Recipe
Onigiri (Japanese rice balls) with four easy fillings
Onigiri are the original portable lunch: seasoned rice shaped around a filling and wrapped in nori. Once you get the hang of shaping them, they take about a minute each.
Use the right rice
You need Japanese short-grain rice (often sold as sushi rice). Its starch makes the grains stick together. Long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati will fall apart. Shape the onigiri while the rice is still warm but cool enough to handle; cold rice won't hold together.
Four classic fillings
- Salmon (shake): salt a salmon fillet, broil until cooked through, then flake and remove skin and bones. Or use leftover teriyaki salmon.
- Tuna mayo: one 5-oz (140 g) can of tuna, drained, mixed with 2 tablespoons of Japanese mayonnaise and a few drops of soy sauce. Keep tuna-mayo onigiri chilled.
- Umeboshi: one pitted salt-pickled plum per rice ball, the traditional choice for keeping rice fresh.
- Okaka: a small handful of bonito flakes mixed with a teaspoon of soy sauce.
Keeping nori crisp
Nori wrapped around rice early in the morning will be soft by lunch. Some people like it that way. If you prefer it crisp, pack the nori strips separately in a small bag and wrap the onigiri just before eating.
No-touch method
Lay a sheet of plastic wrap in a small bowl, sprinkle it with salt, add the rice and filling, then gather up the wrap and twist to shape. It's cleaner, faster, and the wrap doubles as packaging.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (400 g) uncooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 2⅓ cups (550 ml) water, or as your rice cooker directs
- 1 tsp salt, for your hands
- Fillings of your choice (see above), about 1 tbsp per onigiri
- 2 sheets nori, each cut into 3 strips
Steps
- Rinse the rice in cold water, swishing and draining, 3–4 times until the water is mostly clear. Soak in the measured water for 30 minutes if you have time, then cook in a rice cooker or covered pot. Rest 10 minutes after cooking.
- Fluff the rice and let it cool until you can comfortably handle it, about 10 minutes.
- Set out a bowl of water and the salt. Wet your hands, then rub a pinch of salt over your palms.
- Scoop about ½ cup of rice into one palm. Press a dip into the center and add about 1 tablespoon of filling.
- Cover the filling with a little more rice. Cup your hands and press gently to form a triangle: one hand makes a 'roof' shape while the other presses the sides, turning the ball a third of a turn between presses. Press firmly enough to hold together but not so hard it turns dense.
- Wrap a strip of nori around the bottom, or pack the nori separately to keep it crisp. Repeat with the remaining rice, re-wetting and salting your hands each time.