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Recipe: Onigirazu (Japanese Rice Ball for 2015 or What To Do with Leftover Asian Steamed Rice)



You probably only clicked on this because you thought "what the hell is that?" when the photo popped up on your screen. This is a modernized version of a traditional Japanese onigiri, yet another idea that I got from Ochikeron's youtube channel to which I have linked below. They are very simple and I make them for L.'s lunch every time I have extra steamed rice.

Recipe

For one onigirazu

Place some plastic wrap on your counter.

Lay a piece of seaweed on top of it. Place 1/2 cup cooked Asian rice in the middle.

Top with the filling of your choice. In the photo below I used a gorgeous piece of Scottish salmon that I had poached in soy sauce and rice wine. I have also sent L. to school with onigirazu stuffed with smoked salmon and avocado, pickled plums, furikake, poached shrimp, crunchy cucumber that I lightly dressed in vinegar first - anything that goes with rice will work.


Top with another 1/2 cup of rice and then fold the 4 corners of the seaweed inwards to form a ball. At this point the onigirazu will be a misshapen mess.

Fold the 4 corners of the plastic wrap so that they meet. Holding the onigirazu in one hand and the 4 corners of the plastic wrap in the other, start spinning the onigiri slowly. The plastic wrap will tighten and the onigirazu will take shape.

Original concept, much better explained, here. Ochikeron makes pretty ones that she cuts and uses as part of a bento box; I make an actual rice ball which can either be cut in half or bitten directly into.

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