What’s Cookin’: Onigiris!
The weather is getting warmer and it’s almost cherry blossom season! That said, it’s the perfect time to go outside and have a picnic, alone or with someone else, and enjoy the beauty of nature while munching on some tasty onigiris! These Japanese rice balls are so versatile, you can use any fillings or flavours to your liking, and they are the perfect snack for every day, so portable and satisfying.
For this easy and delicious recipe, you will need rice (preferably sushi rice, as it is much easier), water, salt, roasted nori (seaweed), filling of your choice (canned salmon or tuna, egg, beef—anything you like!) and then optional seasoning, such as furikake (may consist of sesame seeds and flakes of green seaweed, katsuobushi bonito, or nori).
For the onigiri:
- Japanese sushi rice or any leftover rice (warm rice is the best to work with)
- 1 Tbsp of salt
- 2 sheets of nori seaweed
- Filling of your choice (my favourite is salmon with mayo, so I will insert it below. However, feel free to use whatever you prefer!)
For a salmon and mayo filling:
- 1 small can of salmon
- 1 Tbsp of Japanese mayonnaise, or regular mayonnaise if you don’t have Japanese mayonnaise
- 1/4 Tbsp of soy sauce
Preparation:
- Cut the nori sheets into thirds.
- Place a piece of plastic wrap over a small bowl.
- Place the rice on the plastic wrap so it falls into the well of the bowl.
- Sprinkle salt to taste over rice.
- Create a small well in the middle of the rice and place about 1-2 tsp of filling.
- Gather the corners of the plastic wrap and twist it a few times to tighten the rice.
- Gently form into a triangular or circular shape.
- Wrap with seaweed just before consuming to ensure the seaweed remains crispy!
If there are any leftover onigiris, be sure to wrap them in plastic wrap and seal in a container to preserve the quality. Best to consume fresh though, of course!