Japanese
Ochazuke (Green Tea over Rice)
Hot green tea poured over rice with nori and sesame — Japan’s ultimate 8-minute comfort bowl from leftover rice.
About this recipe
Ochazuke (Green Tea over Rice) is a japanese lunch for one that is a quick weeknight cook., and it takes around 8 min start to finish. We sized it for a solo cook and ranked it on OneToCook by how much of it you already have in the fridge.
Good to know
* Dietary flags are derived from the listed ingredients — always check labels and your own needs for allergens.
Ingredients
- 1 bowl, hot rice
- 250ml green tea
- 1 stalk spring onion
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 sheet seaweed (nori) buy
- 1 tsp sesame seeds buy
Equipment
Method
- 1
Put the hot rice in a bowl; add leftover salmon or umeboshi on top if you have it.
~2 min
- 2
Brew the green tea and pour it over the rice until half-submerged; add a dash of soy.
~2 min
- 3
Snip nori over, scatter spring onion and sesame, and eat straight away.
~2 min
Smart swaps
Out of something? Try one of these.
- Spring onion
- thinly sliced onion or chives for the finish.
- Soy sauce
- tamari (gluten-free) or, in a pinch, a mix of Worcestershire sauce and water.
Cook's notes
- Dice the onion before anything heats up so it’s ready when the pan is — a even dice cooks evenly. How to dice an onion →
- Keep the white and green parts separate — whites go in early with the aromatics, greens at the end. How to chop spring onions →
- Rinse the rice until the water runs (mostly) clear for fluffier, less gummy grains. How to wash & cook rice →
- Do your chopping first (mise en place). With everything prepped, the actual cooking here is only about 6 min.
Storage & leftovers
Cooked rice needs care: cool it quickly (within an hour), refrigerate in a covered container, and eat within a day — reheating it until piping hot all the way through. Don’t leave cooked rice at room temperature.
Frequently asked
How long does Ochazuke (Green Tea over Rice) take to make? +
Around 8 min from start to finish, almost all of it hands-on.
How many people does this recipe serve? +
As written it serves 1. To cook for 2–4, roughly multiply the ingredients — but cook in batches if the pan gets crowded, so things sear instead of steaming.
What equipment do I need? +
You’ll want: kettle, rice cooker. OneToCook only suggests recipes that fit the equipment you tell it you have, so you can filter these out if your kitchen is more minimal.
What can I use if I'm missing an ingredient? +
Common swaps for this dish: Spring onion → thinly sliced onion or chives for the finish; Soy sauce → tamari (gluten-free) or, in a pinch, a mix of Worcestershire sauce and water. See the full list of smart swaps above.
Can I make Ochazuke (Green Tea over Rice) ahead of time? +
Cooked rice needs care: cool it quickly (within an hour), refrigerate in a covered container, and eat within a day — reheating it until piping hot all the way through. Don’t leave cooked rice at room temperature.
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