Onigiri

I went to a new grocery store.  Mitsuwa Marketplace is a Japanese grocery store with a food court in it and an additional store selling Japanese imports.  It's a condensed version of Little Tokyo without having to go downtown.

I did clip an entirely from-scratch recipe from the L.A. Times for onigiri.  I've been wanting to make this for some time.  I went on YouTube to watch the molding technique and found out there are seasoning packets.  So I cheated.

What is onigiri?  It's a seasoned rice ball, sometimes filled with fish.  They're common in school lunches, like the Japanese version of PB&J or Lunchables.  I found the seasoning packet in the children's snacks area.  There were four or five flavors and several brands.  I don't read Japanese and went by the photo and the tiny sticker on the back of each package with English nutrition information.  Pretty sure I picked the plum and seaweed version, but it mostly tasted like salt.  Next time, I'll add my own seasonings.

This made a lot because the directions on the package started with 320g of dry rice.  Fun with the digital scale.  If you go the package route, it's going to be the only part of the directions you can read. I'm posting a simplified version today which only requires items you can find in a well-stocked grocery store.  The ingredients are by volume instead of weight, and it makes less than the packet did.

1-1/2 C short grain rice such as Calrose
salt to taste
1/2 C chopped seasonings such as parsley, cilantro, green onion, carrot, sesame seeds, shredded dry seaweed etc.
Fillings like cooked tuna or pickled fruit (optional)
snack-sized dry seaweed, for wrapping

1.  Rinse rice until the water runs clear.  Add water to cover and let sit 30 minutes to start softening.  Drain.

2.  Bring rice, salt, and 2 C water to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook.  Yes, this is higher than you would normally cook rice.

3.  When the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes, stir and check consistency.  If the core of the rice is still hard, add a few more tablespoons of water and let the pot sit.  The rice will continue to cook in the residual heat.

4.  Work the rice lightly with a wooden paddle or broad spoon.  Work in seasonings.  Let the rice cool until it can be handled.

5.  Wet your hands.  Scoop up about 1/3 C of rice and shape into a flattened triangle.  If filling, poke a hole in the middle, fill with a teaspoon of filling, and patch over with more rice.

6.  Before serving, fold a strip of nori around the bottom of the onigiri to be the handle.  Serve chilled or at room temperature, and refrigerate any leftovers.

Difficulty rating  :)