Onigiri are considered one of the popular dishes of Japanese cuisine. These are rice balls with filling. They are usually made in the shape of a triangle or oval, and are wrapped in nori seaweed on top. Rice bun or ball is the Russian name for onigiri.
The recipe for this dish is simple. Only special products are needed that are also used for making sushi and rolls. Traditionally, they are stuffed with pickled vegetables, fish, seafood and even fruit. Finding out how to cook onigiri is easy. Let's look at a few recipes.
Onigiri. Fish recipe
For the base of the balls you will need: rice, rice vinegar, sugar, salt. For the filling, use slightly salted red fish. Rice is the main product for the preparation of onigiri. Sushi and rolls are made from a special variety of Japanese cereals, which is sold in supermarkets in special departments. There you will find other ingredients.
The method of cooking rice
Take a pan, pour rice into it. Pour water 1-2 cm above its level. Stir and drain the water. Repeat the procedure several times. Rice must be cleaned of dirt and starch. It is convenient to use a pan with a transparent lid to monitor the process. In washed rice (300 g), pour 300 ml of water. Bring to a boil and turn off the stove. Wait about 15 minutes. Do not open the cover. If suddenly the foam began to actively rise to the lid, then raise the saucepan over the fire and wait a bit.
In a separate container, mix sugar, salt and rice vinegar. Mix the finished rice with this mixture. Proceed carefully so that the grains do not crumple. Cool rice to 40 degrees. You can use something like a fan or a fan to let the cooling process go faster. The filling should already be ready. That is, the fish must be cut into small pieces in advance. There are special forms for onigiri. Their use significantly facilitates the formation of balls. If they are not, then act with your hands and plastic gloves (so that the groats do not stick to your palms). Take part of the rice, roll the ball, make a hole in it and put the filling there, then glue the recess with another part of the groats so that the onigiri do not fall apart. The recipe, as you can see, is simple. Complete the process - wrap the bun in nori.
Some tips
If you know a few secrets, it will not be difficult for you to prepare onigiri. The recipe for this dish can be adapted to various fillings. This can be ordinary canned fish, pollock or salmon caviar , pickled cucumbers with soft cheese, shrimp or Japanese toppings - umeboshi, sea eel, natto, kombu seaweed. When making rice, do not delay the process. The longer it stands, the more sticky it becomes. Wrap balls with nori seaweed before serving. Do not leave onigiri for a long time, otherwise the nori will spread and lose its appearance. If you need to leave the balls until the next day, then wrap them in a bag and put in the refrigerator. During the day, nothing will happen to them for sure.
When preparing rice according to any of the recipes, consider your taste preferences. Sometimes you need to change the proportions. To make onigiri will become easier if you use a regular plastic bag. Cut off his corner. Put the right amount of rice in it, add the filling, close up the top. Use the triangular edge of the bag to shape the rice.