Filled with a variety of fillings, these rice balls are the perfect quick snack and a great alternative to sandwiches. In this article you will learn how to make onigiri using ingredients familiar to the Japanese.

How is onigiri different from sushi?

If a person is not familiar with Japanese cuisine, then he could easily mistake onigiri for one of the types of sushi, but this is not so. One of the key differences between the two is that onigiri is made with plain cooked rice, while sushi is made with steamed rice seasoned with vinegar, salt and sugar.

Filling options for onigiri

Due to its popularity in Japan, onigiri fillings can be purchased at a variety of stores. There are even specialized points where the range of fillings is amazing.

At the time when onigiri was invented, refrigerators did not yet exist. So the Japanese came up with a method to keep rice fresh longer by adding salty or sour ingredients as natural preservatives. This is why salt is rubbed into your hands when you make onigiri, so that the rice stays fresh for a longer time.

The most common fillings for onigiri in Japan are:

• sha-ke (salted salmon);
• umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum);
• okaka (bonito flakes dipped in soy sauce);
• kombu (boiled kombu seaweed);
• tuna mayo (canned tuna with Japanese mayonnaise);
• tarako (salted cod).

These days, onigiri fillings are more creative. You can use any leftovers from a previous meal, such as chicken or shrimp. You can also try making onigiri with mixed rice instead of plain white rice.

Thanks to their convenient compact shape, these small rice balls are easy to transport and eat with your hands. You can enjoy onigiri as a quick snack, or a school/work lunch, or a picnic. Very often they are an integral part of bento boxes.

1. Use freshly cooked rice. Let the cooked rice cool slightly before cooking. When you make onigiri, it should be warm.

2. Wet hands. It is important to wet your hands with water to prevent the rice from sticking. To do this, place a bowl of water next to you.

3. Salt your hands. Salt both hands and rub them together before you start cooking. This will help the onigiri last longer.

4. Make enough effort. When you shape the onigiri, use enough force to prevent the rice from falling apart later.

5. Use a kitchen towel to preserve onigiri for the next day.. If you want to make onigiri for breakfast the next day but don't want to get up early, here's my advice. Wrap the finished onigiri (previously placed in a plastic container) with a thick kitchen towel to protect the balls from the cold in the refrigerator. Rice will freeze in the refrigerator, but this easy trick will keep your onigiri cool enough to avoid spoiling.

Like everything else, making onigiri correctly comes with practice. To make it better for you, use the step-by-step instructions and/or watch the cooking video that will be added at the end of the article.

Ingredients

For rice

• 2 cups uncooked Japanese short grain rice;
• 2.5 cups of water.

For onigiri

• kosher salt;
• 4 sheets of nori (seaweed);
• salted salmon;
• okaka;
• tuna mayo;
• 3 umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum);
• seasoned with kombu;
• sesame seeds.

For salted salmon

• 1 salmon fillet;
• kosher salt.

For okaka

• 2 packs Katsuobushi (dried bonita flakes) (2 packs = 6g);
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce.

For the tuna mayo

• 1 canned tuna (70 g);
• Japanese mayonnaise 2 tbsp;
• half tbsp. soy sauce.

Recipe

Prepare all ingredients.

1. Cooking rice

Place the rice in a large bowl, rinse gently in a circular motion and drain. Repeat this process about 3-4 times.

Let the rice sit in the water for 30 minutes. After this, place the contents of the bowl into a sieve for 15 minutes to allow the remaining water to drain.

When the water boils, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and continue cooking for 12-13 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed. After this time, look into the pan and if you see any water remaining, close the lid and continue cooking for another minute or so.

Remove the pan (with lid) from the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. Then place the rice on a large plate. Let the cooked rice cool slightly so that you can handle it without burning yourself. However, do not let the rice cool completely.

2. Preparing the filling

While the rice is cooking, you can make the fillings.

Salted salmon: Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of salmon fillets. Bake at 200 ºC degrees in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove the skin and divide the meat into small pieces.

Umeboshi: Place umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) on a 10cm x 10cm piece of plastic wrap. Fold in half and squeeze out the seeds from each umeboshi. Discard the seeds and save the pulp.

