Simple steak teriyaki and miso aubergine bento box

Name: Simple steak teriyaki and miso aubergine bento box
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1/2 cucumber; 20ml of rice vinegar; 1 tsp caster sugar; 1 pinch of salt; 1/2 tsp ginger, finely grated; 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm slices; 1 1/2 tbsp of miso paste; 2 tbsp of mirin; 1 tbsp of sake; 1 knob of fresh ginger, about 2cm, grated; 2 spring onions, finely sliced; 1 tsp groundnut oil; 1 handful of coriander, chopped; 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds; 150g of Japanese short grain rice; 180ml of water, cold; 100g of frozen peas; 2 spring onions, thinly sliced; 1 knob of fresh ginger, 2cm, grated; 1 tbsp of groundnut oil; 2 tsp rice vinegar; 4 tsp mirin; 1/2 tsp sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; iced water; 100g of beef fillet, cut into thin slices; 3 tbsp of mirin; 3 tbsp of soy sauce; 1 tbsp of sugar; 2 tsp rice vinegar

by Louise Robinson

Item 1 of 1

Main
easy
Serves 2
60 minutes

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This beautifully simple bento box recipe from Louise Robinson is packed with treats to brighten up your lunchtime. Tucked inside are morsels of moreish baked miso aubergine and steak teriyaki, supported by fragrant Japanese rice and tangy pickled cucumber.

First published in 2016

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Ask many people what they had for lunch at work today and they may struggle to remember. Lunch ‘on the go’ would probably be the most likely answer. A supermarket sandwich, hurriedly eaten at their desk, or perhaps a ready made salad or soup.

Instead of reaching for the same boring lunch options, why not try making a Japanese style packed lunch in the form of a bento box. Traditionally these compartmented lunch boxes contain rice, fish and/or meat, vegetables and pickles, but there are hundreds of variations.

While there are some incredibly elaborate bento boxes, the recipes below could not be simpler. Most of the recipes serve two, apart from the rice which serves four, as it is easier to make a larger quantity. If making a box just for yourself, you can always enjoy any leftovers the next day. If you are really pushed for time, decant some good quality shop-bought sushi into your bento box and add some pickles and maybe a little homemade salad.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Pickled cucumber

1/2 cucumber
20ml of rice vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ginger, finely grated

Baked aubergine with miso

1 aubergine, cut into 1cm slices
1 1/2 tbsp of miso paste
2 tbsp of mirin
1 tbsp of sake
1 knob of fresh ginger, about 2cm, grated
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tsp groundnut oil
1 handful of coriander, chopped
1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds

Japanese rice with spring onion and ginger

150g of Japanese short grain rice
180ml of water, cold
100g of frozen peas
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 knob of fresh ginger, 2cm, grated
1 tbsp of groundnut oil
2 tsp rice vinegar
4 tsp mirin
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
iced water

Steak teriyaki

100g of beef fillet, cut into thin slices
3 tbsp of mirin
3 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of sugar
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cornflour
1 knob of fresh ginger, 4cm, grated
little gem lettuce, 4 leaves
1/4 cucumber, cut into cubes
2 radishes, finely sliced
1/2 red onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp of chopped coriander
2 tsp groundnut oil
salt
black pepper

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Method

Begin by making the pickled cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Slice crossways into very thin slices

Place the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and ginger into a small bowl and stir to combine

Add the cucumber to the bowl and stir to coat the slices evenly with the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6

Meanwhile, prepare the baked aubergine. Place the miso, mirin and sake in a large bowl and mix together to form a smooth paste. Stir in the ginger and spring onions. Add the aubergine slices to the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly in the sauce

Grease a large roasting tray with the oil and arrange the aubergine slices in a single layer to ensure they cook evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, until soft and golden brown. If the aubergine is drying out, splash with a little water

While the aubergine bakes, prepare the Japanese rice. Place the rice in a sieve and wash under the cold tap until the water runs clear. Rest the sieve on a bowl and leave to drain for at least 15 minutes

Remove the aubergine from the oven and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and chopped coriander. Set aside until ready to serve

Place the rice in a saucepan and add 180ml of cold water. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and immediately reduce the heat as low as possible for a further 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, do not remove the lid and leave for another 10 minutes

Meanwhile, cook the peas with a pinch of salt in plenty of boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain and place the peas in bowl of iced water

Place the spring onions, ginger, oil, rice vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt into a small bowl and mix to create a sauce. Fold the peas and sauce into the rice and allow to cool

For the steak teryaki, place a frying pan over a high heat until really hot. Add the oil and flash fry the beef fillet for a couple of minutes. It should still be pink in the middle. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate

Place the mirin, soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, cornflour and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously, and cook for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Leave to cool

Place 2 lettuce ‘cups’ in each bento box and fill with radishes, cucumber and onion. Season with a little more salt and pepper and place the beef slices on top. Spoon over a little of the sauce and sprinkle with the chopped coriander

Divide half of the Japanese rice between the bento boxes, refrigerating any leftovers. Remove the cucumber from the pickling solution and divide between the boxes. Add the baked aubergine and serve

First published in 2016

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Louise Robinson

Louise Robinson is a former fashion accessories designer turned freelance food writer, stylist and photographer now based in the Sussex countryside.

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