Think of onigiri–Japanese rice balls–as the Japanese sandwich. A parcel of rice stuffed with a variety of healthy and creative fillings, onigiri rice balls are ubiquitous in children’s lunchboxes, picnic baskets, and even in convenience stores. Tasty, healthy, gluten-free, portable and customizable–what’s not to love about onigiri?
Make sure to use Japanese rice as other types aren’t sticky enough. For a healthier onigiri, use a 50/50 mixture of white and brown rice. You’ll need at least 50% white rice to get the onigiri rice to stick to itself.
Ingredients (per onigiri):
- ¾ cup cooked Japanese rice (hot)
- filling of your choice (see below)
- seasoning of your choice (optional, see below)
- 1 strip roasted nori seaweed
Method:
- Portion the cooked rice. Put about ¾ cup of hot rice into a bowl. Allow the rice to cool just a little before handling.
- Stuff the onigiri. Shake the bowl a little to “round out” the rice inside. Turn the bowl of rice out onto a large piece of cling wrap. In the centre, make a dent and place the filling inside. Pick up the corners of the cling wrap and shape the rice into a ball, making sure to “wrap” the rice up and around the filling.
- Shape it. Using two hands, press the rice into the shape that you desire. Triangles are the most popular, but a flat, round disc is the easiest to make. Remove the cling film.
- Wrap with nori. Wrap a strip of nori around it and enjoy!
Tip: If you’re packing onigiri for a lunchbox or a picnic, simply wrap it in the cling film and pack the nori strips separately. Nori will taste best when it’s fresh and crispy.
Onigiri Variations
Fillings:
Just like sandwiches, you can personalize your onigiri with your favourite fillings. Here are just a few suggestions:
- Japanese pickles (e.g. daikon radish, cucumber or eggplant pickles)
- umeboshi pickled plum
- leftover grilled salmon
- nori (seaweed) paste
- tuna* or chicken salad
*My favourite filling is a Japanese-inspired tuna salad. Simply empty a can of tuna and add Japanese mayonnaise, miso paste, soy sauce, a touch of sugar, and if you have it, a smidgen of yuzu kosho (a peppery citrus paste)
Seasonings for rice:
To vary your onigiri, consider adding some of the following seasonings to your rice. Simply mix it into the rice in step 1:
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Gomashio (a mixture of sesame seeds and course salt)
- Furikake seasonings (a variety flavours like kelp, shrimp, salmon, etc. available dried)
- Dried or fresh shiso leaves
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