Onigiri With Jasmine Rice Food

ONIGIRI (JAPANESE RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients.

HOW TO MAKE ONIGIRI (JAPANESE RICE BALLS) | ULTIMATE GUIDE

Steps:

• First rinse 3 cups of short grain rice and then add it into the rice cooker. Fill with water until the 3 mark line* and allow the rice to cook. In the meantime, cut up some nori sheets (refer to information and photos above).
• Once the rice is finished cooking, let it rest for 5-10 minutes in the rice cooker. In the meantime, set up your work station. You should have a small bowl of salt, water, furikake and your fillings ready to be used. As well, keep a tray or container close by to place your finished rice balls on.
• Open the rice cooker than gently mix the rice and cover with a damp cloth. Bring it over to your work station.
• Filled Onigiri: Place some rice into a medium size bowl and sprinkle some salt over. Mix with the rice paddle. Place a small scoop of rice (just enough to fill the bottom part of the mold) and gently press it in. Make a small indent in the middle and place 1 umeboshi (or 1/2-1 tbsp of some kind of filling) in the indent. Cover with more rice until 3/4 of the way full and then place the lid on top. Gently press down until it's formed into a rice ball. Lightly wet your hands and dab your pointer finger and middle finger in the salt and rub between your hands. Place the rice ball between your hands and cup it (like if you were to hand-mold the onigiri). This just ensures the rice ball is salted throughout for preserving longer. Place onto a tray or container and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until you make as many as you desire.
• Seasoned Onigiri: Place some rice into a medium size bowl and sprinkle some Furikake or Yukari Shiso in. Mix with the rice paddle. Place a scoop of rice until 3/4 of the way full and then place the lid on top. Gently press down until it's formed into a rice ball. Lightly wet your hands and dab your pointer finger in the salt and rub between your hands. Place the rice ball between your hands and cup it (like if you were to hand-mold the onigiri). Place onto a tray or container and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until you make as many as you desire.
• Filled Onigiri: Place some rice into a medium size bowl and sprinkle some salt over. Mix with the rice paddle. Wet your hands and dab your pointer finger and middle finger in the salt, rub between your hands. Place a scoop of rice in the middle of your hand (around 1/3 - 1/2 cup) and gently press it in your palm. Make a small indent in the middle and add 1 pitted umeboshi or 1/2-1 tbsp of filling. With the hand holding the rice ball, curl your hand more and slowly cover the filling with rice from the side. Shape it into a ball or rounded triangle by gently pressing between your two hands. Place onto a tray or container and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until you make as many as you desire.
• Seasoned Onigiri: Place some rice into a medium size bowl and sprinkle some Furikake or Yukari Shiso in. Mix with the rice paddle. Wet your hands and dab your pointer finger and middle finger in the salt, rub between your hands. Place a scoop of rice (around 1/3 - 1/2 cup) on to your hand and shape into a ball or rounded triangle. Place onto a tray or container and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat until you make as many as you desire.
• If eating immediately, wrap your rice balls with the roasted cut up nori sheets and serve.
• If eating later, wrap your onigiri with some cling wrap or place in a bento box. Place the nori in a separate container to keep them crisp. Wrap the rice balls before eating.

ONIGIRI (RICE BALLS)

Steps:

• Sprinkle the salmon fillet with salt and let stand for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, wash the rice thoroughly in cold water 30 to 60 minutes before cooking and let drain in colander. Place rice and water in a heavy, tightly covered saucepan over medium-high heat. When water just begins to boil, turn the heat to high and let it come to a vigorous boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until all the liquid is absorbed by the rice, about 12 to 13 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Using a flat wooden spoon or rice paddle, fluff the rice with a cutting motion. Stretch a towel under the lid and cover tightly to keep warm until ready to use.
• Toast the nori sheets over a high gas flame, and cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips, or use pre-toasted nori.
• Mix the bonito flakes with the soy sauce. Rinse the salt off the salmon, pat dry, and grill for 3 to 5 minutes. Use a fork to break the salmon into small pieces.
• Wet your hands with salted water to keep the rice from sticking to your hands. Cup one hand and place a handful of rice, about 1/2 cup, in your hand. Make an indentation in the rice and tuck in one of the fillings: a teaspoon of soaked bonito flakes, a few flakes of salmon, or a few pieces of pickled plum. Close the rice over the filling and mold it into a triangular shape. Mold the rice firmly, pressing just hard enough to hold it together. Set the rice triangle down on one of its sides and cover the top peak with a strip of nori, shiny side out, like a roof. You can also make cylindrical shapes and wrap the nori around the middle. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rice shapes. These are great lunch treats.

