Nutritious Tuna & Vegetable Rice Balls
Hearty Meal Solution: Tuna Rice Balls & Savory Glaze Recipe
Create delicious rice balls packed with nutrition, featuring the delightful combination of soft sweet potato, fluffy potato, and savory tuna. This satisfying dish is a crowd-pleaser, perfect for special occasions, a quick snack, or packed lunches!
Rice Ball Ingredients
- 2 cups short-grain rice
- 95g potato (medium-sized)
- 1/2 medium sweet potato
- Pinch of sea salt
- 200g canned tuna, drained
Glaze Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin (or rice wine)
- 1/5 cup sake (or rice wine)
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 2 slices ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin (or rice wine)
- 1/5 cup sake (or rice wine)
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 2 slices ginger
- 3 cloves garlic
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Start your delicious rice balls by rinsing the rice! Wash the rice thoroughly and use slightly less water than you normally would for cooking. The water-to-rice ratio is key to the texture.
Step 2
Peel the sweet potato and potato, then dice them into uniform 5mm cubes. If the vegetable pieces are too large, they might not mix well with the rice.
Step 3
In your rice cooker, combine the rinsed rice, diced sweet potato and potato, a pinch of sea salt, and 2 cups of water. Cook the rice. Using a pressure cooker will yield an even chewier texture.
Step 4
Once the rice is cooked, gently scoop the warm rice into a large bowl using a rice paddle. The steaming rice mixed with vegetables will look very appetizing!
Step 5
Now, let’s make the delicious glaze that will give the rice balls their amazing flavor! In a pot, combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup mirin (or rice wine), 1/5 cup sake, and 4 Tbsp sugar. Add the 2 slices of ginger and 3 whole garlic cloves.
Step 6
Place the pot with the glaze ingredients over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half. As the glaze reduces, it will develop a deeper, richer flavor.
Step 7
It’s important to drain the oil from the canned tuna thoroughly using a sieve. If the oil isn’t properly removed, the rice balls can turn out greasy.
Step 8
Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add the drained tuna, and stir-fry quickly. Use chopsticks or a fork to break up the tuna as it cooks to prevent clumping.
Step 9
Once the tuna is lightly browned, gradually add the prepared glaze to the pan while stirring. Continue to cook until the glaze coats the tuna evenly and develops a beautiful color.
Step 10
Place half of the prepared rice into a triangular rice mold and press down firmly. If you don’t have a mold, you can use clean hands with gloves to shape the rice into a triangle on a flat surface.
Step 11
Now, add a generous portion of the stir-fried tuna mixture into the center of the rice. Filling it generously with tuna makes the rice balls especially delicious when eaten.
Step 12
Cover the filling with the remaining rice and press down firmly to shape the rice ball. Pressing firmly is key to ensuring the rice balls hold their shape.
Step 13
Place the shaped rice balls onto a lightly oiled, preheated pan. Grill them until golden brown and slightly crispy on both sides. This adds a wonderful texture.
Step 14
Once the rice balls are golden brown, carefully drizzle a little more glaze around the edges of the pan. Briefly cook them again, allowing the glaze to coat the rice balls, which will enhance their shine and flavor.
Step 15
Arrange the beautifully grilled rice balls on a plate. Top with a bit more of the stir-fried tuna and sprinkle with finely chopped seaweed for garnish. Your impressive and delicious tuna and vegetable rice balls are ready!
