Onigiri Japanese Rice Ball Food

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:

• 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.

ONIGIRI (JAPANESE RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients.

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).

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:

• Cook the rice.
• Keep it warm, but let it cool enough so that it won't burn your hands.
• Cut each nori sheet into 9 strips.
• Wet your hands and sprinkle them with salt to prevent the rice from sticking to them.
• Mold a handful of rice into a triangular shape with an indentation in the middle.
• Press a piece of umeboshi into the indentation you left.
• Wrap the rice and umeboshi in Nori strips.
• Serve immediately or save for later.