Okaka: Place katsuobushi (dry bonita flakes) in a bowl and add 2 tbsp. soy sauce. Mix thoroughly so that the soy sauce does not remain at the bottom of the bowl.

Tuna mayo: Place canned tuna in a bowl and add 2 tbsp. Japanese mayonnaise and half a tbsp. soy sauce. Mix.

Kombu: Place purchased seasoned kombu in a bowl for easy access.

3. Making onigiri

Cut the nori sheets by a third.

Wet both hands with water.

Then put some salt in your palms and rub them together. How much salt? I dip 3 fingertips in the kosher salt shown in the picture below. If you use table salt, use half as much as it is saltier than kosher salt.

Take a handful of warm rice in your palm. Create a small indentation in the center. Place some filling in it (any of your choice). Then fill the filling with rice.

Gently shape the rice into a triangle. For this I use three fingers (thumb, index finger, middle finger). Use just enough force so that the onigiri doesn't fall apart, but don't overdo it.

Wrap the ball in nori (seaweed).

Place some filling on top so you know what the onigiri comes with.

An Alternative Method for Making Onigiri

If you don't want to touch the rice at all, you can place plastic wrap in a bowl and place the rice on top. Sprinkle with some kosher salt (remember, salt is used to preserve the rice for a long time).

Pull the edges of the cling film and twist it several times.

Form a triangle shape as described above.

Once the onigiri are ready, sprinkle them with sesame seeds and serve. Bon appetit.

Onigiri is a very common Japanese dish that looks like balls or voluminous triangles of rice with various fillings. Most often, onigiri is additionally wrapped in dried seaweed, lettuce, and sometimes in an omelette or thinly sliced ​​ham.

A little history

Onigiri was originally exclusively a peasant food that commoners took to work in the fields. Since old Japan was an exclusively agricultural country, this type of food became widespread. Even aristocrats began to take the prototype of onigiri - tonjiki - when going on a picnic or hunting. In our time of blurring borders and increased interest in national characteristics, art and cuisine of different nations, onigiri, as well as sushi, pizza or pancakes, are known in almost every corner of the world.

By the way, these rice balls are in no way related to sushi, since only unleavened rice is used for its preparation (unlike sushi).

Common to all recipes

Before you cook the rice balls, you need to prepare the rice properly. The cereal is thoroughly washed under running cold water until the flowing liquid is clear. Washed rice is boiled in salted water. It should become soft, but not boiled. When ready, drain the water, transfer the rice to a colander and let it cool slightly.

Most times when rice balls are made, the recipe calls for dried seaweed. They can be replaced with more accessible greens: parsley, arugula, mint or sorrel. Many recipes and tips on how to make rice balls use one or another filling that is not mixed with the rice, but placed inside. This is done simply: a deep hole is made in a ball formed from rice, where the desired mixture is carefully placed with a teaspoon. After this, the hole with minced meat needs to be sealed. The ball is slightly kneaded and rolled in your hands to compact the finished onigiri.

The simplest onigiri

Even a person who is very far from cooking can prepare such rice balls. Cook a saucepan with freshly cooked rice for 15 minutes. wrap it in something warm (plaid, blanket, terry towel), finely chop the greens, heat the sesame seeds for 5 minutes in the oven. Add greens to the steamed rice, and salt if necessary. Form balls, roll in sesame seeds, serve with any sauce.

Onigiri and vegetable sauce

Here are the other rice balls, Japanese ones. Their recipe is as simple as the previous one, and the highlight is the sauce.

Form the cooked rice into balls, roll them in flour and fry them evenly in oil. For the sauce, cut hot red pepper, zucchini, bell pepper, leek into strips and fry them in vegetable oil. After this, pour in a quarter cup of classic soy sauce, add salt, add spices to taste, squeeze out the garlic - a couple of cloves - and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Place the onigiri into the vegetable sauce and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring gently.

