The Gorgeous Back-To-School Lunch Box Your Kids Will Just Love

This was created by Harper's BAZAAR Singapore for OriGrains

With the school term off and running, it's hard to keep an eye on what junior is having for lunch in school. Sure, healthier options now exist in the school canteen, but so do fried foods and sweet treats in abundance. If you're concerned about what your kid is having for lunch, here's a bento box recipe recipe that ticks all the boxes: Colourful; aesthetically pleasing; delicious; and most importantly, healthy.

Made with OriGrains rice, a premium grain that is grown and packed in Thailand, as one of its main ingredient, this beautiful bento box is something we wish we had when we went to school. OriGrains rice is carefully selected for quality and does not contain any preservatives. The rice is packed with a nitrogen flushing technique to reduce oxidation and inhibits the growth of insects. It comes in two equally delicious ranges: the Organic range with the Thai Berry Rice and Thai Hom Mali Brown Rice; and the Healthy range with the Thai Hom Mali Red Rice and Thai Hom Mali Brown Rice.

Being non-GMO, high in iron and zinc, as well gluten-free and cholesterol free, OriGrains is perfect for health-conscious parents looking for a wholesome food source for their kids. Read on for the full bento box recipe.

Bento Box

Ingredients:

1 cup Okome rice

3 cups OriGrains rice, 1 of each colour (red, brown, purple)

35g broccoli

20g chicken ham

24g tamago

30g carrot

30g sliced cucumber

3 pieces seaweed

Instructions:

1. Cook the rice in a rice cooker (1 cup of each colour):

Okome Rice - 1.2 cups of water to 1 cup of Okome rice

OriGrains Rice - 1.5 cups of water to 1 cup of OriGrains rice

2. Once the rice is cooked, transfer to a tray and cover with a wet towel.

For the Panda Onigiri:

3. Fill the panda moulds with cooked Okome rice. It should be full.

4. Press the back of the mould tightly to form a defined shape.

5. Gently remove the panda-shaped rice from the mould.

6. Cut out the features of the panda from the seaweed (eg. eyes, ears, mouth) and attach them to the rice to complete the panda head.

For the Flower Sushi:

7. Cut the seaweed pieces such that you have 5 strips for the petals of the flower.

8. Place 10g of red OriGrains rice in the middle of the seaweed strip, then roll up the strip.

9. Repeat with the other 4 seaweed strips to make 5 petals.

10. Cut the tamago the same width as the seaweed strip, to form the centre of the flower.

11. Holding the sushi mat with one hand, place 3 petals downwards, then place the tamago in the middle, followed by the remaining 2 petals.

12. Place pieces of sliced cucumbers between the petal rolls.

13. Wrap up with a big piece of seaweed to form the flower.

14. Evenly spread 25g brown OriGrains rice on a sheet of seaweed, add the bundled flower roll and gently roll up using the sushi mat.

15. Cut the sushi into equal sections.

16. Repeat with purple OriGrains rice.

For the other parts of the bento:

Carrot and Tamago Flowers:

17. Slice the carrots, with each slice about 0.5cm thick, and boil them.

18. Cut the carrot slices and tamago into flower shapes, using a pattern cutter.

Ham Flower:

19. Cut lines in the middle of the chicken ham, but not all the way.

20. Fold the ham in half.

21. Roll up the folded ham sideways, making sure to keep a fairly tight roll to keep the “stem” of the flower together.

22. Fan out the petals of the ham flower and tuck into the bento box.

Broccoli:

23. Boil the broccoli and stuff them behind the ham flower for the finishing touch.

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