- Total time: 35 mins
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Yield: 8 Balls (8 Servings)
What is onigiri?
Basically, an onigiri is a Japanese rice ball made from white rice that has been shaped into a triangle or a cylinder and is frequently covered in nori (seaweed).
Onigiri are most frequently filled with ume, salted salmon, tarako, kombu, or katsuobushi.
Onigiri are often available at Japanese convenience stores with a variety of fillings and tastes. Even dedicated stores that solely offer onigiri for takeout exist. Onigiri has grown to be a popular staple in Japanese restaurants all over the world as a result of the popularity of this trend in Japan.
Contrary to popular belief, onigiri is not a sort of sushi and shouldn't be confused with the sushi known as nigirizushi or just nigiri. Sushi is produced with rice that has been combined with vinegar, sugar, and salt, whereas onigiri is created from plain rice (sometimes mildly seasoned). While sushi was originally a method of keeping fish, onigiri makes rice portable and simple to eat in addition to preserving it.
Ingredients
- 4 cups steamed Japanese rice
- Dash salt (or to taste)
- Optional: black sesame seeds
- Optional: 1 to 2 sheets of dried nori seaweed
For the Fillings:
- Optional: ume (pickled plum)
- Optional: grilled salted salmon (small chunks)
Steps to make Onigiri
- Cut each nori sheet into 8 to 9 strips and put about a half cup of steamed rice in a rice bowl.
- Wet your hands with water and rub some salt on them (rice tends to stick if you don’t do this).
- Place the steamed rice on your hand and put your preferred filling (such as umeboshi or grilled salmon) on the rice and push the filling into the rice.
- Hold the rice between your palms.
- Form the rice into a round, a triangle, or a cylinder by pressing lightly with your both palms. Roll the rice ball in your hands a few times, pressing lightly.
- Wrap the rice ball with a strip or two of nori, or sprinkle some sesame seeds on them.
