Let your creativity flow this National Day and create some creative bentos! Join Fennie as she shows us how to make a Merli the Merlion bento – perfect for National Day!
About Fennie Foong
Fennie is a hobbyist Food Crafter that makes creative and beautiful food art. She runs the popular instagram page Fenn’s Kitchen and posts her creations there.
Here is the recipe:
Ingredients:
Rice
1 cup of rice, washed (140g)
Small Broccoli (to steam with the rice in varoma tray)
Tomato Sauce Chicken Balls
400 g chicken breast fillets, skinless, cut in pieces (3 cm), freeze for 30mins in single layer (or replace with minced chicken meat)
100 g grated parmesan cheese
50 g bread crumbs
60 g milk
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
Pinch of Pepper
1 egg
1 garlic clove / 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 sprigs fresh parsley/coriander, leaves only
80 g onions, quartered
20 g olive oil
2 tsp dried mixed herb blend
Salt & pepper
1.5 vegetable stock cubes, crumbled
400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
100 g water
Useful items
2 Lettuce leaves (for deco)
Blue pea flowers (for blue color) with warm water
Crab meat or Red capsicum (for red color ears and whisker)
Seaweed (for outline)
Cling wrap
Directions
Broccoli:
1) Place 1000 – 1200g water in mixing bowl.
2) Insert simmering basket with 1 cup white rice (140g) into it.
3) Cook 18 min/100°C/speed 3.
4) Place broccoli florets into Varoma dish.
5) After 10mins (last 8mins), remove the MC and place Varoma dish on top.
Meat balls:
1) Remove semi-frozen chicken from freezer, place in mixing bowl and chop 10 sec/speed 6 (skip this step and replace with minced chicken meat if you are not mincing)
2) If you’re unable to get grated parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, then use block parmesan cheese and stale bread cut into pieces and grate 10 sec/speed 10.
3) Place 100 g grated parmesan cheese, 50 g bread crumbs, 60 g milk, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp fine sea salt, pinch of ground black pepper and 1 egg then mix 10 sec/speed 5. Transfer to a bowl, shape into meatballs (approx. 3cm) with oiled hands.
4) Preheat oven to 200°C. (if using oven)
5) Place 1 garlic clove / 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 3 sprigs fresh parsley/coriander, leaves only, 70 g onions, quartered and 20 g olive oil in mixing bowl, chop 5 sec/speed 8, then sauté 3 min/120°C/speed 1.
6) Add 2 tsp dried mixed herb blend, salt & pepper, 1.5 vegetable stock cubes, crumbled and 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes then mix 5 sec/reverse/speed 3
7) Insert blade cover, 100g water, meatballs and cook 10 min/98°C/reverse/spoon
8 ) Or bake for 15 to 20 minutes (200°C) until cooked through. (adjust time accordingly depending on the size of your chicken ball)