How do you make onigiri/riceballs?!
How do you make onigiri/riceballs?
I have to make onigiri for my Japanese class and I have no idea how. What ingredients do I need? Do you have any tips?
Answers: Well make sure when you cook the rice not to rinse it, and for internal stuffing, anything goes, red bean paste, Uni (sea urchin), meats and fish.
It is up to you, I find if you make sure the rice is completely cooled it works best, and you fillings are not to runny, for identifying them either put pieces of parsley or a piece of red bean or in Japan they use the preserved plums (umiboshi).
I had them many times when I was working in Japan, and it is an art form there, and the fillings are the best part. Make sure you use Japanese style rice. Boil it, preferably with a nice big piece of Kombu, and let it cool - enough to handle it, you don't want it cold.
Wet your hands, make balls and coat their exterior with salt.
You can poke a hole in the center of your onigiri and place some japanese pickles in the center, or some japanese pickled ginger, pickled cucumber, plums, bonito flakes, tuna, pork, chicken, etc etc.
Once your onigiri are made, roll a strip of nori on the outside.