Rice balls with cheese

Let's move on to the next dish. These original Japanese rice balls (a recipe in which rice is successfully combined with cheese and capers) will demonstrate the features of Far Eastern cuisine and will become a table decoration.
For 300 g of rice you will need 100 g of cheese, 1 clove of garlic, 3 lemons, black pepper, vegetable (preferably olive) oil, capers, parsley. Add the zest and juice of one lemon, finely chopped parsley, crushed garlic, pepper, salt to taste, grated cheese and pre-cooked rice to the olive oil. Mix everything very thoroughly, form balls, place them on thin lemon slices, garnish with capers on top.

Free balls

Carefully beat the egg, two tablespoons of sugar, salt to taste and a pinch of cinnamon, add about 100 g of flour, mix thoroughly. Add previously cooked rice and knead the dough. Roll the rice into balls and deep fry, turning regularly and carefully. Place the finished onigiri on paper napkins and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Onigiri with minced meat

Chop one small or half a medium onion and fry in olive oil, then add 200 g of minced meat (preferably mixed, such as pork and beef) and a quarter glass of wine (dry white). With regular stirring, wait for the wine to evaporate, add a tablespoon of tomato paste and water so that the liquid covers the entire minced meat. Salt, pepper, add basil or oregano.

Simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and transfer the minced meat into one container and pour the sauce into another. Pour some of the sauce into the prepared rice, making sure that the mixture does not turn out to be too liquid, add a couple of tbsp. spoons of grated Parmesan and egg, mix thoroughly. Form rice balls, putting a little minced meat and a small piece of cheese in the middle, dip them in a beaten egg, roll generously in breadcrumbs and fry in olive oil until golden brown.

Such balls are also made with liver (chicken, turkey, rabbit, beef). The recipe is similar, except that the selected liver is fried in sour cream sauce. Then the liquid is decanted, and the liver is passed through a meat grinder.

You can prepare balls with minced meat using a simpler recipe. In this case, minced chicken is taken: the fillet is passed through a meat grinder, salted and fried in vegetable oil. When ready, add cheese to the minced meat and mix everything until smooth. The prepared rice porridge is made into balls, into which the resulting minced meat is placed. The balls are also dipped in egg, rolled in breadcrumbs and fried, or even deep-fried.

Onigiri with umeboshi

Umeboshi - the so-called dried Japanese plums, are actually salted (pickled) Japanese apricot fruits. This is a recipe in which rice balls are filled with two types of filling: salmon and umeboshi.

Already cooked and slightly cooled rice is divided into two parts. Triangular onigiri with umeboshi are formed from one half. These products are wrapped in one strip of nori seaweed. Grilled salmon, peeled from skin and bones, is kneaded until smooth and mixed with the second part of the rice. Onigiri of the same triangular shape are created from the resulting substance, but they are not wrapped in seaweed, but sprinkled with sesame seeds. Usually 2 balls are placed per serving - with salmon and with umeboshi.

It should be noted that onigiri made according to this recipe are formed quite large, for example, for 4 servings, i.e., 8 units of balls equal a kilogram and a quarter of rice and 200 g of salmon. They turn out to be relatively large and differ from ordinary products in their shape. But essentially it’s the same thing.

I would like to add at the end: Japanese cuisine is quite simple to execute, the products (even seaweed) are available and inexpensive. So don't be afraid to experiment and have an unforgettable Japanese evening.

Today I want to offer not so much a recipe as a serving method. Children especially like rice balls, although adults also like this serving. If you prepare this side dish in advance, it stores well in a tray in the refrigerator. Serve rice balls as a side dish with meat, fish, vegetables and all kinds of cutlets and appetizers.

To prepare the dish we will need the products indicated in the list.

Rinse the rice thoroughly in several waters until the water becomes clear. Place in a sieve to drain thoroughly.

Place the rice in a ladle, fill with cold water, and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, and immediately remove from heat.

Now let's start decorating. Place cling film or a food bag on a cutting board. Place two full tablespoons of prepared rice porridge on it in the center.

We gather all the ends together and begin to twist them in one direction. Roll it between your palms to form a beautiful bun.

That's it, the rice ball is ready. Place on a plate and sprinkle with finely chopped dill.

