How to Make Onigiri

Make easy and delicious onigiri (filled japanese rice balls)

(the picture i used is not of onigiri i made. it's just for reference on the placement of the nori)

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• medium or short-grain rice
• rice cooker/pot to cook rice in
• onigiri shaper (or plastic wrap if you do not have a shaper)
• fillings/mix-in's not limited to:
• -chopped up pickles
• -flaked tuna with mayonnaise
• - chopped up umeboshi (pickled plums)
• -canned clams
• -fish roe
• -furikake
• etc....just make sure it is well drained of moisture
• nori strips

1. follow directions on your rice and cook in a rice cooker or pot. a few cups should do the trick.

2. run your hands under cool water and sprinkle them with salt. take some hot rice and press into onigiri mold (or: take some hot rice and place in a piece of plastic wrap) made an indentation with your thumb and fill with a teaspoon or so of the filling of your choice. if you used a shaper, pop out the rice ball and place on a plate. if you used plastic wrap, after filling, shape the ball into a triangular shape and unwrap once shaped.

3. either cut a strip of nori and upwardly wrap the bottom part of the onigiri, or do what i do and lightly coat the onigiri with fish roe or furikake

4. eat immediately or wrap in foil/plastic wrap and put in the fridge for a nice lunch the next day

Tips & Warnings

• the key to making good onigiri is using, hot freshly-made rice

[Sumia]

on 10/24/2008 i love onigiri!!