School Lunchbox
Steamed Spinach Cheese Rice Balls, a Soft and Nutritious School Lunch
Prep
15 min
Cook
18 min
Servings
3
Level
Easy
Soft rice balls filled with chopped spinach and cheese, steamed rather than fried, so they're gentler on your little one's tummy. The tempting green color comes from real spinach, with a tender texture and savory cheese in every bite. Perfect as a school lunch that gets kids excited to eat their veggies without a fuss.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 3
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 400 grams warm white rice
- 100 grams fresh spinach, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 chicken egg
- 50 grams grated cheddar cheese
- 30 grams carrot, finely grated
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cooking oil, for greasing the mold
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Briefly boil the chopped spinach for 1 minute in boiling water to remove the bitter sap, then drain and squeeze out the water until dry so the mixture won't turn mushy.
- 2 In a large bowl, combine the warm rice, drained spinach, grated carrot, egg, grated cheese, flour, garlic powder, bouillon powder, and salt. Mix well with your hands or a spatula until all the ingredients come together and the mixture is slightly sticky.
- 3 Scoop about 2 heaping tbsp of the mixture and shape into balls about 3-4 cm (1.2-1.6 inches) in diameter, pressing firmly with hands moistened with water so they don't stick.
- 4 Arrange the rice balls on a heatproof plate lightly greased with oil, spacing them apart so they don't stick together as they expand.
- 5 Steam in a preheated steamer over medium heat for 15-18 minutes until the rice balls feel firm and are cooked through, a sign being that the top is no longer wet and the cheese has melted and blended in inside.
- 6 Remove and let cool for 5 minutes at room temperature before packing into a lunch box so the trapped steam doesn't make the food soggy.
- 7 Arrange the rice balls in a lunch box, and pair with cucumber slices or cut fruit as a fresh side.
💡 Tips
• Squeeze the spinach until it's really dry so the rice balls don't turn mushy or fall apart easily during steaming.
• Use rice that's a bit sticky (not rice that's been left dry overnight) so the mixture is easy to shape and holds together.
• You can prep these the night before—store the raw balls in the fridge in a covered container, then steam them in the morning before heading to school.
• For a flavor variation, add shredded chicken or beef floss (abon sapi) to the mixture.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
190
Calories (kcal)
7 g
Protein
6 g
Fat
26 g
Carbs
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