Colorful Cup Rice Tower
Fun Finger Food for Kids! Build and Smash Your Own Colorful Cup Rice Tower
Prepare ingredients by color, let your child stack them in their desired order and press down firmly. They’ll have a blast smashing and eating it later! Even if you don’t have the exact same ingredients, preparing them by color will make a beautiful presentation. This is a delightful way to engage children in cooking and enjoy a delicious meal together.
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pickled radish (danmuji)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp perilla oil
- 2 tsp cooking oil
- 1 can tuna (drained)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Pinch of black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 can Spam (diced small)
- 1 bowl cooked rice
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
- 1 tsp seasoned seaweed flakes (gimgaru)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the red bell pepper, remove the seeds, and dice it very finely. Heat 1 tsp of perilla oil in a pan over medium-low heat, add a pinch of salt (1/2 tsp), and sauté the diced bell pepper until tender. Set the cooked bell pepper aside to cool.
Step 2
Dice the Spam into small cubes. Lightly grease a pan with 1 tsp of cooking oil and sauté the diced Spam until golden brown. If the Spam releases a lot of fat, you can gently blot it with a paper towel for a less greasy result. Set the cooked Spam aside to cool.
Step 3
If you bought pre-sliced pickled radish, finely chop it even smaller. The crunchy texture and sweet-and-sour flavor of the pickled radish will enhance the taste of the cup rice tower. (Pickled radish and Spam are key ingredients that make the cup rice tower delicious, so we highly recommend including them!)
Step 4
Drain the tuna by placing it in a sieve and pressing down firmly with a spoon to remove as much oil as possible. In a bowl, combine the drained tuna with 3 tbsp mayonnaise, a pinch of salt (1/4 tsp), 1 tbsp sugar, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds. Mix well to create the creamy tuna mayo filling.
Step 5
For the eggs, you can make scrambled eggs to use as a filling or make a thin omelet and chop it up. For this recipe, we’ll make a thin omelet. In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs with a pinch of salt (1/4 tsp) and 1 tsp dried parsley flakes. Heat 1 tsp of cooking oil in a pan over low heat, pour in the egg mixture, and cook until set. Chop the thin omelet into small pieces.
Step 6
To season the rice, mix 1 bowl of warm cooked rice with vegetable flakes (like store-bought seasoning mixes), 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, and a pinch of salt (1/4 tsp). Mix well while the rice is warm to prevent clumping.
Step 7
Lightly brush the inside of a tall, clear paper cup with 1 tsp of perilla oil. (If you don’t have a kitchen brush, you can dip a crumpled paper towel in perilla oil and carefully coat the inside.) Now, with your child, think about the colors and layer the ingredients into the cup, pressing down firmly as you go. Pressing firmly will help the tower hold its shape later.
Step 8
Once all ingredients are layered, carefully invert the cup onto a plate or cutting board and gently remove the cup. Sprinkle seasoned seaweed flakes and toasted sesame seeds over the finished cup rice tower for garnish. You can serve the finished cup rice tower beautifully in a glass cup, as shown in the picture, or in ice cream cups for easy eating by children. Now, have fun smashing the tower together with your child!
