Matcha Powder Recipes – Matcha Rice With Shrimp

One of the most incredible aspects of tea is its diversity in uses. Tea obviously can be used as a beverage, but Fresh Steeps wants to help educate on the many other ways tea can be consumed…specifically with recipes!

Each tea can be used to create a delectable sweet or savory homemade treat. Fresh Steeps will provide the background of the ingredients, flavor profiles & of course the recipe! Let’s jump into one of these matcha powder recipes, matcha rice with shrimp!

Matcha Background

Matcha, personally is a favorite tea of mine. Matcha is a green tea, but what makes it unique in comparison to other green teas, is that the tea-leaf is actually consumed instead of simply steeped!

Matcha is made by finely grinding up the green tea leaves into an extremely fine powder. This powder is then mixed with hot water (~180F) & whisked to form a lovely, foamy, antioxidant filled beverage!

The antioxidants in matcha are said to be 10 times that of one cup of green tea! Historically, matcha was used by warriors & samurai prior to going into battle. This was done because although matcha has a high level of caffeine per gram of tea, it also contains a compound known as L-theanine, which gives the body & mind a calm focus. This combo of L-theanine & caffeine then would give these warriors a long-lasting, sustainable energy!

This mind boosting tea has so much to offer. If you want to learn more, check out Fresh Steeps post “What is Matcha Green Tea Powder – Unique Characteristics & More” here!

Enough about the background, you came because of the taste!

Flavor Profile of Matcha

Matcha, like many tea, can be described in flavor but it truly never does a justice to the actual taste. I will do my best here to describe the exquisite uniqueness of this tea, but as I always recommend, you should try it for yourself!

There are different grades of matcha, each of which yield a difference in texture & flavor. The different grades are ceremonial & culinary. Culinary actually has subcategories to it too! First, let’s describe ceremonial.

Ceremonial matcha is full-bodied, complex, rich, & astringent. Similarly to the complexity of dark chocolate, at first taste it is challenging to describe the flavor, but the further down the path of consumption sweet notes form & linger. A good high quality ceremonial grade matcha should have no bitterness. The ceremonial grade is meant purely for sipping & enjoying matcha in its natural habitat. You do not cook ceremonial matcha, that is what culinary matcha is for!

Culinary matcha can be categorized as premium, cafe, ingredient, kitchen or classic grade.

– Premium is similar to ceremonial, but more economical & diverse. Great by itself, but also wonderful to add to dishes!

– Cafe grade offers the very strong, vegetal matcha flavor people enjoy. This is great for baking & cooking!

– Ingredient matcha is a thicker & denser matcha. This lends it to be perfect for recipes that call for milk, dairy, or sauce that you want to incorporate matcha into.

– Kitchen grade is the most economical brand and made with the least delicate leaves. Not as fine as others, this matcha hosts a bold astringent flavor that is great for experimenting with in the kitchen!

– Classic matcha is another economical type that is the most popular out there. It will blend well & provide that matcha flavor, however it lacks the texture & smoothness of the more expensive type.

Overall, if this is your first time experimenting with matcha, expect a thick, vegetal, slightly bitter, slightly sweet flavor to elevate your dish!

Matcha Rice with Shrimp Recipe

This recipe is used to make a matcha shrimp with rice. You can substitute any protein you would like & add or subtract the optional ingredients!

Total time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups sushi rice
• 2 tsps culinary matcha (I used Matcha Kari’s Culinary Matcha)
• 10 sheets roasted seaweed snacks
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp chopped ginger
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes

Optional Ingredients:

• 1 lb of shrimp (can substitute protein or not use at all)
• 1/4 lb of asparagus
• 4 eggs
• hot sauce

Directions:

Put the rice in a fine-mesh sieve & rinse under cold water, stirring with your hand, until the water runs clear.

Shake well to remove as much water as possible. Set the sieve in a bowl to continue draining for about 5 minutes.

Transfer rice into a medium saucepan & whisk in 1 3/4 cups of filtered water, the matcha & 1 tsp of salt.

Bring to a boil & immediately reduce to low heat. Cover & cook until the water is absorbed & the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Once rice is done, remove & let sit for 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, prepare shrimp (or protein) & anything additional. I added asparagus to the dish and therefore cooked it during this time.

To prepare the shrimp, add sesame oil to a fry pan, season with salt, pepper & red pepper flakes. Cook until pink on both sides & through. Set aside when done.

Cut asparagus into bite sized pieces & prepare similarly to shrimp. Undercook the asparagus to leave a little crunch.

Cut the seaweed snacks into matchsticks with kitchen shears.

Mix rice vinegar & sugar into a small bowl until dissolved.

Fluff the rice & gently fold in vinegar-sugar mix, chopped ginger, half the scallions, sesame oil, 2 tsps sesame seeds, shrimp, asparagus, salt, pepper & red pepper flakes.

Divide into 4 bowls. Optional! another addition is to top the dish with a fried or poached egg. This will add another great source of protein & flavor! Prepare the egg as desired & top each bowl with one egg.

Whether you choose to incorporate an egg or not, top with seaweed snacks, scallions & remaining sesame seeds.

One last option, add your favorite hot sauce, like sriracha, to spice up the final product.

Enjoy!

Conclusion

Matcha is an incredibly complex & delicious tea. Valued for its high antioxidants & unique flavor, this tea will be sure to add a twist to your dishes that will make you look like a culinary master!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Make any changes or additions to it? Let us know in the comments what you think! If you are looking for a high quality culinary matcha, check out Matcha Kari’s Culinary Matcha here! This brand sources some of the best matcha from around the world & it really shows in the flavor!