How to Make Japanese Onigiri (Rice Balls) おむすび

Ingredients

• ½cup/310g rice (uncooked) (*1)
• 1 nori (seaweed) sheets  ( *2 )
• 1 seeded umeboshi pickled plum
• 2 tbsp of bonito flakes (*or 2.5g if you have a kitchen scale)
• ½ tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp mirin
• 95 g tinned tuna (*3)
• ½ tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• 1 piece Salted salmon (*4 )

Steps

1. 1

   Cook the rice according to your rice cooker or if you don’t have a rice cooker, follow the instructions here. *5

2. 2

   Transfer the cooked rice to a separate bowl to cool it down. I used a Japanese wooden bowl*6 for sushi making.

3. 3

   Prepare all the fillings that you are going to use and set aside. *7 see some suggestions

4. 4

   I used Umeboshi (pickled plum), Okaka (bonito flakes), and Tuna. For Umeboshi, deseed the plums then divide the flesh into three chunks. For Okaka, place bonito flakes into a small mixing bowl and combine with soy sauce and mirin. For Tuna, drain the brine or olive oil and mix with 1 tbsp mayonnaise.

5. 5

   Prepare seaweed sheet (nori). ＊8

6. 6

   Place plastic wrap over a rice bowl.

7. 7

   Place ⅙ of the cooked rice ( 3/4 cup or 120g) over the centre of the plastic wrap and make a well.

8. 8

   Put about 1tsp of umeboshi (or any fillings of your choice) on the centre of the rice then cover with the rice around.

9. 9

   Wrap the plastic wrap over the rice and squeeze and mould the rice into a triangle shape with your hands.

10. 10

    Remove the plastic wrap and cover the bottom of the rice triangle with a nori sheet and set aside.

11. 11

    Repeat the same steps as above to use rest of the rice with other fillings that you prepared.