Make Onigiri
Onigiri is a common sight in bentos (boxed lunches). It is great for picnics or a simple snack. What does "onigiri" mean? It is the Japanese word for "rice ball" or "musubi", literally meaning "grip" - ie. holdable rice. There are varieties of onigiri, as you can put any filling you wish (or to just have it plain!). This article will teach you how to make a triangle onigiri.
Contents
Ingredients
- Rice
- Fillings (tuna and mayo/beef and broccoli)
- Water
- Seaweed
- Optional:
- Vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
Steps
- Follow the directions for cooking the rice. Note it should be Japanese-style rice so it sticks together easily. However, you might want to leave the rice in the pot for about 20 to 30 minutes before turning the rice cooker or pot on, so that the rice can become sticky.
- Let the rice stand for a few minutes for it to cool down before proceeding. As you're waiting, make your fillings (if applicable as this is optional). Whip tuna and mayo in a bowl, cut vegetables, meat, etc to kill some time.
- Place a cutting board or wax paper on the counter and wet your hands with salty water thoroughly. This is to keep the rice from sticking to your hands (although some grains will still stick) and to keep your hands cool from the hot rice. Scoop some rice with a spoon or scooper.
- Make a deep crater in the rice ball, but don't puncture it to the point that your fingers slip to the other side! This is where your filling is going to go, so just deep enough to place things in.
- Insert your fillings into the hole. Make sure that you don't overfill it! Fold some rice over the hole/crater so that all fillings are hidden. If you press too lightly, the rice won't stick together and will crumble as you eat it. If you press too hard, the rice will get mushy and soggy. To make a triangle, make an "L" shape with your hand and use that to shape your rice with.
- Wrap nori (seaweed) around your onigiri. It's up to the person if they wish to use a strip or wrap the whole rice ball in seaweed. The seaweed keeps your hands rice-free and keeps the rice ball in its shape.
- Wrap your onigiri in plastic wrap or place it into your bento box. Enjoy!
Tips
- Forming the rice balls:
- Dip your hands in salt water to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands as you form the rice balls.
- If you have difficulty sealing up rice balls with fillings, when you form the rice ball, form two halves with filling and put them together, using the salt water solution to help you to smooth and seal the seams.
- Try to get all the liquid out of a filling, because having wet fillings makes your onigiri soggy, unappetizing, and fall apart.
- Don't limit yourself to eating onigiri at lunch. Onigiri can be a wonderful breakfast or snack.
- A solution of salt, rice vinegar and water folded into the rice will make the rice a bit stickier which can be beneficial if your rice balls tend to fall apart.
- Do not use fillings with ingredients (such as raw fish) that spoil if left out too long unless you can chill your bento.
- You don't have to have seaweed.
- Use vinegar or salt on the rice for additional taste or make a solution of the two plus sugar and pour a little at a time onto the hot rice, cutting and folding it into the rice. Don't use too much of the solution as the purpose is to enhance the flavor of the rice -not overpower it.
- If you find you like onigiri, you may wish to invest in onigiri molds which are generally plastic and relatively inexpensive. Some bento boxes are sold with onigiri molds that just fit the bento box.
- You can use whatever rice you wish. White medium grain and brown rice seems to be the grains that holds the best with molding.
Notes
- Note that glutinous rice is called that because it holds water, not because it has gluten. (Glutinous means sticky)
Things You'll Need
- Rice (not instant rice, because it's not sticky)
- Seaweed
- Fillings (optional)
- Stove and pot or rice cooker
- A shaper - triangle (optional)
