Japanese Rice Balls Onigiri Recipes

VEGAN ONIGIRI - JAPANESE STUFFED RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Wash rice in a strainer. Add rice and 1 cup of water to a pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low. Cover pot and simmer rice for about 15 minutes, or until the water is fully absorbed. Let rice cool a bit.
• Meanwhile prepare your fillings. Using a food processor blend together peanut butter, bell pepper, ginger and seasoning, then add to a bowl. Mix together miso and walnut; cilantro and scallion; edamame and sesame seeds; avocado, lime juice and zest (all in separate bowls).
• Divide rice between the bowls and mix together with the fillings (keeping them still separate). Wet your hands, and scoop out a portion of rice, then gently shape rice into a ball or triangle.
• Wrap Onigiri with a strip of nori or avocado slices, or roll them over in a plate of toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!

ONIGIRI (JAPANESE RICE BALL)

Steps:

• Place a cutting board in front of you and arrange salmon and the onigiri ingredients around it.
• Add ¼ of the cooked rice to a tea cup or a small rice bowl of 150-180ml (5-6 oz), then turn it over and place the rice on the cutting board.
• Wet your finger with water and make a well in the centre of the rice using your finger.
• Add ¼ of the salmon pieces to the well.
• Wet both palms of your hands with water, then take about ¼ of the salt and rub both palms together to spread the salt over them.
• Pick up the rice from both sides by making a cup with your hands so that the rice will sit in your palms.
• Using your thumbs, press down the salmon and then gather the rice around to cover the salmon and bury it in the centre (note 5) and make a rice ball.
• Place the rice ball on the palm of the left hand, then place your right hand over the rice ball perpendicular to your left hand.
• Then using mainly three fingers (index finger, middle finger and ring finger), squeeze the rice ball with both hands to shape it into a triangle. The left hand should control the thickness of the onigiri to make it about 4cm (1 ½") thick and the right hand should shape the triangle. Press firmly but not too tight (note 6).
• While pressing firmly, occasionally roll the triangle and press to make the onigiri more like an equilateral triangle.
• Place the onigiri in the centre of a yaki nori sheet and cover both sides of the triangular surface with yaki nori.
• Repeat for the remaining 3 onigiri (note 7).

ONIGIRI (JAPANESE RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Combine 2 cups water, rice, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork; cool rice until easily handled, about 10 minutes.
• Fill a small bowl with water. Place 2 tablespoons of salt in another small bowl.
• Dip hands in water and rub salt over hands. Take a handful of warm rice and form it into a ball. Gently squish ball; with your hands in an "L" or "C" shape, apply gentle pressure to the sides to make a triangle shape.
• Wrap a strip of nori around the triangle, using a bit of water to help it stick if necessary.

ONIGIRI

Steps:

• Wash and cook the rice in a rice cooker as you normally would, or if you are doing it on the stove, you can follow the instructions on my sushi rice recipe (but be sure to use the amount of rice and water specified above).
• While you're waiting for the rice to cook and steam, remove the pits from the umeboshi.
• Cut the sheets of nori into thirds by either using scissors or creasing and tearing the nori.
• Prepare a medium bowl of water and a small bowl of salt.
• When the rice is done, fluff it with a spatula and transfer it to a bowl to cool. Keep the bowl covered with a damp towel to keep the rice from drying out.
• When the rice has cooled enough to handle without burning yourself, wet your hands in the bowl of water and dip your index finger into the bowl of salt.
• Rub the salt into both hands and then scoop 1/6 of the rice into one hand. Press one pitted umeboshi into the center of the mound of rice and cover it with the surrounding rice.
• Curl your fingers up and over the rice, and then use your index and middle fingers on your free hand to shape the rice into a triangle, but do not over squeeze the rice.
• Roll the rice ball on your hand onto another side and repeat until the triangle has equal length sides, and it's roughly the same thickness.
• To wrap the onigiri, place a strip of nori centered on the rice and then wrap each side of the nori around the triangle and under the base.
• Garnish the top of the onigiri with a little dab of umeboshi so you can identify what's inside.

JAPANESE RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Cut each nori sheet (if using) into 8 or 9 strips and put about a 1/2 cup of steamed rice in a rice bowl.
• Wet your hands with water so that rice won't stick.
• Rub some salt on your wet hands.
• Place steamed rice in your hand and form into a triangle, making sure it is dense and thick.
• Put your favorite filling, such as umeboshi or grilled salmon, on rice and push the filling into rice lightly.
• Hold rice between palms.
• Form rice into a round, a triangle, or a cylinder by pressing lightly with both palms, securing filling in the middle. Roll rice ball in your hands a few times, pressing lightly.
• Wrap rice ball with a strip or two of nori (if using), or sprinkle some sesame seeds on them (if using).

ONIGIRI (JAPANESE RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients.

