While the rice is still hot or warm, place the rice in the bento box and let it cool. Put snow pea shoots goma-ae in a foil cupcake liner and place it next to the rice. In a small space next to the cupcake liner containing goma-ae, place tomato wedges.
2nd Box
Place the potato salad at one end of the box. Place shredded cabbage next to the potato salad, allowing sufficient space for the tonkatsu to fit in. Place the tonkatsu pieces to fill the box. If the container of tonkatsu sauce is small enough to fit in the corner of the bento box, put it in the box. Otherwise, pack it separately.
3. Pork Shōgayaki
Pork Shōgayaki Bento (Ginger Pork) is one of the very popular bento box recipes and it is very filling. A thinly sliced sautéed pork has full of ginger and soy sauce flavor. By placing Pork Shōgayaki on rice, the sweet soy sauce flavor goes onto the rice, making it so flavorsome.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice
100g/3.5oz Pork Shōgayaki (Ginger Pork) with sauce
50g/1.8oz Lotus Root and Spinach Salad
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1 boiled egg cut in half
A pinch of gomashio
2 baby tomatoes
A bento box of your choice
Instructions:
While the rice is still hot or warm, place it in the largest compartment of the bento box (note 6), allowing for the pork slices to be placed on top. Let it cool. Cut the Pork Shōgayaki into large bite size pieces. Place them on the rice so that the rice is completely covered. Then pour the sauce over it. Put Lotus Root and Spinach Salad in one of the empty compartments. If your bento box does not have compartments, use a foil cupcake liner to put it in. In the other empty compartment, spread lettuce and place boiled eggs with the cut side up. Sprinkle gomashio in the centre of the egg yolks if using. Put the tomatoes in the corner of the main section next to the Ginger Pork. Enjoy this tasty bento box recipe for your lunch.
4. Beef & Pork Patty
Deep-fried crumbed Beef & Pork Patty (Menchi Katsu) is a perfect food for a bento box. When you make Menchi Katsu for dinner, make some extra and freeze them for bento to use them later. This Beef & Pork Patty Bento is packed with vegetables that are prepared in different ways.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice
2 Menchi Katsu
1/5 cup Snow Pea Leaves Warm Salad
1 heaped tbsp Simple Pickled Celery
A handful of shredded lettuce
2 mini red tomatoes
Menchi Katsu Sauce in a tiny bottle or a container
2 mini foil cupcake liners or okazu cups
A bento box of your choice
Instructions:
While the rice is still hot or warm, place it in the rice compartment of the bento box and let it cool. Place shredded lettuce and then Menchi Katsu on the lettuce, allowing some lettuce leaves next to the Menchi Katsu to be seen. Place Snow Pea Leaves Warm Salad and Simple Pickled Celery in an okazu cup individually. Place these cups next to the Menchi Katsu to fill the space. Place tomatoes on the shredded lettuce. Enjoy!
5. Shigureni
Bento box recipes like this one are iconic in this cuisine. The rice is covered with Braised Beef and Burdock with Ginger (Shigureni) which makes the rice so tasty. Shigureni Bento is accompanied by simmered pumpkin, pickled daikon, blanched asparagus and tomato wedges. It is a balanced colourful bento box.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked rice
⅓ quantity of Braised Beef and Burdock with Ginger (Shigureni)
2 pieces Simmered Pumpkin
5 slices Senmai-zuke Daikon
2 spears asparagus, end trimmed
2 tomato wedges
A bento box of your choice
Instructions:
While the rice is still hot or warm, place it in the largest compartment of the bento box, allowing for the Shigureni to be placed on top. Let it cool. Boil water in a pot, add a couple of pinches of salt. Blanch asparagus spears for a minute or so. Drain and rinse under running water to cool them down quickly, then cut them to about 4-5cm long pieces. Place the Shigureni on the rice so that the rice is completely covered. If there is sauce left in the container of the Shigureni, pour the sauce over it. Put Simmered Pumpkin pieces in one of the empty compartments. If your bento box does not have compartments, you may want to use a paper cupcake liner to put it in. Since the pumpkin does not come with sauce, having a partition is not so critical. In the other empty compartment, place tomato wedges and asparagus. Put the Senmai-zuke Daikon in a foil or paper cup and place the cup next to the asparagus. Enjoy!
