A bento is a portable meal traditionally enjoyed in Japan. It involves neatly packing a balanced assortment of meat, fish, vegetables, and eggs into a bento box.
Today, I’m making a bento and tonjiru (pork miso soup). Tonjiru is packed with meat and vegetables, making it highly nutritious. It’s a perfect warm dish for the cold winter season.
Today’s Menu
Bento and Tonjiru
Contents of the Bento:
- Rice with salted kelp
- Grilled salmon
- Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet)
- Kinpira made with carrots and chikuwa (fish cake)
- Tofu and corn chicken nuggets
- Tomato and shiso leaf
Let’s start by making the tonjiru (pork miso soup).
How to Make Tonjiru (Pork Miso Soup)
Ingredients:
- 150g thinly sliced pork
- 1/4 daikon radish
- 1/2 carrot
- 1/2 onion
- 1 block of konnyaku (konjac)
- maitake mushrooms
- thin fried tofu
- 3-4 tablespoons miso
- 800ml dashi stock
Preparation:
1. Slice the daikon radish, carrot, onion, and thin fried tofu into bite-sized pieces.
2. Blanch the konnyaku in hot water and then slice it thinly.
Saute:
3. Heat a small amount of oil in a pot and saute the pork. Once the pork changes color, add the daikon radish, carrot, onion, and konnyaku, and continue to saute.
Simmer:
4. Once the vegetables are coated with oil, add the dashi stock and bring it to a boil. Skim off any foam and simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender.
Finish:
5. Add the maitake mushrooms and thin fried tofu, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Dissolve the miso in the soup.
Tofu and corn chicken nuggets
Ingredients:
- 100g ground chicken
- 150g tofu
- 3 tablespoons corn
- 3 tablespoons potato starch
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- A pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Mix:
1 . Mix the ground chicken, corn, potato starch, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Cook the nuggets:
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and drop the mixture from Step 1 into the pan, forming round shapes. Cook over medium heat until both sides are browned and cooked through.
Tamagoyaki(Japanese Rolled Omelet)
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Make the Egg Mixture:
1. Crack the eggs into a bowl and add salt.
2. Mix well with a fork or chopsticks.
Prepare the Frying Pan:
3. Lightly coat a tamagoyaki pan (or a small frying pan) with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat.
4. Once the oil is hot, wipe away any excess with a paper towel.
Cook the Tamagoyaki:
5. Pour 1/3 of the egg mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly.
6. When the egg starts to set, roll it from the far edge towards you.
7. Push the rolled egg to one side of the pan, and add a bit more oil to the empty part of the pan.
8. Pour another 1/3 of the egg mixture into the pan, ensuring it flows under the rolled egg.
9. When it begins to set, roll it again, incorporating the first roll.
10. Repeat this process with the remaining egg mixture.
Finish:
11. Remove from the pan, let it cool slightly, and cut into pieces.
Kinpira made with carrots and chikuwa (fish cake)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 carrot
- 1 chikuwa (fish cake, thinly sliced)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- White sesame seeds (to taste)
Preparation:
1. Julienne the carrot and thinly slice the chikuwa.
Cooking:
2. Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and add the carrot.
3. Stir-fry the carrot until it becomes tender.
4. Add the chikuwa and continue to stir-fry.
Seasoning:
5. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Mix well to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Finishing:
6. Sprinkle white sesame seeds over the mixture and toss to combine.
7. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.
grilled salmon
Ingredients:
- salted salmon slices
Grill both sides until they are nicely browned.
Alright, the bento ingredients are ready. Now, let’s pack the side dishes into the bento box.
Tips for Making Bento
Focus on balancing vegetables, meat, and fruits. A delicious-looking bento often features the colors red, yellow, and green. Red is a color that stimulates the appetite, while green, being its complementary color, enhances the impact of red. If your side dishes lack color, you can use furikake on the rice to add both flavor and visual appeal to your bento.