EASY ONIGIRI - JAPANESE RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Pop your cooked sushi rice into a large mixing bowl. Add the furikake rice seasoning and mix through evenly. Note: if you feel like hiding something tasty inside instead, you can skip this step.
• Separate the rice into equal portions, approximately one large handful for each onigiri.
• Wet your hands with water and rub together with a pinch or two of salt. This stops the rice sticking to your hands and helps keep it fresher for longer.
• Pick up one handful/portion of rice. If you are hiding some fillings inside, here is where you make an indent, place the ingredients inside and fold the rice over, then lightly press into a ball.
• Using mainly your fingertips while resting the rice on your palm, start to press and squeeze the rice into a triangular shape, rotating as you go so it's even. According to our Japanese friends, you want to end up with one face of the onigiri having a small indentation from your fingers.
• Place a slice of nori on the bottom of the onigiri, rough side in towards the rice. Then fold it up towards to the middle of the onigiri.
• Repeat for the remaining rice portions.

ONIGIRI - JAPANESE RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Wash the rice in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Combine washed rice and 4 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer rice until the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rice rest, for 15 minutes to allow the rice to continue to steam and become tender. Allow cooked rice to cool.
• Combine 1 cup water with the salt in a small bowl. Use this water to dampen hands before handling the rice. Divide the cooked rice into 8 equal portions. Use one portion of rice for each onigiri.
• Divide one portion of rice in two. Create a dimple in the rice and fill with a heaping teaspoon of bonito flakes. Cover with the remaining portion of rice and press lightly to enclose filling inside rice ball. Gently press the rice to shape into a triangle. Wrap shaped onigiri with a strip of nori. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Repeat to make a total of 8 onigiri.

SIMPLE ONIGIRI (JAPANESE RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Wash rice in a sieve until the water runs clear.
• Combine rice, 2 1/2 cups water, sesame seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large nonstick pot over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cover and cook until water is absorbed and rice is soft and sticky, about 15 minutes. Stir in soy sauce.
• Mix 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon salt in a small bowl until salt is dissolved.
• Place a 12-inch piece of plastic wrap in a small teacup, molding the plastic to fit the cup and letting the ends hang over the edges. Moisten plastic wrap with some of the salted water.
• Place a 2x5-inch strip of nori seaweed halfway into the cup. Scoop some rice into the cup, leaving a 1/2-inch gap at the top. Make a small indent in the rice with a spoon; add a spoonful of tuna. Cover tuna with a spoonful of rice and fold over the exposed end of the seaweed strip.
• Gather the ends of the plastic wrap tightly and remove the rice ball from the cup. Shape and compress the ball tightly with your hands. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat with remaining nori seaweed, rice, and tuna. Refrigerate onigiri until firm, 8 hours to overnight.

ONIGIRI AKA JAPANESE RICE BALLS OR RICE TRIANGLES

Steps:

• Rinse the rice in cold water at least 5 times and drain well in a fine-mesh sieve. If using a rice cooker, simply add the rice and cold water to the rice cooker and cook according to the cooker's instructions. To cook the rice in a pot on the stovetop, place the rice in a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
• If using the sushi rice seasoning, while the rice is cooking, combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar is dissolved. When the rice is finished cooking, stir the vinegar mixture into it until well combined.
• Transfer the rice from the rice cooker or cooking pot to a large bowl and let cool until it is cool enough to handle.
• Shape your onigiri while the rice is still warm. If using a mold, wet the inside of the mold and, using wet hands, fill it about halfway with rice. Make an indentation in the middle of the rice with your thumb and add your filling, about a tablespoon or so. Add more rice on top to fill the mold. Place the top half of the mold on top and press down gently. Remove the top of the mold and invert the bottom half over a plate. Press down on the button in the middle to help the onigiri slide out. Wet the inside of the mold again and repeat the process until you have used up all of your rice and filling or have made the desired number of onigiri.
• If shaping the onigiri by hand, use wet hands and shape into a ball, make an indentation in the middle, fill with about 1 tablespoon of filling, and close up the hole with a bit more rice. Leave it in a ball shape, or use your hands to form it into a triangular shape, if desired.
• If using individually-wrapped onigiri wrappers, leave the plastic wrap on them and wrap them around your rice balls. If using regular nori sheets cut into strips, wrap in plastic wrap. Onigiri can be stored at room temperature for several hours. If you wish to store them longer than that, store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
• To serve, remove the plastic wrap from the nori wrapper, if necessary, and wrap the onigiri in the nori or simply remove the plastic wrap and serve at room temperature.

HOW TO MAKE JAPANESE RICE BALLS (ONIGIRI)

Steps:

• Pour rice into a bowl and rinse under running water. Give it a good scrubbing with your hands; rinse off the starch and drain.
• Place rice in a small pot with water and salt. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn the burner to high. Cook for 2 minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit with the lid on to fully absorb the moisture for 10 minutes. Transfer rice to a cutting board to cool slightly.
• Season flaked salmon with soy sauce.
• Flatten cooled rice into a rectangle and divide into 6 portions. Place a portion of salmon on top of each section of rice. Wet your hands and pick up a section of rice. Gently cup the rice around the filling; keep cupping until filling is completely covered and you've formed a ball. Mold the rice ball into a triangle shape by placing the bottom on one palm and flattening the back with your fingers. Bend the other hand and press the rice into a triangle on your palm, flattening the front side if needed. Place a strip of nori on the bottom of the onigiri to make it easier to pick up.
• Repeat to make remaining rice balls, wetting your hands as necessary to prevent the rice from sticking.