One of Japan’s favorite snacks, onigiri are easy to make and can be seasoned with various fillings. This is a basic recipe for pickled plum rice balls.
What could be more Japanese than rice balls! It’s sort of a laid back version of maki sushi, filled with various ingredients such as spicy cod roe (mentaiko), okaka (bonito flakes with soy sauce), tarako (salty cod roe), tuna mayonnaise, kombu (Japanese pickles), salmon, and my favorite – pickled plum – called umeboshi in Japanese.
Onigiris are great as a snack as they are healthy and filling. They are easy to carry around (they even fit in a purse!) and don’t require reheating.
This recipe is very basic, and feel free to change the filling to whatever ingredient you like. I chose umeboshi because I love the salty, tangy, pickled taste of Japanese pickled plum. And in case you were wondering – yes, my blog is named after this plum because it’s the first Japanese food I fell in love with at the tender age of 4.
How To Make Good Japanese Rice
A couple of tricks to make good Japanese rice:
- Soak your rice for a few minutes while gently massaging the grains. Keep doing this until the water turns milky white. This removes some of the starch. Do it 2 or 3 times until the water is almost clear.
- If you are making rice on a stove top, put the lid on and leave it alone! Open and closing the lid can affect how the rice cooks. Instead, use a timer – this way you won’t have to worry about under cooking or over cooking the rice.
- Use a rice cooker. I only make rice in a rice cooker. It’s fail proof and the end result is far superior to stove top cooked rice.
Did you like this umeboshi onigiri recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Onigiri Recipe (Japanese Rice Balls)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 onigiri 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegan
Description
One of Japan’s favorite snacks, onigiri are easy to make and can be seasoned with various fillings. This is a basic recipe for pickled plum rice balls.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked Japanese rice, preferably short grain Japanese rice (it’s stickier than medium grain)
- 8 pickled plums (umeboshi), pitted
- Nori sheets
- Salt
Instructions
- If your rice is freshly made and warm, skip this step. If you are using refrigerated cooked rice, place it in a microwave proof bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 1 minute. The rice should be soft and warm. You may need to microwave for an additional 30 seconds.
- Season the rice with a little salt while gently folding it over (do not over mix it otherwise the rice will get mushy).
- Wet your hands with warm water – I like to keep a small bowl of water next to the rice – and scoop about 1/3 of a cup of rice. Firmly shape it into a triangle or a ball (otherwise it may fall apart easily), and make a dent in the middle.
- Place 1 umeboshi in the dented area, press it in, and wrap a sheet of nori big enough to hold the entire rice ball. Repeat the same for the remaining onigiris.
Notes
Onigiri is best when eaten fresh. If you wish to save the onigiri for later, save them without any nori wrapping, as it will wilt. Wrap each onigiri in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Before eating, microwave for 30 seconds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 onigiri
- Calories: 129
- Sugar: 1.6g
- Sodium: 1.2mg
- Fat: 0.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28.6g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 2.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Questions and Reviews
Onigiri for breakfast or midnight snack!!! Yay! The bast!