Edible Delights: Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

Monday, January 28, 2008

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

DISCLAIMER: When I categorize dishes "Vegetarian", I standardize it on the absence of poultry and meat such as chicken, duck, turkey, beef, or pork. I don't consider ingredients such as eggs which come from poultry or seafood vegetarian because I know many vegetarians who eat these ingredients without complaint.

My friend wanted me to make onigiri for her, so I decided to practice. Onigiri is Japanese rice balls. You mix rice with furikake (Japanese rice seasoning), cooked salmon, or whatever you feel like. You mix the ingredients together and shape them into triangles. So, why they're called balls, which are round is a mystery for me, too. I'm not a fan of cooked salmon, so I used what's nothing more than "fancy furikake." It's a marketing gimmick. It's packaged differently, and there's a picture of onigiri on the cover. I purchased it because I like the flavor, and I couldn't find that flavor for cheaper. This one is umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) flavored.

4 cups of freshly cooked Japanese-style rice (I recommend Kokuho Rose brand)
Filling of choice such as bonito flakes moistened with soy sauce, flaked, cooked, salted salmon, chopped up tsukemono (pickles), or my personal favorite: furikake

Wet your hands with cold water so that the rice won't stick to you. Sprinkle adequate amount of filling over rice and mix in with your hands. Taste test it to make sure that there's enough flavor. Add more, if necessary. Then, take enough rice into your hands to form the triangular shape shown on the photo. Use your thumb and insert it into the bottom of the triangle. Add 1 teaspoon or so of seasoning inside and cover it up, again. (This is a recommendation I chose to ignore because the amount of seasoning you add varies on the intensity of the flavor. I found that adding 1 teaspoon was too salty. I also felt that the flavor of the furikake was adequate without adding a little extra). Continue following the same steps until all of the rice is used up. I made little balls with the remainder rice.

NOTE: There were other instructions I selectively ignored. It's suggested that you lightly salt your hands after wetting them to keep the rice from sticking. I felt uncomfortable doing that because I feel that the water keeps the rice from sticking well enough. Plus, I don't know exactly how much salt to add on my hands. I've had success in the past, but I've also had success making onigiri without using salt. I don't like the idea of using a method that doesn't work sufficiently enough for my standards that can ruin the entire recipe. Overly salty onigiri is no treat. And there's no recovering from that. I did add some filling inside some of the onigiri (the part of the instruction about inserting your thumb into the bottom of the triangle). I found the flavor too intense, so I skipped that step for the rest of them. I just don't like tasting the seasoning in one center but not everywhere else. The suggestion probably works better for salmon or another type of filling that isn't as salty. I've heard that the only way to make onigiri is with hot rice, but I've also heard the contrary. I personally prefer making onigiri with warm or cool but still soft rice. Trying to make onigiri with hot rice makes mixing in the ingredients properly a challenge. I don't like my hands burning especially if it makes me feel like I'm doing an inadequate job. Sushi uses cold rice. I don't see how this would be any different. As long as the rice is still sticky and soft, I think it's fine. If you want to eat it warm, I think it's great to wrap nori (seaweed) around the rice. But I like eating it cold because I find it refreshing. Plus, I think it looks nicer without the odd looking nori around it.