6. Yakitori
Yakitori bento box recipes are not as commonly sold at bento shops in Japan as other bento boxes such as Chicken Karaage Bento or Pork Shōgayaki Bento. However, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t just as delicious as them.
Ingredients:
1 cup Shimeji Gohan
4 skewers Yakitori
1 Pickled Chrysanthemum Turnip
2-3 tbsp Gomoku-mame (Simmered Soybeans with Vegetables)
3 broccoli florets , blanched
2 mini tomatoes
A bento box of your choice (Recommend a double decker bento box)
1 cup okazu
Instructions:
While the Shimeji Gohan is still hot or warm, place it in one section of the bento box and let it cool. Put Gomoku-mame in a okazu cup and place in the corner of the rice compartment. Place the turnip next to the Gomoku-mame. If you don’t have a partition between the rice and the turnip, place the turnip in an okazu cup so that the rice does not get vinegary. Place tomatoes and broccoli florets in one side of the other bento box. Place yakitori skewers next to the vegetables. Enjoy!
7. Chicken Karaage
Bento box recipes with Karaage as a main is called Karaage Bento. It consists of cooked rice, karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and a small amount of a few side dishes. It is intended to be eaten at room temperature.
Ingredients:
1 cup Shimeji Gohan
60g/2.1oz Chikuzenni
40g/1.4oz Spinach Ohitashi Salad
4-5 pieces Karaage Chicken
A handful of shredded lettuce
1 quarter of a mandarin
A sprig of parsley
Soy sauce in a tiny bottle/jar/container
A bento box of your choice
Instructions:
While the rice is still hot or warm, place it in the 2nd largest compartment. Put Chikuzennni in the second smallest compartment. Try to place ingredients in the way that you can see all the ingredients at one glance. Put Spinach Ohitashi in the smallest compartment and place the tiny plastic bottle of soy sauce on the side if you are using. Put shredded lettuce in the largest compartment, then Karaage pieces to fill the compartment. Place the mandarin at the corner of the shredded lettuce and a sprig of parsley on the chicken. Enjoy this tasty fried bento box recipe!
8. Sanshoku
Lovely looking rice bowl dish with three toppings – egg, beef mince and peas. You can use pork mince or chicken mince if you like and the green element can be chopped snow peas or even spinach. Bento box recipes like this are perfect for a kid’s lunch!
Ingredients:
2 servings of cooked rice
Mince
200g (0.4lb) beef mince
½ tbsp finely chopped ginger
1½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp cooking oil
Peas
1 cup of frozen peas
A pinch of salt
Iri Tamago (finely scrambled egg)
2 eggs
½ tbsp sugar
1 tsp sake
pinch of salt
Decoration (optional)
2 round slices of carrot cut into flower shape
Instructions:
Add oil to a small pot or fry pan over medium high heat. Add ginger and stir for 30-60 seconds until you can smell the ginger fragrance, then add the beef mince. Stir fry the beef mince, making sure to break up the beef mince into each grain (It should take about 5 minutes). When the beef mince is cooked through, add the remaining mince ingredients and mix together. Occasionally stir the ingredients until the liquid is almost evaporated. Be careful not to burn the mince. Turn off the heat and leave it aside until required. Boil 2-3 cups of water in a small saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and frozen peas. Cook for 2-3 minutes and drain. Add the Iri Tamago ingredients in a bowl and beat lightly. Heat a small pot or deep small frying pan, preferably non-stick, over medium heat and pour in the egg mixture. Use two pairs of cooking chopsticks together and stir vigorously until the eggs are cooked through. The eggs should be broken up into small pieces, like the beef mince. Place rice in 2 bowls. Make sure that the surface of the rice is flat and level. Using a spoon, place half of the cooked beef mince on the rice, covering ⅓ of the surface, then add the eggs next to the mince covering another ⅓ of the surface. Fill the remaining ⅓ with the green peas. Repeat the same for the other bowl. Place a carrot flower (if using) or any edible substitute in the center for decoration.
