Onigiri is a popular Japanese snack made with rice that is shaped into a triangle or ball and filled with various ingredients, such as fish, vegetables, or pickles. But finding Japanese rice can get really hard. So, in this recipe, we substituting the traditional Japanese rice with an alternative, while also still enjoying the savoury flavours and satisfying textures of this beloved dish.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of short-grain or medium-grain rice (short-grain rice works best)
1 1/2 cup of water
sesame seeds
nigella seeds
2 cans of tuna (I'm using Rio Mare Tuna packed in olive oil)
1-2 spring onions
1 carrot
salt
pepper
1 tbsp of regular mayo (or Japanese mayo)
OPTIONAL: nori sheet
INSTRUCTIONS
FILLING
Drain your tuna and add it to a mixing bowl
Add a tsp of salt, sesame seeds and nigella seeds
Cut your spring onions. I'm using 2 spring onions, but use more (or less) to your liking!
Peel one carrot, shred it and add it to the mixture
Add 1 tbsp of mayo to the bowl and mix. The amount of mayo you add is also up to you
Now set the filling aside (in the fridge) and start preparing your rice
RICE
Wash your rice. Don't do it more than two or three times, because you still need some of that starch to make it sticky
Add it to a low pot. For every cup of rice, you add about one and a half cup of water. You can also use the finger method to measure your water to rice ratio. If you have a rice cooker, just use that!
Bring it to a boil and once the water hits the rice (touches the rice) and starts forming bubbles in the rice, lower the heat and cover your rice. Let it
Remove the pan from the pot and let it steam for a few more minutes
Add your sesame seeds, nigella seeds and a pinch of salt to your rice
ONIGIRI
For the onigiri, I'm using a small bowl to help me form the onigiri, but it's not a necessary step.
TIP: wet your hands so the rice doesn't stick to your hands. You can also place the rice in plastic foil to help form the onigiri without having sticky rice hands.
First check if your rice mixture is cool enough to handle. Once it is, moisten both of your hands with water
Spread out about half a cup of rice out on the palm of one hand (or the small bowl if you're using one)
Place one tablespoon of the tuna mixture in the center and start forming the rice mixture into a ball around it
Press firmly to make sure the rice sticks together
You can form it into the traditional triangle shape or you can keep them as little balls
Do this until all your rice and tuna is done!
OPTIONAL: You can cut some nori into strips and wrap it on one edge of your triangle
Bon appétit!
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