Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

• servings: 10 servings
• active time: 45 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups (360g) Japanese short-grain rice

1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using table salt, use half as much by volume1 1/2 cups (355ml) warm water, about 90ºF (32ºC)Suggested fillings: tuna-mayo, finely shredded salted salmon (shiozake), umeboshi, and/or another filling of your choice (see notes)

2 sheets nori, cut into ten 1- by 4-inch rectangles, plus additional sheets for wrapping (optional)

1/2 cup (59g) furikake (Japanese rice seasoning), optional

Directions

For the Rice: Place rice in a large bowl and cover by 2 inches with cool water. Using your hands, vigorously swish rice until water turns cloudy, about 30 seconds. Using a fine-mesh strainer, drain the rice, discarding the cloudy water. Refill the bowl with cool water, and repeat rinsing and draining process until the water runs clear. Transfer drained rice to a 4-quart pot or rice cooker, cover with 2 3/4 cups (650ml) water, and cook the rice according to package or rice cooker directions.

To Assemble: Set up an assembly line. Place all your fillings on a rimmed baking sheet to your left, and cover the work surface in front of you with plastic wrap. In a medium bowl, stir to dissolve 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in 1 1/2 cups of warm water. (This will prevent the rice from sticking to your fingers and help to season the onigiri.) Place this bowl, along with the vessel of cooked rice, uncovered, on a heat-proof mat, towards the top of your plastic-covered surface.

Line a large plate or another rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap and set this to your right (this is where your finished onigiri will go; the plastic will prevent the onigiri from sticking to the baking sheet).

If using an onigiri mold, scoop about 1/3 cup (65g) of rice into a 7.5- by 4.5-centimeter onigiri mold . Using wet hands, pat the rice into the mold. Wet your finger and use it to make a small indentation in the center of the rice ball, and fill it with 1 to 2 teaspoons of your desired filling. Top filling with an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice. Cover with the lid and gently but firmly press down. Remove the lid, then press the button on the back of the mold to release the shaped rice ball. Using wet hands, transfer the onigiri to the prepared baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining rice and fill with your desired fillings.

If using your hands , scoop about 1/3 cup (65g) of rice onto the plastic wrap and, using wet hands, gently and firmly shape the rice into a triangle. Use the palm of your hand to flatten slightly. Using a tip of a small spoon or a wet finger, make a small indentation in the center of the rice ball, and fill it with 1 to 2 teaspoons of your desired filling. Top filling with an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons of rice, pressing to seal. Using wet hands, cup your hands around the onigiri to press it more firmly into a triangle. (It is essential to press firmly to make sure the grains stick to one another and the onigiri can hold its shape.) Transfer the onigiri to a plate or the prepared baking sheet lined with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining rice and fill with your desired fillings.

To (optionally) coat the outside of your onigiri in furikake, place the furikake in a shallow bowl and dip each side of your onigiri into the seasoning until all three sides of the triangle are generously coated.

To (optionally) wrap in nori, place a 1- by 4-inch rectangle of nori on the bottom of the onigiri, then fold upwards to middle of the rice ball. Alternatively, you can wrap the onigiri in a sheet of nori right before eating. (See notes.)

Enjoy onigiri warm or at room temperature within 2 hours of making.

Notes

https://www.umami.recipes/recipe/mMa4yQvCp6IqPtO2DXwr

Nutrition

• Calories: 60 kcal
• Total Fat: 0 g
• Saturated Fat: 0 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 167 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 13 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 1 g