Chicken Karaage Bento

Method13 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Mix the cubed chicken (500 g) with the chopped garlic (1 tbsp), light soy sauce (1 tbsp), separate ½ tsp chicken-marinade salt, optional sake, pepper and egg (1). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Keep it cold until coating and frying; do not wash the raw chicken.

   Minimum cold chicken marinade · 120 minUses 500 g cubed boneless chicken thigh · 1 tbsp chopped garlic, approximately 3 cloves · 1 tbsp light soy sauce · ½ tsp chicken-marinade salt · Optional 1 tbsp sake · A dash of pepper · 1 egg

2. 2

   Step 2: While the chicken marinates, wash and dry the lettuce (6), tomatoes, broccoli (1 small) and lemon slice (1). Cut the broccoli into smaller florets. Halve the tomatoes and make shallow cuts so they open like flowers. Halve the two ready cooked ham slices, fold each half and cut fringes along the fold to make flowers; use toothpicks only if needed to secure them. Cut circles and shallow petal shapes from the half cheese slice. Keep these ready garnishes covered and refrigerated until assembly.

   Uses 6 lettuce leaves · 4 cherry tomatoes · 1 small broccoli floret · 2 slices ready cooked chicken ham · ½ slice soft cheese · 1 lemon slice · Water, as needed to wash produce

3. 3

   Step 3: When ready to cook and assemble the bento, wash the rice in 3–4 changes of water and drain. Keep the two portions separate: cook 435 g rice with 435 ml water for the white rice; mix both measured food colors into 145 ml water and cook it with the remaining 145 g rice for the orange rice. Use suitable rice cookers or their directions for these portions, cooking until all the grains are tender with no hard centers. Keep the colors separate.

   Uses 435 g dry rice for the white portion · 145 g dry rice for the orange portion · 435 ml cooking water for white rice · 145 ml cooking water for orange rice · ⅛ tsp red food coloring · ¼ tsp yellow food coloring · Water, as needed for 3–4 rice washes

4. 4

   Step 4: Combine all the rice vinegar, sugar (2 tbsp) and sushi-rice seasoning salt (½ tsp). Heat gently just until the sugar dissolves, then let this seasoning cool.

   Uses 60 ml Japanese rice vinegar · 2 tbsp sugar · ½ tsp sushi-rice seasoning salt

5. 5

   Step 5: Divide the cooled vinegar seasoning between the cooked white and orange rice, keeping the colors in separate bowls. Stir gently with chopsticks to avoid breaking the grains, using the whole seasoning mixture across both portions. Fan briefly to cool for handling, then cover and proceed with assembly; do not leave the cooked rice at room temperature through a long wait.

   Uses All the separately cooked rice portions from step 3, with washing water discarded · All the cooled seasoning from step 4, divided between the two rice colors; the individual shares are not measured

6. 6

   Step 6: Put the measured potato starch in a bowl and coat the cold-marinated chicken pieces from this allowance. Heat the 200 ml oil in a wok over medium-high heat, then fry a few pieces at a time, turning for even cooking. Cook every piece to light golden and 74°C/165°F in its center before lifting it onto a wire rack; continue as needed, without overcrowding. Keep the same oil in the wok for the second fry. Discard unused coating after raw-chicken contact and any spent marinade.

   Uses All the cold-marinated chicken from step 1 · Potato starch, as needed from the 5 tbsp allowance · 200 ml shared frying-oil reservoir

7. 7

   Step 7: Once all pieces have completed the first fry, raise the heat under the same oil. Add the first small batch of cooked chicken and fry for about 1 minute, watching until golden and crisp. Lift onto the rack to drain.

   First second-fry batch · 1 minUses A small batch of the fully cooked, first-fried chicken from step 6; reserve the remaining pieces · The frying oil remaining in the wok from step 6, with chicken and coating residues separate

8. 8

   Step 8: Repeat the second fry with every remaining first-fried chicken piece, using the same oil. Fry each small batch for about 1 minute until golden and crisp, then drain on the rack. Do not overcrowd the wok or leave any first-fried pieces unused.

   Uses Every remaining fully cooked piece from step 6, not the portion already crisped in step 7 · The same frying-oil reservoir after step 7, with crisp chicken separate

9. 9

   Step 9: Bring the external steamer water to steady steam. Steam all ten ready crab sticks and the prepared broccoli until soft and hot through, following any additional product-heating directions. Lift them from the steamer and let them cool just enough to handle for decorating; keep the external water separate.

   Uses 10 ready crab sticks · The prepared broccoli from step 2; keep the other garnishes cold · External steam water, enough below the insert

10. 10

    Step 10: Using clean hands and cling film, lightly compress portions of orange rice into the lion’s round face and two hands. Shape white rice into the shirt and a separate heart. Use a spatula to tidy the edges, keeping the colors separate. Keep the shapes wrapped briefly while preparing the details; pack any remaining seasoned rice alongside them.

    Uses Prepared white and orange rice from step 5, taking the amounts needed for the shapes and retaining all remaining rice for the bento

11. 11

    Step 11: Unroll the red outer sections of the softened crab sticks and trim them to wrap the rice heart. Keep all remaining crab-stick pieces to pack around the rice. Remove the cling film before final packing.

    Uses The white-rice heart shaped in step 10, with the other shapes and rice kept separate · The softened crab sticks from step 9, taking red outer sections for the heart and keeping the remaining parts for the bento

12. 12

    Step 12: Cut the half sheet of toasted nori into the lion’s eyes, nose, mouth and whiskers, with small SG letters for the heart if desired. Use clean scissors and tweezers for the fine pieces; keep any usable offcuts for packing with the remaining rice.

    Uses ½ sheet toasted nori

13. 13

    Step 13: Line the serving tray or bento containers with the prepared lettuce. Arrange the rice face, hands and shirt with the crab-wrapped heart, then add the nori features and letters. Pack all the crisp chicken, steamed broccoli, remaining crab sticks, tomato flowers, ham, cheese, lemon and remaining rice around them. Remove all cling film and every securing toothpick before eating. Share between four portions and serve promptly.

    Uses Crisp chicken lifted from step 7, with the oil remaining separately · All crisp chicken lifted from the repeated fries in step 8, with oil separate · Prepared lettuce, tomato flowers, ham flowers, cheese shapes and lemon from step 2; broccoli has been steamed separately · Steamed broccoli and crab-stick parts from step 9 that were not used to wrap the heart · Prepared rice shapes and remaining seasoned rice from step 10, excluding the separately wrapped heart · The completed heart from step 11, with unused crab-stick parts kept separately · All the cut nori details and usable offcuts from step 12