9. Pork Bento.
One of the more traditional bento box recipes you will come across. Bento box recipes like this one can be found all around Japan and other Asian countries, and now with this recipe you can bring that cuisine into your own home. Your spouse and children are sure to enjoy this flavor packed bento box lunch.
Ingredients:
Pork
200g pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
¼ cup yuzu juice (or orange juice)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp mirin
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp minced ginger
Onigiri
1 tbsp white miso
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Japanese seasoning (furikake)
1 cup cooked sushi rice, cooled
Nori sheets, to serve
Bento Box
1 cup sweet potato, diced
Pickled vegetables
2 eggs, hardboiled
Wasabi
Japanese mayonnaise
Instructions:
Place the pork in a bowl with the yuzu juice, light soy sauce, mirin, vinegar and ginger and stir until completely coated. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for an hour. Bring the pork to room temperature. Heat a frypan over medium-high heat and sear the pork for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked all the way through. Set aside. In a bowl, combine the miso, light soy and seasoning. Line a small bowl or cup with clingfilm, and with wet hands, place a handful of the rice into the clingfilm and press down. Make a well in the center and fill with a teaspoon of the miso mixture, then cover up with rice. Remove from the cup or bowl and wrap tightly in the cling film and shape into a ball or triangle, then remove the clingfilm and wrap in a nori sheet. Steam the sweet potato until tender then set aside to cool. Combine with some mayonnaise and chopped nori, if desired. To assemble, place the cooked pork in one compartment of the bento box, the onigiri in another, followed by the eggs, vegetables and sweet potato mixture. Serve at room temperature.
10. Chashu
Is anybody as excited as I am about this Chashu Bento Box recipe? It is so divine, delicious, as soon as you put this chashu in your mouth you will be in heaven. There are recipes of Chasu made into a ramen dish. However, no matter how you prepare your Chashu, it is one of the best bento box recipes you will come across.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 lb pork belly
1 cup water
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup sake
3/4 cup mirin
1/2 cup honey
1 bulb garlic, cut into halves
2 oz ginger, sliced
1 large leek, cleaned and cut into 3-inch long pieces
1 cup warm cooked rice or any of starch you’d like
1 boiled egg, cut in half
1 green onion, cut into long thin strips or chopped, soak in ice water
Instructions:
Heat a large dutch oven or thick bottom pot over high heat; add oil and pork belly, skin side down. Sear the both sides, until crispy golden-brown color, a couple minutes on both side. Meanwhile, combine water, soy sauce, sake, mirin and honey in a measuring cup. Stir until the honey dissolve to the liquid. Tap out all the excess oil and fat in the pot with paper towel. Make sure the fat side is up. Add garlic, ginger, leek into the pot and pour the sauce mixture. Stir around so pork belly can be braised evenly in the sauce. Cover with a lid slightly tilted to have a crack so this way, a bit of hot air can be escape. Bring it to boil over high heat and let it keep hard boil for 20 minutes. Then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook your rice, boil egg and cut green onion for garnish. Remove the pork from the pot and let it cool slightly before slice. Place warm cooked rice in a bento box and pour 3 to 4 Tablespoons of the sauce from the pot on top of the rice. Slice the pork belly chashu into bite sizes. Place on top of the rice and drizzle more sauce right on top. Place boiled egg in the corner of the bento box and top with sliced green onion. (make sure to tap out excess water on paper towel from green onion) Enjoy!
11. Bento Soup
It’s called bento soup because it is a bento box inspired recipe. Bento box recipes like this are an amazing take on the traditional Japanese cuisine.
Ingredients:
4 ounces soba noodles
4 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil or hot pepper sesame oil
1 (6-inch) strip of kombu
3 green tea bags
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 cup stemmed and sliced shiitake mushrooms
4 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons tamari
1/4 cup white miso
2 scallions, white and green parts, sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
Instructions:
Fill a soup pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt and the soba noodles and decrease the heat to medium. Cook, stirring gently on occasion, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse well under cold water to remove the starch. Immediately transfer to a bowl, drizzle with 1/4 teaspoon of the sesame oil and toss gently to coat. Put the broth in the same pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low, add the kombu and tea bags, and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove the kombu and tea bags with a slotted spoon. Add the carrot, mushrooms, tofu, tamari, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Put 1/4 cup of the hot broth in a small bowl, add the miso, and stir with a fork until the miso is dissolved. Stir the mixture back into the broth, then stir in the scallions, lemon juice, and remaining sesame oil. Distribute the soba noodles and spinach among six bowls and ladle in the soup.
