Carrot Rice for Snack Time
おやつにんじんごはん · Oyatsu Ninjin Gohan
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
At Japanese preschools, the afternoon snack (oyatsu) is often a small savory bite rather than sweets, and rice dishes like this one are a favorite. Pureed carrot goes straight into the rice cooker with a little sake, soy sauce and salt, so the rice comes out a soft orange color with a natural sweetness that children love. Because the carrot is blended smooth, even kids who pick out vegetables happily eat it, and the light seasoning keeps it gentle enough for little ones. It also shapes easily into small rice balls for tiny hands.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 60 griceJapanese short-grain white rice (japonica), which cooks up soft and slightly sticky. The amount listed is for uncooked rice. Substitute: Sushi rice, or another short-grain or medium-grain rice such as Calrose.
- 18 gcarrot
Seasonings
- 1.5 gsakeSake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- 3 gsoy sauce
- 0.1 gsalt
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- rice (米)
- Japanese short-grain white rice (japonica), which cooks up soft and slightly sticky. The amount listed is for uncooked rice. Substitute: Sushi rice, or another short-grain or medium-grain rice such as Calrose.
- sake (酒)
- Sake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
Directions
- 1
Add the usual amount of water to the rice and let it soak for at least 30 minutes.
- 2
Briefly boil the carrot and blend it to a paste in a food processor (or grate it raw).
- 3
Add the carrot paste and the seasonings to the soaked rice, mix everything well, and cook the rice as usual.
- 4
Once the rice is cooked, stir everything together (letting it steam for a few minutes helps the flavors blend in).
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 216 kcal | 432 kcal | 216 kcal |
| Protein | 4.1 g | 8.1 g | 4.1 g |
| Fat | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 48.4 g | 96.9 g | 48.4 g |
| Fiber | 0.8 g | 1.5 g | 0.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.6 g | 1.2 g | 0.6 g |
| Calcium | 9 mg | 18 mg | 9 mg |
| Iron | 0.5 mg | 0.9 mg | 0.5 mg |
| Potassium | 120 mg | 240 mg | 120 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 216 kcal | 4.1 g | 0.6 g | 48.4 g | 0.8 g | 0.6 g | 9 mg | 0.5 mg | 120 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 432 kcal | 8.1 g | 1.2 g | 96.9 g | 1.5 g | 1.2 g | 18 mg | 0.9 mg | 240 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
