Japanese Onigiri Rice Balls

Name: Japanese Onigiri Rice Balls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Snacks
Ingredients: 800g uncooked short-grain sushi rice; 1.1 litres water; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons Bonito flakes (Japanese dry fish flakes); 2 sheets nori (dry seaweed), cut into 3cm strips; 2 tablespoons sesame seeds; 2 sliced pickled radish

Rated 5 stars by 7 users

Servings

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Calories

140

Onigiri originate from Japan and are often found in Japanese bento boxes. They are fun to make and you can stuff them with anything you feel like. Try substituting in smoked salmon, ham, beef, pork or barbecue chicken.

Ingredients

Directions

Wash the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear. Combine washed rice and 1.1 litres water in a saucepan. Bring to the 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 to cool.
Combine 250ml 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.

Recipe Note

If you are not sure about making onigiri with your hands or handling hot rice you can use a piece of cling film to mould the rice. Alternatively, take a look at yepss.co.uk's great collection of easy-to-use rice ball moulds.