A popular dish of Japanese cuisine, onigiri is a miniature snack in the form of small balls of rice with a variety of fillings.

Onigiri is often mistaken for a type of sushi, but this is a misconception. Onigiri is made from plain boiled rice, without adding a vinegar dressing, as is used to make sushi.

The filling, as a rule, includes only 1-2 components. The filling can be absolutely anything, but the traditional ones are: lightly salted salmon, salted pollock or cod roe, pickled plums, tuna flakes (bonito), salted kombu seaweed.

Initially, such rice balls were a way to preserve the remains of “yesterday’s” rice for later use - the salty or sour filling acted as a natural preservative and increased the shelf life of rice in those days when they had not yet heard of refrigerators.

Onigiri is a healthy and tasty alternative to pies and sandwiches; they are great for breakfast or a light and healthy full meal during the day, a picnic and an outing.

Thanks to the stickiness of rice, onigiri holds its shape perfectly, which allows the cook to give free rein to his imagination in decorating the dish. Just a few pieces of nori and a snow-white rice ball comes to life, turning into a panda, a bird, a fish, a house or a funny weirdo. Needless to say, such a “bun” instantly arouses children’s interest?!

Making onigiri at home is very simple.

Cover the rice with cold water. Massage the rice with your fingers and rinse thoroughly. Change the water several times until the water becomes clear. Add 450 ml of cold water to the washed rice. Bring the rice to a boil and cook for 13–14 minutes without opening the lid or stirring.

You can use sushi rice or other short-grain glutinous rice to make onigiri.

For the filling, cut the fillet of lightly salted salmon or salmon into small pieces.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of cream cheese and stir until the cheese is evenly distributed.

Leave the finished rice covered for 10–15 minutes, it will steep and cool slightly. Cool the rice to a temperature that allows you to hold the rice in your palms without burning it.

Before you start shaping the onigiri, you need to salt the rice. The traditional way to do this is to wet your hands with water and rub a pinch of salt in your palms or dip your hands in salt water. This method is suitable if you also sculpt and shape onigiri in the traditional way - with your hands.

To make your life easier and simplify this process as much as possible, you can also use special molds or cling film, in this case salt is added to the hot rice; additionally, you can add a little sesame oil as a flavoring and mix everything lightly.

When all the components are ready, you can begin assembling the onigiri. Place 1-2 tbsp on a piece of cling film. rice

Place some filling in the center.

Lift the cling film by the edges and, wrapping it, form a ball of rice around the filling. Shape the onigiri into the desired shape. It can be a ball, an oval or a traditional triangle.

Onigiri or Japanese rice balls are ready.

Ready-made onigiri are traditionally decorated with a wide strip of nori at the base of the triangle. Onigiri is eaten with your hands and a strip of nori has practical significance in this case - the rice will not stick to your hands while eating.

You can also additionally decorate the onigiri with pieces of nori, fish, tuna shavings, salted caviar, sesame seeds, depending on your taste and mood. You can serve onigiri on its own or with soy or other sauces.

Are you already familiar with onigiri - Japanese rice balls? We promise: onigiri will definitely become the highlight of your menu - both during lunch with colleagues, as a healthy snack for your children during recess, or as a convenient provision for your next trip. We will tell you how rice balls are prepared in the homeland of this dish - in Japan.

What is the difference between onigiri and sushi?

You need to know that onigiri is not a type of sushi - it is a separate dish, a method of eating and storing rice. Japanese peasants have long prepared balls of plain rice and took them with them to the field for a snack. And sushi appeared as a form of storing seafood and, in particular, fish, so rice with vinegar, sugar and salt is used to prepare it.

How to prepare onigiri

The word "onigiri" comes from the verb "nigiru" and in Japanese means to squeeze, which reflects the way the dish is prepared. Onigiri is made from boiled warm glutinous rice. Squeeze the rice in your palm to form balls, triangles or squares.

The products are stuffed with vegetables or meat, and in Japan, in addition, they like to decorate them with cute faces made from sheets of nori. We'll show you where to start if you decide to try Japanese rice balls.

