Rice Ball

8 min readJun 29, 2024

….The kind grandmother next door rang our doorbell with a small plastic bag in her hand. Surprised, I opened the door to see what was going on, and she handed me the small envelope, saying that her son had grown and brought these peas, sharing them with me and thanking me for everything. She mentioned that she was grateful because I had moved the trash can closer to her house while she was recovering from shoulder surgery and had a hard time getting around. How did she know? It turns out she had CCTV installed at her house… Although I was a bit taken aback, I accepted the peas with a smile, as my intentions were kind and neighborly. As I get older, I realize that even small gestures can be greatly appreciated when someone is in discomfort. I am thankful that we can maintain good relationships with our neighbors through mutual care and consideration.

While removing the shells from the peas in the small bag, I wondered what to do with them and saw the care of her son. Although the peas were small and not fully grown, I found them endearing because they were brought with the love of a son visiting his parents. Like the peas hanging in a row, the hearts of neighbors are also connected. As the weather gets hotter, I decided to make rice balls with the peas. I soaked some dried shiitake mushrooms in water and stir-fried them to make shiitake mushroom rice. I also stir-fried some crispy lotus root and a bit of red carrot. The green peas, showing the coolness of summer, were delightful. When the green peas burst in my mouth, the savory taste, combined with the umami of the shiitake mushroom rice and the crunchy lotus root, was enjoyable. Making it before the rice cools down isn’t difficult if you don’t make it too firm.

Servings: 4

Time: 1 hour plus 2–3 hours soaking the dried shiitake mushrooms in 2 cups of cold water

Ingredients:

2 and a half cups of white rice, cleaned and drained
1/2 cup sweet rice, cleaned and drained
5–6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in cold water until softened, then thinly sliced (110g), with mushroom broth saved (350 ml)
100g carrots, thinly sliced
100g lotus root, thinly diced
1 cup peas
hamcho salt to taste
2 tsp + 2 tsp sea salt
600 ml + 600 ml +200 ml water
2 tsp + 2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp avocado oil
1 tbsp vinegar
2–3 tsp Mat-Gan-Jang
5 x 5 kelp

Cooking Instructions:

Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water until softened.

2. After 2–3 hours, remove the mushrooms and place them on a tray. Save the mushroom broth to use when cooking the rice (350 ml of mushroom broth).

3. Heat a pan over medium heat and add 2 tsp sesame oil, sliced shiitake mushrooms, and Mat-Gan-Jang to the pan. Stir for 1–2 minutes, then set aside.

4. Put the washed rice and glutinous rice into the electric rice cooker, add 350ml of mushroom broth and 200 ml of water, place the stir-fried shiitake mushrooms on top, and then add the kelp. Cook the rice for 35 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat a pot over medium heat and add 600 ml of water, vinegar, and 2 tsp of sea salt to bring it to a boil.

6. Blanch the lotus root for 1 minute. Drain the lotus root using a strainer. Spread the cooked lotus root out to cool down.

7. Heat a pot over medium heat, then add 600 ml of water and 2 teaspoons of sea salt. Bring it to a boil.

8. Blanch the peas for 1 minute, or until they float. Drain the peas using a strainer. Spread the cooked peas out to cool down.

9. Heat a pan over medium heat and add some avocado oil, sliced carrots, and 1/4 tsp of sea salt. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then spread the cooked carrots out to cool down.

10. Place the cooked lotus root, peas, and carrots in a large bowl.

11. After 35 minutes, when the rice in the electric rice cooker is done, remove the kelp from the top and transfer the mushroom rice to the large bowl. Sprinkle some hamcho salt on the rice and mix it gently.