12. Teriyaki Pineapple and Speckled Rice
In many bento box recipes, there is typically a protein element. However, this bento box teriyaki pineapple steals the show with its sweet and savory flavors. Steamed green vegetables and quinoa speckled rice round out the meal.
Ingredients:
¾ cup quinoa speckled rice
¼ cup tamari
2 tbsp coconut sugar
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cornstarch
5 oz baby bok choy
5 oz broccoli florets
1 cup edamame
8 oz pineapple
1 oz pickled ginger
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
Instructions:
Combine the quinoa speckled rice, 1¼ cups water, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all of the water is absorbed, and the grains are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. In another small saucepan combine the tamari, coconut sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, and ½ cup water. Place over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 2 tbsp cold water. Once the tamari mixture is boiling, add the cornstarch slurry and reduce heat to low. Simmer until thickened, about 1 minute. Cut the baby bok choy in half lengthwise. Be sure to rinse between the leaves as they can hold grit. Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat with 1-inch water and a pinch of salt. Once the water is boiling, add the baby bok choy, broccoli florets, and edamame and cover with a lid. Cook vegetables until bright green and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. Slice the pineapple into ½ inch thick rings. Return the skillet to medium-high heat with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Add the pineapple and cook until caramelized, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to low, add 2 tbsp of the teriyaki sauce, and toss to coat. Cook until sauce is sticky, about 1 minute. Scoop the quinoa speckled rice onto large plates (or into bento boxes if you happen to have them!). Serve the steamed vegetables, teriyaki pineapple, and pickled ginger on the side and sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds. Drizzle with any remaining teriyaki sauce.
13. Vegetarian Bento Box
This bento box was inspired by the autumn bento box recipes that laughing planet was featuring a few years ago, full of ginger-soy tofu, kale, pickled beets / daikon / pears / carrots, curry roasted squash, jasmine rice, orange-sesame miso sauce and sesame hazelnut gomasio.
Ingredients:
Marinated Tofu
1″ knob ginger peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
8 oz block tofu cubed
Garlicky Cucumbers
1 cucumber thinly sliced
1 T chili garlic sauce
Pickled Daikon
1/2 medium daikon peeled and thinly sliced
1 T white vinegar
1 T granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
Curried Butternut Squash
1/2 butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 T Thai curry paste
1 T canola oil
Sauteed Kale
leaves from 1 bunch kale
2 cloves garlic minced
1″ knob ginger peeled and minced
1 T minced lemongrass
Sesame Hazelnut Furikake and Assembly
1/2 T sesame seeds
2 T shredded nori
2 T toasted hazelnuts chopped
1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 cup cooked rice
Instructions:
Marinated Tofu: In a shallow container, combine everything. Mix the tofu occasionally while it marinates in the fridge (preferably overnight, though 30+ minutes works too).
Garlicky Cucumbers: Mix everything in a medium bowl.
Pickled Daikon: Mix everything in a medium covered container (I like using an old jam or pickle jar). Let marinate for 15-20 minutes, or preferably overnight. These are good for a month in the fridge.
Curried Butternut Squash: Whisk the curry paste and oil until homogeneous (there should be no chunks of curry paste). Toss with the squash, then spread on an oiled sheet tray. Roast at 450F for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender.
Sautéed Kale: Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add everything with a pinch of salt, then sauté until the kale is wilted.
Sesame Hazelnut Furikake: Mix the sesame seeds, nori, nuts and salt in a small bowl to combine.
Assembly: Using a bento box (or whatever shallow and flat resealable container you want), divvy up the tofu, cucumbers, pickled daikon, squash, kale and rice. Drizzle the sesame oil over the rice and sprinkle with the furikake.
14. Ginger Chicken
Pick up a couple of uber-trendy bento lunchboxes for this one. They help control portion sizes and assist in making sure you’ve got enough starchy carbohydrate and protein—each should make up a quarter of the dish—plus loads of colorful veggies. Ginger chicken bento box recipes are only one idea, but there are so many variations on what you could pack into them—think salmon, edamame, tofu, or seaweed salads!
