Onigiri is Japanese packed-lunch food: a hand-shaped rice ball with a little filling, often with a belt of nori. It looks simple, and it is, but one technique separates a good onigiri from a sticky lump.
Onigiri is not sushi
The most common mistake is to use sushi rice in the sense of rice mixed with vinegar, sugar and salt. Onigiri should have plain rice. The rice is the same Japanese short-grain variety, but vinegar should never be added to it. The salt does not go into the rice either: you wet your hands, rub a little salt between your palms and shape the ball, so the salt sits on the surface. That is why onigiri tastes strongest in the first bite and milder inside, and that is part of the point.
The second technique is the nori. If you put it on straight away, it turns leathery from the moisture in the rice within an hour. In Japanese shops the nori is packed separately for exactly this reason. At home you add it just before serving.
Ingredients for eight onigiri
- 400 g Japanese short-grain rice
- 500 ml water
- 1 tsp salt for your hands
- 2 sheets of nori
- 150 g pan-fried salmon, or 1 tin of tuna mixed with 2 tbsp mayonnaise
Method
- Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs almost clear. Leave it to drain for 15 minutes.
- Cook the rice in the water under a tight lid, and let it rest for ten minutes after cooking. Do not add vinegar.
- Stir the filling together while the rice cools to warm but not piping hot. Cold rice will not stick together.
- Wet your hands in water and rub a little salt between your palms.
- Put a handful of rice in your hand, make a hollow, add a teaspoon of filling and cover it over. Shape it into a triangle with three or four firm presses. Press harder than that and the rice turns compact.
- Cut the nori into strips and lay them on just before serving.
Frequently asked questions
What is onigiri?
A hand-shaped ball of plain, lightly salted rice, usually with a filling and often with nori. It was developed as portable food, and it is still what people in Japan take along on a trip or in a packed lunch.
How do I reheat onigiri?
Take the nori off first. Around 40 seconds in the microwave is enough for an onigiri at room temperature. Straight from the fridge it needs somewhat longer. Add fresh nori afterwards.
Can I use ordinary long-grain rice?
No. Long-grain rice lacks the starch that makes the grains hold together, and the ball falls apart. Short-grain Japanese rice, the same kind used for sushi, is what you need.
How long does onigiri keep?
The same day, at room temperature, wrapped. In the fridge the rice turns hard and dry. With pickled plum or another sharp filling it keeps somewhat longer.
How to find the ingredients
The right rice is under rice, including from Yutaka. Nori sits under yaki nori. If you want flavour in the rice without a filling, furikake is a simple route. If the rest of the rice is going towards something else, see sushi at home or fried rice. Japanese mayonnaise suits the tuna filling, and we have written about it in the guide to Kewpie.
