Chef Rika’s Favorite Onigiri [Japanese Cooking] – Dining with the Chef
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Onigiri—Japanese rice balls—are a classic home-cooked dish that anyone can make. Chef Rika and an expert show us ways to make delicious onigiri, starting from the beginning: cooking the rice.
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(1) Cooked Rice
Ingredients (Serves 1)
– 3 cups of short-grain rice (450 g)
– 3.6 cups of soft water (648 ml)
Directions
1. Gently rinse the rice in water in a bowl. After that, discard the cloudy water. Repeat this process 7 times.
2. Drain and set aside for 30 minutes, allowing to dry.
3. Place the rice in a pot, add water and soak it for 30 minutes.
4. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and cook for 13 minutes. Now the cooked rice is ready.
(2) Onigiri
Ingredients (Serves 1)
– For Tuna-mayo Onigiri:
– 150 g cooked rice
– 2 pinches of coarse salt
– 35 g canned tuna
– 1 pinch of black pepper
– 1 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably Japanese)
– 1/2 sheet nori (seaweed)
For Ume Onigiri:
– 150 g cooked rice
– 2 pinches of coarse salt
– 1 umeboshi (salt-pickled plum)
– 1/2 sheet nori (seaweed)
Directions
1. Prepare the onigiri fillings.
Tuna-mayo: Mix the tuna with mayonnaise and black pepper.
Ume: Remove the seed from umeboshi.
2. Spread the cooked rice on plastic wrap. Make an indentation in the center and add the filling. Then, cover it with the surrounding rice.
3. Sprinkle salt on both sides of the rice, wrap and gently press 7 times to form a triangle.
4. Cut the nori in half and toast over an open flame. Wrap the nori around the onigiri.
(3) Yaki Onigiri
Ingredients (Serves 1)
– 100 g cooked rice
– 1 tbsp soy sauce
– A pinch of sugar
Directions
1. Squeeze the cooked rice tightly into a triangle shape.
2. Toast the onigiri in a non-stick pan over low heat for 13 minutes, turning to golden brown on all sides.
3. Mix soy sauce and sugar in a bowl. Brush it over the toasted onigiri.