Japanese Rice Balls

This weekend we found ourselves (grabbing a much-needed bite) at the cafeteria at the incredible Kidspace Museum and munching away at sub-par food. Looking around the tables, all I saw were parents desperately trying to feed their little ones while they...

Ingredients

• 1 cup short or medium grain white rice
• 1 1/5 cups water
• 8 baby carrots
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 piece sole, or any mild white fish

Preparation

1. 1. Wash 1 cup of rice in a bowl and throw the water out (“washing” rice consists of filling a bowl with rice, covering it with water, rubbing the rice and then immediately dumping the water out).
2. 2. Repeat washing the rice 4 or 5 times throwing the water out.
3. 3. Put the washed rice in a heavy bottomed pot, add 1 1/5 cups of water. Let rice soak for 30 minutes.
4. 4. Put the lid on the pot and bring the rice to a boil for 5 minutes. Change the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for 15 minutes so it can steam.
5. 5. Stir the rice with a flat spoon so that the rice does not completely stick together.
6. 6. While the rice is cooking, put the carrots in a steamer pot over boiling water for 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and steam for 2 more minutes. Add the fish and steam for another 3 minutes or until everything is cooked through and fork tender.
7. 7. Place the fish and vegetables in a food processor and pulse. Do not puree the mixture, though. You want it to have a little texture, but be dry. No not add extra liquid.
8. 8. Take 1-2 Tablespoons of rice and 1 tsp of the vegetable/fish mixture and combine.
9. 9. With moistened hands, roll into a ball, about the size of a golf ball. Alternatively, you can add all of the vegetable/fish mixture to the rice, but make sure that the mixture isn’t too wet or the balls will fall apart.
10. 10. Serve.

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