Leftover steamed rice in the fridge is the ultimate quick-fix, healthy lunchbox hack. These rice balls are not only vegetarian; they’re vegan!
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Vegetable Rice Balls
TIPS
• To keep the rice balls nice and hot, fill a thermos with boiling water and close the lid so the internal lining of the stainless steel heats up. Let it sit for 10 minutes before replacing the hot water with the hot food.
• My girls love a hint of wasabi in the mayo mix. As your kids get older their taste buds will develop – maybe try this when they’re older.
Fussy eaters
Veggies can be varied to suit your little human. Leaving out the onion and using another veggie is totally cool.
Metric
Ingredients
237 ml
steamed rice
118 ml
grated carrot
59 ml
finely chopped red onion
59 ml
green peas
118 ml
rice flour
5 ml
salt flakes
45 ml
water
158 ml
vegetable oil
Ingredients
1 cup
steamed rice
1/2 cup
grated carrot
1/4 cup
finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup
green peas
1/2 cup
rice flour
1 teaspoon
salt flakes
3 tablespoons
water
2/3 cup
vegetable oil
Directions
Grab your fave mixing bowl and drop in all the ingredients except the vegetable oil.
Use your hands to mix the ingredients so that you can squeeze the rice and feel if it needs a little more water or not. Mix until the ingredients are well combined and the rice has become dough-like.
Mark as complete
Prepare a large plate or tray lined with baking paper to place the balls as you make them – this recipe makes around 15 balls.
Roll the balls to the size of a table tennis ball: big enough to fit in a little human’s hand and small enough to fit in the lunchbox.
Mark as complete
Before you start frying, line a large plate with paper towel. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to come at least halfway up the rice balls.
Place half of the rice balls in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd them. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until nice and golden, then turn them over and cook for 3 minutes more, until they are cooked evenly on both sides. Repeat until all the rice balls are cooked. Place them on the paper towel to drain off any excess oil. You could also cook these in an air fryer at 180°C for 8–10 minutes.
Mark as complete
You can serve these with a side of mayo or even add some soy sauce in the mayo. Your kids are going to love these.
Pop the rice balls straight into a pre-heated thermos or leave cold.
Mark as complete
Nutrition per serving
| Amount per serving | |
|---|---|
| Calories | 70 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 14g |
| Fiber | 1g |
| Protein | 2g |
| Fat | 1g |