Snack-Time Fried Rice
おやつチャーハン · Oyatsu Chahan
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
In Japanese preschools, the afternoon snack (oyatsu) is often a small, filling bite rather than something sweet, and this fried rice is one of those savory snacks. Finely chopped carrot, green bell pepper and onion are cooked until soft so they blend right into the rice, and small pieces of pork make it satisfying enough to carry little ones through to dinner. The seasoning is gentle: just sesame oil, a little salt and soy sauce, and a handful of katsuobushi for a savory depth that children love. It's made without egg or milk.
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.
- 22.5 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 gcarrot
- 9 ggreen bell pepper
- 15 gonion
Seasonings
- 3 gsesame oil
- 0.5 gsalt
- 2.3 gsoy sauce
- 0.8 gkatsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
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.
- 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.
- katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (かつお削り節)
- Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
Directions
- 1
Cut the pork into 1 cm pieces. Finely chop the carrot, green bell pepper and onion.
- 2
Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan, add the carrot, green bell pepper and onion, and stir-fry well. Once they have softened, add the pork and stir-fry.
- 3
Add the seasonings and stir-fry briefly, then add the cooked rice and katsuobushi and mix everything together.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 285 kcal | 570 kcal | 285 kcal |
| Protein | 9.3 g | 18.6 g | 9.3 g |
| Fat | 5.9 g | 11.7 g | 5.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49.2 g | 98.4 g | 49.2 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Calcium | 12 mg | 24 mg | 12 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 0.6 mg |
| Potassium | 214.5 mg | 429 mg | 214.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 285 kcal | 9.3 g | 5.9 g | 49.2 g | 1 g | 0.9 g | 12 mg | 0.6 mg | 214.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 570 kcal | 18.6 g | 11.7 g | 98.4 g | 2.1 g | 1.8 g | 24 mg | 1.2 mg | 429 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.