ROASTED RICE BALLS (ONIGIRI YAKI)

Steps:

• Form the rice into four disk shapes. This is a lot easier if you keep a bowl of cool salt water next to you to dip your hands into before forming each ball.
• Combine the miso with 1/2 t. of the sake and set aside. Combine the soy sauce with the rest of the sake and set aside.
• Brush one side of each onigiri with oil and place oil side down in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brush the other side of the onigiri with oil.
• Once the first side has started turning golden, turn onigiri over. Brush miso mixture on two of the onigiri and the soy sauce mixture on the other two.
• When the second side has started turning golden, turn over again so that the first side (with miso or soy mix) is down on the pan. Brush the second side with miso and soy sauce mixtures (making sure the sides match).
• When the first side has browned well (kind of a caramel color for the soy sauce ones), turn and let the second side brown.

YAKI ONIGIRI (GRILLED JAPANESE RICE BALLS) WITH PICKLED SHIITAKES

Steps:

• Prepare the filling, if using: Add the shiitakes to a medium saucepan and top with cold water by a couple of inches. Stir to combine. Heat over medium-low just until bubbles start to break the surface. Cover and set aside to rehydrate for about 30 minutes. Once the mushrooms are tender, transfer them to a cutting board and thinly slice. (Save the mushroom stock for another use.) Toss sliced mushrooms with chile flakes, then transfer to a jar or lidded container. Top with soy sauce, mirin and rice vinegar. Cover and refrigerate. Let pickle at least 2 hours to develop flavor. They're even better after a few days and will keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.
• After the mushrooms have pickled (if using), prepare the rice: Add the rice to a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Rinse the grains to remove any excess starch, and cover rice with cold water by 1 or 2 inches. Swish them around with outstretched fingers, then drain the rice, repeating the process three or four times until the water goes from milky to just slightly cloudy.
• Pour 1 3/4 cups/420 milliliters water into the rinsed, drained rice, and give the rice a stir to distribute evenly. If time permits, let the rice soak for 15 to 30 minutes, which will help the grains cook even more evenly.
• Heat the rice over high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cover it with the lid and reduce the heat to low or medium-low. You want a low heat that is still high enough to hear the rice bubbling. You should be able to see some steam escaping from the lid; turn the heat up slightly if necessary. Set a timer for 15 minutes and let it cook, undisturbed. (No peeking, or you'll lose precious moisture!)
• After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and gently fluff the rice using chopsticks or a fork. Put the lid back on and let sit for another 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking in the residual heat. Tip the rice onto a baking sheet to cool slightly.
• While the rice cooks, prepare the miso sauce, if making hot, glazed yaki onigiri: In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, sesame oil, mirin, sugar, sake and rice vinegar until smooth and sugar has dissolved.
• Once the rice has cooled enough to be handled comfortably, brush a baking sheet lightly with neutral oil, so the onigiri don't stick, and prepare a bowl of water for rinsing your hand to prevent the rice from sticking. Form your onigiri. If using Japanese onigiri mold, press about 1/3 cup cooked rice in the bottom, press an indentation in the center to stuff with about 2 teaspoons of finely chopped filling, then top with another 1/3 cup layer of rice, pressing down with the top piece of your rice mold. Transfer onigiri to the greased baking sheet.
• If working by hand, you'll want to grab a large handful of rice, compress the rice into a ball in the palm of your hand, then press the sides to form a triangular shape, flattening it into a triangular patty. (This shaping process requires some finesse, but you can also form rounded balls and simply compress them into pucks.) Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, rinsing your hands as needed.
• If stuffing with mushrooms or other fillings, you'll need only a few finely chopped tablespoons: 1 to 3 teaspoons per onigiri, depending on the size of your rice rolls. Compress the first handful of rice in your palm. Add the filling to the center and fold the rice up the sides. (You want to make sure the filling is just in the center portion. If the rice doesn't create a seal, the onigiri will fall apart.) Top with another layer of rice and compress on all sides to form onigiri in the desired shape.
• Garnish with sesame seeds and wrap with a small rectangle of nori, if using, and serve immediately. (Onigiri can be prepared 1 day in advance, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, but should come to room temperature before being consumed.)
• If making yaki onigiri, brush the top of the onigiri with miso sauce. Transfer to the oven and broil until the glaze forms a crust that is golden and lightly browned in spots, rotating if necessary, about 5 minutes. Carefully slip a flat spatula underneath to flip yaki onigiri; brush on the other side and broil until glazed on the second side, another 5 minutes. Garnish as you would onigiri.

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 - 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.