Adorable Totoro Rice Bowl
Adorable Totoro Rice Bowl
[Character Lunch] Adorable Totoro Rice Bowl Recipe
Create a delicious rice bowl featuring the cute Totoro character, made with savory beef and fresh vegetables. It’s perfect for a fun character bento or a special meal!
Main Ingredients- 1 cucumber
- 200g minced beef
- 3 eggs
- 1 slice cheddar cheese
- A small amount of dried seaweed (nori)
- 1 strand spaghetti (for frying)
- 1 candy (for nose, optional)
- 1 bowl of warm rice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil
Beef Seasoning- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- A pinch of black pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the cucumber thoroughly. Remove the seeds using a spoon and dice it into 0.5cm cubes. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of salt over the diced cucumber and let it sit for about 10 minutes to draw out moisture. This step prevents the cucumber from becoming watery when cooked and helps maintain its crisp texture.
Step 2
Place the minced beef in a bowl. Add all the beef seasoning ingredients (1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp cooking wine, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, a pinch of black pepper, and 1 tsp sesame oil). Mix well with your hands until the seasonings are evenly distributed. Let it marinate for about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Crack the 3 eggs into a separate bowl. Add 1/2 tsp of sugar to help reduce any eggy smell and 2 Tbsp of milk for a softer texture. Whisk everything together thoroughly with a whisk until smooth and well combined. Ensure there are no lumps.
Step 4
Heat 1 Tbsp of cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Pour in the whisked egg mixture. Cook over low heat, gently stirring with chopsticks to create a soft scrambled egg. Be careful not to overcook it; remove it from the heat while it’s still moist.
Step 5
Squeeze out any excess water from the salted cucumber. Lightly oil a pan and stir-fry the cucumber over medium heat until it becomes slightly translucent. Aim to keep it crisp.
Step 6
Now, it’s time to cook the seasoned beef. Heat a pan over high heat and add the marinated beef. Stir-fry quickly, breaking up any clumps with chopsticks, until the pinkness is gone and the sauce has coated the meat evenly, with most of the liquid evaporated. Cook thoroughly until well done.
Step 7
Shape the warm rice into a round, slightly flattened ball using a spoon, forming Totoro’s face and belly. Place the rice ball on a plate. Then, arrange the cooked beef around the rice ball, resembling Totoro’s body. This creates the appearance of Totoro sitting on the rice.
Step 8
Cover the top of Totoro’s face with the soft scrambled eggs to represent his white belly. Arrange the stir-fried cucumber slices next to Totoro’s face for decoration.
Step 9
Cut out circles from the cheddar cheese slice to make Totoro’s eyes and attach them. Use small pieces of dried seaweed (nori) to create the pupils of the eyes and the iconic circular pattern on Totoro’s belly. You can also add small details like eyebrows or a mouth with nori.
Step 10
If using candy, thinly slice it and attach it to the nose area. For the whiskers, fry one strand of spaghetti in oil heated to about 160°C (320°F) until crispy, then carefully insert it into the sides of Totoro’s face. (Please ensure the candy and fried spaghetti are safe for the child to consume. The Totoro will still be cute even without these additions!)
