Sweet & Nutritious Butternut Squash Rice Balls
Perfect for Kids! Colorful Butternut Squash Star Rice Balls
Let’s make ‘Butternut Squash Star Rice Balls’, which are as beautiful in shape as they are delicious, using nutrient-rich butternut squash, packed with starch, minerals, and vitamins B and C. Create these special rice balls that will capture your children’s taste buds!
Main Ingredients
- A small amount of carrot
- A small amount of onion
- 5-6 cocktail shrimp
- About 1/6 of a butternut squash
- 1.5 bowls of warm cooked rice
Seasonings & Additional Ingredients
- Pinch of salt (for seasoning)
- A little soy sauce (for final taste)
- A little cooking oil (for sautéing)
- Pinch of salt (for seasoning)
- A little soy sauce (for final taste)
- A little cooking oil (for sautéing)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the vegetables for the rice balls. Finely mince the carrot and onion. Briefly boil the cocktail shrimp in hot water, then let them cool and mince them into bite-sized pieces. (Feel free to add any other vegetables you like!)
Step 2
Wash the butternut squash and prepare about 1/6 of it. Place it in a steamer, cover with a lid to retain moisture, and steam for about 15-20 minutes. Its natural sweetness will be preserved, making it delicious to eat on its own.
Step 3
Lightly grease a frying pan with cooking oil and sauté the minced carrot and onion until translucent. Once the vegetables are somewhat cooked, add the minced cocktail shrimp and stir-fry together. Lightly season with salt to enhance the flavors of the ingredients. Gently season the rice with a touch of soy sauce.
Step 4
Separate the peel from the flesh of the well-steamed butternut squash. For a beautiful color in the rice balls, take only the yellow flesh, mash it smoothly using a fork or masher, and set aside.
Step 5
Meanwhile, finely chop the green peel part to add a pop of color to the rice balls. The peel’s natural color and chewy texture will make the rice balls even more delightful. (If the peel is tough, you can chop it more coarsely.)
Step 6
Now, let’s make the rice balls. Fill the rice ball mold with about 1/3 of the rice and press down lightly with the lid. Spread a thin layer of the mashed butternut squash flesh on top and press again with the lid to shape it. Add another 1/3 of rice, press with the lid, then add the sautéed vegetables and shrimp, seasoning lightly with soy sauce. Finally, fill with the remaining rice and press firmly with the lid to complete the shape. Layering the rice, butternut squash, and sautéed ingredients will create a prettier shape. (If you don’t have a mold, you can shape them by hand into round patties!)
