Onigiri, Japanese Rice Balls

By Rhonda7447

Ingredients

• Optional Onigiri fillings:
• 1 tsp good quality fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups hot, cooked Japanese white rice
• 2 strips of toasted nori seaweed (cut into 2-inch strips)
• Small mixing bowl, filled halfway with water to dip your hands
• Small kitchen towel, dampened
• Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums)\
• Shibazuke (a mix of pickled cucumber and eggplant, sold at most Asian market)

Details

Adapted from lovelylanvin.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Set up the mixing bowl filled 3/4 full of water and the damp kitchen towel (rolled up) in front of the bowl and a small dish with the sea salt.
2. Dip both of your hands into the water and pat them on the towel to get the excess water off of your hands (You do not want your hands dripping with water, this will make a soggy Onigiri). Grab a pinch of the sea salt, place the salt into one hand and rub your palms together to make sure the salt is evenly distributed.
3. Grab half of the rice and gently, but firmly, press the rice into a ball first and then start shaping it into a triangle with your hands. If you have a problem getting it into a triangle shape you can leave it in a ball shape.
4. With your thumb create an indentation in the center of the rice triangle. Place a piece of the Umeboshi or Shibazuke into the hole. Pat the rice over the hole to encase the filling. Repeat with the remaining rice.
5. Wrap each Onigiri with a piece of the nori right before you eat it so it won't get Soggy.
Preparation for Japanese Steamed rice:
(1 cup rice to 1/1/4 cups water)
In a heavy saucepan, rinse the rice well, messaging it with your hands and pouring out the cloudy water and adding fresh water until the water is almost clear. Drain water well after the final rinse.
Add the water to the pan, place over high heat and cover the pan tightly. Bring to a boil (the lid will start to bounce) and then immediately reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and leave the rice covered in the pan for an additional 15 minutes. (Do not remove the lid while doing this). With a rice paddle or spoon, fluff the rice.