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Appetizers 1) Guacamole 2) Prosciutto and Carrot Bundles 3) Smoked Salmon Spreads 4) Asparagus Wrapped Bacon Beans 1) Fried Chickpeas 2) Lemon Garlic Chickpea Dip 3) Lentil Beans 4) Pinto Beans 5) Refried Beans Beverages 1) Appletini 2) Avocado Smoothie 3) Black Russian 4) Cosmopolitan 5) Garlic, Honey, & Lemon Tea 6) Japanese OJ 7) Lemon Drops 8) Lemonade 9) Malibu Rum and Coke 10) Mango Energizer Drink 11) Mint Julep 12) Peanut Butter Smoothie 13) White Russian Breakfast 1) French Toast 2) Pancakes Casseroles 1) Tuna Noodle Casserole Desserts/Snacks 1) Almond Macaroons 2) Asian version of Jell-O 3) Baked Apples 4) Brownies 5) Cranberry Roll-Up Freezer Cookies 6) Crystallized Ginger 7) Jam Cookies 8) Pan Fried Apples 9) Peanut Butter Cookies 10) Potato Chips 11) Spiced Nuts 12) Tapioca Pudding 13) Asian Cookies 14) Stuffed Roasted Strawberries 15) Deathening Cake 16) Ritz Mints 17) Lime Meltaways Eggs 1) Baked Eggs 2) Deviled Eggs 3) Egg Casserole 4) Ham and Cheese Mini Frittatas 5) Hardboiled Eggs 6) Overeasy Eggs 7) Poached Eggs 8) Sunny Side Up 9) Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce 10) Soft-boiled Eggs 11) Fried Eggs Grains 1) Lemon-Infused Quinoa 2) Tabbouleh 3) Garlic Fried Rice 4) Quinoa Potato Croquettes with Carrots and Curry Flavor Japanese 1) Onigiri Meat 1) Balsamic Vinegar Infused Burger 2) Beef Stroganoff 3) Braised Lamb Chops 4) Herb-Roasted Lamb with Baby Potatoes 5) London Broil 6) Marinated Lamb Chops 7) Meatballs 8) Meatloaf 9) Pineapple-Glazed Baked Half Ham 10) Pork Chops 11) Pork-Rib Dinner 12) Yogurt Marinated Lamb Kabobs 13) Sloppy Joe's 14) Broiled Lamb Chops 15) Korean-style Marinated Pork Pasta & Noodles 1) Baked Macaroni and Cheese 2) Farro Spaghetti with Three Kinds of Garlic 3) Lasagna 4) Mushroom Risotto with Peas 5) Primavera Orzo 6) Pasta Salad with Lemon-Pesto Dressing 7) Tortellini Salad 8) Chicken Alfredo Pasta with Broccoli 9) Your Basic Pasta with Pasta Meat Sauce (tomato based) 10) Beef and Broccoli Top Ramen 11) Korean marinated beef, mizuna, and poached eggs in top ramen 12) Spaghetti Carbonara Pickles 1) Cucumber Kim Chi 2) Kim Chi 3) Pickled Cucumbers 4) Pickled Eggplants 5. Nippy Carrots 6) Raw Cultured Vegetables (green cabbage, broccoli, carrots, garlic, onions, green apple, string beans, white and black peppercorn) Poultry 1) 40 Garlic Cloves with Chicken 2) Buttermilk Fried Chicken 3) Chicken Pot Pie without the Pie 4) Chicken Rice Bake 5) Chicken Salad 6) Chicken with Roasted Lemon and Rosemary Sauce 7) Cornish Hens with 40 Garlic Cloves with Lemon and White Wine 8) Curry Marinated Baked Chicken 9) Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon 10) Greek Garlic Chicken 11) Lemony-Buttery Marinade Turkey 12) Mughlai Chicken 13) Nutty Chicken 14) One-Pan Chicken and Vegetables 15) Roasted Chicken 16) Saucy Broccoli Turkey Bake 17) Sesame Coated Chicken Strips 18) Thai Basil Chicken 19) The Angry Bird 20) Grilled Chicken 21) Roasted Chicken with Lemons, Asparagus, and Potatoes 22) Creamy Stuffed Pastry Bites 23) Chicken with Bacon, Tomato, and Thyme 24) Lemony Chicken Scallopini 25) Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken 26) Braised Chicken Wings 27) Daven's Sweet Chicken Drumsticks 28) Roasted Chicken with baby tomatoes, black olives, fresh basil with lemon juice 29) Turkey Meatloaf with Carrots, Corn, and Potatoes 30) Baked Chicken Salads 1) Asparagus, Green Beans, and Hearts of Palm Salad 2) Mesculin Salad with Super Citrus-y Dressing 3) Cucumber in Lemon Juice and Salt 4) Fruity Salad: spinach and grapefruit 5) Greek Salad 6) Italian Chopped Salad 7) Mango Salad 8) Papaya Salad 9) Tomato Salad 10) Tossed Salad with Lemony-Mustard Dressing 11) Zesty Cabbage Salad with Garlic and Lemon 12) A Lazy Girl's Salami Salad 13) Greens with Kombu seaweed and Oyster Mushrooms 14) Kale and Pear Tomatoes 15) Farmer's Market Fresh Purslane, Pear tomatoes, Roma