How do you cook onigiri?

Answer 1

Onigiri are balls of rice with sweet or savory fillings that are decorated with Nori (seaweed).
There are many different variations, but they start with freshly cooked rice. The rice needs to be the traditional Japanese short grain variety.

The basic steps are:

1. Cook the rice
2. Add sushi seasoning (rice vinegar, rice, salt) and fold until combined with the rice (This step is optional, if you skip this step do step 5)
3. Spread rice out on a tray and allow to cool
4. Prepare fillings5. If you did not add the sushi seasoning, prepare a mixture of salt water. Cover you hands in the briny solution before handling the rice.
6. Take a ball of rice, press in a hole and put in fillings, plug with a dab of rice and mold into the desired shape.

(Some innovative cooks use plastic wrap, salt the wrap before covering the ball of rice, then mold and pat the rice into shape without getting your hands all gooey)

Onigiri are ready to eat at this point, but are also delicious grilled without any special filling at all.

(There are many different rice molds available - from a basic triangle to Hello Kitty)

Onigiri are compact, portable, and delicious.


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