Hungry? Have Some Onigiri

Every country has at least one food type associated with it. For example, Italy = pizza, India = curry, China = dimsum, and Japan = sushi. Trying the new gastronomical delights the world has to offer can be quite daunting. For many of us, food should be comforting, hence the popular term “comfort food.” It recalls to us the tastes and smells of familiar things we grew up with.

Onigiri (お握り) wasn’t something I was familiar with—not part of what I ate when I went out to a Japanese restaurant. But when I had my first taste of it, it was a match made in heaven! Onigiri is typically made from white rice and molded into triangular or oval shapes. It is filled with anything salty or pickled (natural preservatives). Since it’s filling, delicious, and easy to eat on the go, it’s a popular Japanese snack.

I use a special contraption to make a perfect triangular onigiri. It’s available in most Asian groceries and is so easy to use. It makes my creations seem like something you would buy at any convenience store in Japan.  Here’s a simple recipe you can try.

Ingredients
4 cups cooked Japanese rice
2 pieces Nori (seaweed) cut into 2 inch wide strips
Salt to taste

Filling:
Use any traditional filling such as bonito flakes mixed with pickled plum (umekaka), flaked cooked salted salmon (shake or shiozake), cooked salty cod roe (tarako), or pickled plum (umeboshi).
The easiest filling (and a personal favorite) is 1 can of tuna or salmon in brine seasoned with a dash of soy sauce and sugar.

Preparation

The secret—use freshly cooked, hot rice.
Moisten your hands and fingers before handling the rice so it won’t stick.
Spoon some rice into the onigiri shaper, then about 1 tsp of filling, top with more rice, and then make the form.

Remove the onigiri from the mold and gently press on it until it is packed and firm. Wrap seaweed on one end of the onigiri.
You can also sprinkle some black sesame seeds around the rice for added visual appeal.

If you don’t have an onigiri mold, you can still form triangular or oval-shaped onigiri using your hands by cupping the rice and molding it. Onigiri can be any shape you want, with whatever filling you like best. Whichever you choose, it will make a perfectly healthy and filling snack you can enjoy!