Maze Gohan 混ぜご飯 Mixed Rice

I also made a selection of maze gohan to accompany the onigiri (rice balls) for our outing. As the name suggests plain Japanese rice is mixed with various seasonings. In her book Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking, the Japanese home cooking guru turned her maze gohan into little rice balls and here's my version. 

While the onigiri might look plain and serious, meza gohan on the other hand is colourful and fun. Again I have prepared 3 seasonings but please play around with what takes you fancy. 

These morsel size treats are equally at home in your lunch boxes or in a picnic basket.

makes 6 each

you'll need;

6 cups of warm cooked Japanese rice

toasted sesame seeds

seasoning 1;

10 g of dried bonito shavings

2 to 3 tbs of soy

1/2 tbs of toasted sesame seeds

seasoning 2;

1 karashi mentaiko, removed eggs from membrane

a little chopped chives

1/2 tbs of toasted sesame seeds

seasoning 3;

shiso fumi furikake (shiso flavoured rice seasoning) or furikake of your choice

To prepare the seasonings - mix ingredients for all 3 seasonings in separate bowls.

Loosen the freshly cooked rice and allow the rice to cool slightly before handling.

Mix mentaiko seasoning with 1/3 of the rice, reserving some as topping. This can be serve in a little bowl.

Or you may use a mould to make little rice balls as you would with onigiri.

Or form into rice ball using wet hands.

My trio of maze gohan.

Served alongside onigiri.