I’ve written a full Spam Musubi recipe which you can find here: https://jeanelleats.com/easy-spam-musubi/

Rather than repeat the whole recipe, this post focuses on how to make the ube rice that pairs beautifully with Spam Musubi.

Here are some photos showing the finished ube rice and assembled musubi.

To color the rice naturally and evenly, follow this guideline: use 1/8 teaspoon of ube extract for every 1 cup of uncooked rice. In the video I cooked two cups of rice on the stove and used 1/4 teaspoon of ube extract.

Instructions (brief):

Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear to remove excess starch.
Measure the rice and water according to your usual method (stove, rice cooker, or Instant Pot).
Add the appropriate amount of ube extract—1/8 teaspoon per cup of rice—stirring it into the water so the color disperses evenly.
Cook the rice as you normally would. Once done, let it rest for a few minutes, then fluff gently with a rice paddle or fork.
If you like a slightly sweet or richer ube flavor, you can fold in a small amount (1–2 teaspoons per cup) of sweetened ube spread or condensed milk, but this is optional and will change the texture.

Troubleshooting tips:

If the color is too faint, increase the extract by small increments (1/16 teaspoon) and test on a small portion next time.
If the rice becomes too wet from added liquid, reduce cooking water slightly or allow extra resting time to absorb moisture.
Stir the extract into the water before cooking to ensure even color; do not pour a concentrated drop onto dry rice, which can create streaks.

Once your ube rice is cooked and cooled slightly, proceed with the Spam Musubi assembly as described in the full recipe. The subtle purple hue and gentle ube flavor make a distinctive and visually striking twist on the classic musubi.