Ingredients:
For the chicken
250g skinless chicken thighs
1 tb fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tb honey
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
For the rice
1 cup brown rice
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
1 cup water
For the salad
1 baby cos lettuce, shredded
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
4 radishes, thinly sliced
For the dressing
2 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp honey
1 tsp light soy sauce
juice of ½ lemon
Instructions:
The night before you’re going to make this, place the chicken thighs in a bowl with the grated ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Stir through, cover, and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. Preheat your oven to 210 degrees Celsius. Combine the salad ingredients—lettuce, carrot, and radish—in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Toss well to combine. Place to one side. Rinse your brown rice in cool water, then transfer to a pot. Pour over the stock and water. Bring to a boil over a high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through. Strain any excess water and use a fork to ‘fluff’ the rice. In a heavy pan, and without any additional oil, cook the thighs for 2-3 minutes on a high heat on each side, to seal. Remove from the pan and transfer to a roasting tray. Use a pastry brush or similar to coat the thighs in honey, then cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through. Leave to cool for five minutes, then slice the meat. In your bento box, arrange the chicken on top of the salad, with a side of rice. Sprinkle spring onion slices and sesame seeds over the top and serve with pickled ginger if you’ve got some. Season to taste.
15. Bento con bistecca teriyaki
For a simple looking yet complex tasting lunch, try this steak teriyaki bento box recipe. Like all good bento box recipes, this recipe combines several complimentary dishes, including baked aubergine with miso, Japanese rice seasoned with spring onion and ginger, and, of course, the steak teriyaki itself. Who knew a packed lunch could be so gourmet?
Ingredients:
pickled cucumber:
1/2 cucumber
20ml rice vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ginger, finely grated
baked aubergine with miso:
1 aubergine, cut into 1cm slices
1 1/2 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp sake
1 knob of fresh ginger, about 2cm, grated
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tsp groundnut oil
1 handful of coriander, chopped
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Japanese rice with spring onion and ginger:
150g japanese short grain rice
180ml water, cold
100g frozen peas
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 knob of fresh ginger, 2cm, grated
1 tbsp groundnut oil
2 tsp rice vinegar
4 tsp mirin
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
iced water
steak teriyaki:
100g beef fillet, cut into thin slices
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cornflour
1 knob of fresh ginger, 4cm, grated
little gem lettuce, 4 leaves
1/4 cucumber, cut into cubes
2 radishes, finely sliced
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tsp groundnut oil
pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions:
Begin by making the pickled cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Slice crossways into very thin slices. Place the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and ginger into a small bowl and stir to combine. Add the cucumber to the bowl and mix through to coat the slices evenly with the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas. To prepare the baked aubergine, place the miso, mirin and sake in a large bowl and combine to form a smooth paste. Stir in the ginger and spring onions. Add the aubergine slices to the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly in the sauce. Grease a large roasting tray with the oil and arrange the aubergine slices in a single layer to ensure they cook evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, until soft and golden brown. If the aubergine is drying out, splash with a little water. While the aubergine bakes, prepare the Japanese rice. Place the rice in a sieve and wash under the cold tap until the water runs clear. Rest the sieve on a bowl and leave to drain for at least 15 minutes. Remove the aubergine from the oven and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped coriander. Set aside until ready to serve. Place the rice in a saucepan and add 180ml cold water. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and immediately reduce the heat to as low as possible for a further 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave for another 10 minutes without removing the lid. Meanwhile, cook the peas with a pinch of salt in plenty of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain and place the peas in a bowl of iced water. Place the spring onions, ginger, oil, rice vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt into a small bowl and mix to create a sauce. Fold the peas and sauce into the rice and allow to cool. For the steak teriyaki, place a frying pan over a high heat until really hot. Add the oil and flash fry the beef fillet for a couple of minutes. It should still be pink in the middle. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
If you are willing to bring an Asian cuisine into your home, would you choose one of these delicious bento box recipes? If you would which one of these bento box recipes are you most tempted to try?
