Hayashi Rice (Japanese Hashed Meat Stew over Rice)
ハヤシライス · Hayashi Raisu
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Hayashi rice is one of Japan's beloved yoshoku (Western-style Japanese) dishes: thinly sliced meat and onion simmered in a rich, slightly sweet tomato-and-Worcestershire sauce and ladled over hot rice. It sits right alongside curry rice as a lunchtime favorite, and children love it for the same reasons - it's saucy, gently sweet, and easy to eat with a spoon. This preschool-kitchen version skips the store-bought roux blocks and builds the sauce from butter, flour, tomato puree, and ketchup, so you control the salt and the sweetness. The carrot and onion get a head start in the microwave, so they cook through even with a short simmer.
Toddlers to adults. Portion out the children's share before the final seasoning, then season the rest for adults.
Added. Open the recipe helper (bottom right) → ☰ Menu → 🛒 Shopping list to see the ingredients for your family size.
Printing uses the number of adults and children set under Ingredients, so set those first.
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
- 30 gcarrot
- 60 gonion
- 48 gthinly sliced pork (komagire)Small, thin offcuts of pork sold in Japan for quick stir-fries and simmered dishes. Substitute: Thinly sliced pork shoulder or loin cut into bite-size pieces.
- 9 gvegetable oil
- 9 gsalted butter
- 9 gflour
- 156 mlwater
Seasonings (A)
- 36 gtomato puree
- 15 gketchup
- 6.9 gWorcestershire sauce
- 0.8 gsalt
- 0.6 gconsommé bouillon (granules or cube)Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
- 3.6 gsugar
To Finish
- 0.9 platewarm cooked rice
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- thinly sliced pork (komagire) (豚こま切れ肉)
- Small, thin offcuts of pork sold in Japan for quick stir-fries and simmered dishes. Substitute: Thinly sliced pork shoulder or loin cut into bite-size pieces.
- Worcestershire sauce (ウスターソース)
- Read the guide: Bull-Dog Worcestershire Sauce: Japan's Everyday Brown Sauce → Guide: japanese-school-lunch.com/articles/bull-dog-worcestershire-sauce/
- consommé bouillon (granules or cube) (コンソメ)
- Japanese-style Western soup stock powder or cubes, similar to chicken or vegetable bouillon. Substitute: Chicken or vegetable bouillon granules or a bouillon cube.
Directions
Video is in Japanese — the steps below are synced to it, so tap ▶ on a step to jump to that moment.
- 1
Cut the carrot into thin quarter-rounds (ichō-giri) and the onion into 1.5 cm wedges.
- 2
Put the carrot, onion, and 1 tbsp water (not included in the ingredient amounts) in a microwave-safe bowl and mix. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave at 1200W for about 5 minutes.
- 3
Cut the pork into 2 cm-wide pieces.
- 4
Heat the oil and butter in a pot, then sauté the carrot and onion over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the pork and sauté until it changes color.
- 5
Turn off the heat, sprinkle in the flour, and toss to coat everything. Return to low heat and add the water in two additions, stirring so it blends smoothly with the flour (it's fine if it still looks thin and runny at this point!).
- 6
Add A and mix well. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (the sauce will thicken and turn glossy). Note: If you are also making a toddler version, add only about 70% of the combined A, simmer for about 10 minutes, then set aside the toddler portion. For elementary-school age and up, add the remaining A to taste and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- 7
Let it cool once so the flavors meld, then reheat and serve over the rice.
Tips for Best Results
・In steps 2 and 4, cook the carrot and onion thoroughly. The simmering time is short, so getting them cooked through here is the key.
・You can adjust the sweetness with the amount of sugar. Add more or less to taste.
How to Freeze
Spread the sauce thinly in freezer bags, one meal's worth per bag, and freeze. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave.
Keeps for about 2 weeks (best eaten as soon as possible).
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 340.5 kcal | 681 kcal | 340.5 kcal |
| Protein | 12.5 g | 24.9 g | 12.5 g |
| Fat | 21.5 g | 42.9 g | 21.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 28.5 g | 57 g | 28.5 g |
| Fiber | 3 g | 6 g | 3 g |
| Salt equivalent | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Calcium | 39 mg | 78 mg | 39 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg | 2.1 mg | 1 mg |
| Potassium | 612 mg | 1224 mg | 612 mg |
| Phosphorus | 150 mg | 300 mg | 150 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | Phosphorus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 340.5 kcal | 12.5 g | 21.5 g | 28.5 g | 3 g | 2.4 g | 39 mg | 1 mg | 612 mg | 150 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 681 kcal | 24.9 g | 42.9 g | 57 g | 6 g | 4.8 g | 78 mg | 2.1 mg | 1224 mg | 300 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.
