Onigiri Bento Lunch is a typical Japanese meal taken to schools and workplaces. It contains rice balls with various fillings and nori seaweed, and small side dishes. Because bento lunches are usually prepared in the morning when time is limited, they shouldn’t be too elaborate. Unless you’re willing to wake up very early to cook everything, all components except onigiri can be prepared the night before. Most side dishes can be leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. Simply make a little extra food and set it aside with the bento in mind.
The fillings for onigiri are flexible. For simplicity, use umeboshi (pickled plum) or katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes, called okaka in Japanese). For a more substantial option, consider Salmon Flakes which is also a dish to be made ahead. To consistently prepare healthy and economical bento lunches, planning ahead is key. If it’s too difficult to make, you won’t do it more than a few times. Keep everything simple. Set aside some dinner dishes the night before (avoid putting half-eaten food in the bento box due to potential bacterial growth), and do minimal work to finish the lunch in the morning.
When following this bento recipe, all side dishes, including Rolled Chicken with Vegetables, can be cooked a day in advance. The only task left for the morning is making Onigiri. Make your bento easy but colorful to please your eyes. It’ll taste even better!
Onigiri Bento Lunch
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Ingredients
Onigiri
- 1 1/2 cup steamed rice
- 1 Umeboshi pickled sour plum
- 2 Tbsp Katsuobushi dried bonito flakes
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- salt
- 1 sheet Nori roasted dried seaweed
Side Dishes
- 1/2 recipe Rolled Chicken with Vegetables
- 1 boiled egg
- salt
- black sesame seeds
- 3 florets broccoli
- 1/2 tsp ground sesame seeds
- 1/4 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp mayo
- 3 slices cucumber
- 3 cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Prepare for Onigiri: Remove the pit from an Umeboshi (pickled plum). In a small bowl, mix Katsuobushi (bonito flakes) with soy sauce.
- Wet your hands with water and sprinkle them with salt. Place some rice in one hand and press it to form a triangle shape. Make a small well in the center of the rice ball and add a filling. Close the well, reshape the rice, and wrap it with a sheet of roasted seaweed.
- Prepare side dishes: Make Rolled Chicken with Vegetables following the recipe.
- Boil an egg, cut it in half, and sprinkle with salt and black sesame seeds.
- Blanch the broccoli, then mix it with ground sesame seeds, soy sauce, and mayo.
- Assemble Bento: Arrange the Onigiri rice balls and side dishes, along with sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes for a splash of color.
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