Tomatoes, and Cucumber Salad Sandwiches 1) Grilled Cheese Sandwich 2) Ham Sandwich 3) Salami Sandwich Sauces 1) Cranberry Sauce 2) Pesto Sauce 3) Pico de Gallo Seafood 1) 4 Minute Spicy Garlic Shrimp 2) Poached Salmon 3) Salmon Cakes 4) Shrimp Boil 5) Scalloped Salmon and Sweet Potatoes 6) Swordfish Baked in Foil with Mediterranean Flavors 7) Japanese-style Sashimi Salmon with Shiso Leaves 8) Baked Swai (seasoned with lemon juice, ginger, marjoram, and other miscellaneous seasoning & spices) 9) Baked Swai (seasoned with lime juice and pico de gallo) 10) Braised Mussels in a Garlic White Wine Sauce 11) Braised Mussels in a Cream Sauce 12) Baked Fish (tilapia or swai) seasoned with Green Garlic, Sliced Garlic, Spicy Red Peppers, and Various Herbs Slow Cooker 1) Slow Cooker Beef with Root Vegetables Soups/Stews 1) Albondigas 2) Artichoke & White Bean Soup 3) Cauliflower Soup and Garlic 4) Chicken Soup for the Sick 5) Chinese Herbal Soup 6) Clam Chowder 7) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup 8) Crab Soup 9) Cream of Bok Choy Soup 10) Cream of Mushroom Soup 11) Creamy Tomato Soup 12) Escarole & Meatball Soup 13) Italian Wedding Soup 14) Lester's Veggie Soup 15) Minestrone Soup 16) Mini Meatball Soup 17) Mondongo 18) Morrocan Stew 19) Old-Fashioned Beef Stew 20) Portuguese Chourico and Kale Soup 21) Sinigang 22) Tom Yum Goong 23) Creamy Vegetable Chowder 24) Ten Mothers Garlic and Spinach Soup 25) Red Lentil and Bulghur Wheat Soup 26) Spicy Cream Chowder Soup Vegetables 1) Baby Potatoes with Cumin 2) Baked Creamed Spinach 3) Baked Potatoes 4) Balsamic Glazed Vegetables 5) Braised Kale 6) Braised Root Vegetables 7) Broccoli with Garlic and Soy Sauce 8) Broiled Zucchini & Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese 9) Colcannon 10) Coleslaw 11) Cooked Carrots & Peas 12) Creamed Corn 13) Garlic Fries 14) Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes 15) Greek Beans and Bacons 16) Lemon Pepper Green Beans 17) Mashed Potatoes 18) Mashed Potatoes with Wasabi 19) Oven-Dried Tomato Chips 20) Oven-Roasted Wild Mushrooms with Garlic and Thyme 21) Pesto Mashed Potatoes 22) Potato Pancakes 23) Potato Wedges 24) Ratatouille 25) Roasted Asparagus 26) Roasted Garlic 27) Roasted Butternut Squash 28) Roasted Carrots, Zucchinis, and Potatoes 29) Sauteed Baby Artichokes 30) Sauteed Mushrooms with Garlic 31) Shish Kabobs 32) Slow Cooked Brussels Sprouts 33) Spinach Dip 34) Steamed Whole Artichokes 35) Stirfried Zucchinis 36) Tomato Stuffed Italian Dried Bread Crumbs with Parmesan Cheese 37) Tomato Vegetable Casserole 38) Zucchini Spaghetti 39) Zucchini Sticks 40) Roasted Purple Peruvian Potatoes 41) Roast Fingerling Potatoes 42) White Asparagus with Orange Butter 43) Garlic and Herb Tomatoes 44) Steamed Asparagus 45) Mediterranean Roast Vegetables (zucchinis, tomatoes, carrots, and garlic skin on) 46) Spicy Green Beans with Garlic 47) Carrots Glazed with Balsamic Vinegar and Butter 48) Moroccan Beet Salad 49) Braised Bok Choi 50) "Amy's" Okra and Tomatoes 51) Oven-Baked Sweet Potato Fries 52) Unblended Tzatziki 53) Raw Beet Salad 54) Braised Baby Artichokes 55) Breakfast Potatoes 56) Strawberry Fennel Salad 57) Sauteed Mizuna 58) Lettuce Blend with Beets 59) Farmer's Market Fresh Strawberry and Fennel Salad sweetened with a White Wine Vinaigrette 60) Roasted Cauliflower 61) Farmer's Market Fresh Roast Vegetables (asparagus, baby zucchini, beets, new potatoes, and paty pan squash) 62) Sauteed Brussels Sprouts 63) Ratatouille 64) Roasted Okra and Pear Tomatoes 65) Raw Grated Beets and Carrots with Thai Basil and White Wine Vinaigrette 66) PURPLE Cabbage Roasted and Flavored with Balsamic Vinegar 67) Genovese-style Artichokes 68) Mashed Potatoes flavored in Lavender, Mint, and Half & Half 69) Spicy String Beans Total Recipes Made: 248 recipes

Edible Delights

Monday, January 28, 2008

Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

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