How to make onigiri: Mix rice with fish and herbs, then form into rice balls

Asian fast food made from rice not only looks funny at times, but is also mainly a useful and practical filling product for satisfying hunger in between. For those who don't like raw fish and rice vinegar seasoning in their sushi, plain rice onigiri is a great, tasty alternative. In Japan, you can buy onigiri in a variety of flavors everywhere, and they are always present in lunch boxes, or containers with food that you take on the road.

Rice for onigiri

To ensure that onigiri retains its shape, it is best to use sushi rice or other round grain rice that sticks together well. Before cooking rice, it must be thoroughly washed. When warm, boiled rice lends itself best to shaping. However, you should let the cooked rice cool slightly to avoid burning your hands.

Rice is traditionally used plain, but if desired, you can use the same seasonings as for sushi, such as rice vinegar, or add a mixture of Japanese spices. The mixtures are called Furikake, and they come in a variety of flavor variations such as fish, kelp, sesame seed or soy.

Onigiri Seasonings – Japanese and International Flavors

Although simply dipping the onigiri in soy sauce makes the combination taste great, you can also stuff the small rice balls as you wish. Typical Japanese filling: fresh or dried fish. So, you can, for example, take strips of smoked salmon or tuna pate.

Fruits or vegetables, such as crispy fresh bell peppers, diced avocado, shredded broccoli, or striped cucumbers, are delicious additions. To stuff onigiri, just make a small depression in each portion of rice, place the filling there, and cover it with rice.

How to shape onigiri: rice balls, squares, triangles

Now let's move on to sculpting onigiri. This procedure must be performed with moistened hands - but do not use too much water: heavily moistened rice will quickly lose its stickiness. It is also important not to squeeze the products - otherwise the rice will begin to fall apart and it will turn out dry and tasteless.

Onigiri comes in three basic shapes: balls, triangles and squares.

✔ Rice balls are the easiest to form and stuff.

✔ Square onigiri, in turn, will help save space, fitting perfectly into a tight lunch box.

✔ Forming triangles requires the most skill, but they are the ones that most often make fun figures.

Decorating onigiri using nori sheets and other products

Ready-made onigiri can also be decorated. Nori sheets work best for this - thin sheets of seaweed can be cut with scissors like paper.

Onigiri wrapped in nori

To begin with, it’s worth, for example, decorating onigiri with thin strips, and after gaining a little skill, you can wrap them completely. In addition, nori sheets provide another advantage: those who enjoy onigiri can avoid touching the glutinous rice with their hands, and fingers will remain clean when handling onigiri wrapped in nori. By the way, nori sheets are ideal for fun decor - with creativity and imagination, using pieces of nori you can use onigiri to make soccer balls, pirates, cute faces or even Pokemon.

Like classic sushi, onigiri can be decorated with other ingredients that, at the same time, add piquancy, for example, onigiri is often rolled in black or white sesame seeds. In Japan, a popular option is onigiri mixed with fried scrambled egg flakes. It's also a good idea to roll unseasoned onigiri in a spice mixture. By the way, onigiri can also be fried in a frying pan or even on the grill - then the outer layer will be crispy.

Onigiri recipe

Ingredients for making onigiri

• round rice, 210 g (cup)
• filling
• dried nori seaweed, 6 strips 1 cm wide
• sesame seeds for sprinkling

How to cook

1. Pour the washed rice into two glasses of water in a saucepan, let it boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes until all the water has evaporated. After this, leave the rice to cool to room temperature or lukewarm.

2. Prepare a solution of water and salt. With your hands soaked in salted water, separate the rice into balls.

3. Lightly squeezing the bun in your palm, make a depression into which you add the filling, about a level teaspoon. It is important not to squeeze the onigiri while cooking, otherwise they may fall apart.

4. Cover the hole with rice.

5. Form the resulting balls into onigiri of the desired shape - triangles, squares, ovals or balls. Wrap onigiri in strips of nori and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Fillings for onigiri

Almost any seafood you prefer can be used for the filling. Among them are salted fish, red or black caviar, shrimp, etc. You can even cook rice balls with sausages and fried minced meat. There are also special molds for onigiri, which are a pleasure to cook in.