Onigiri with tuna
12 servings
90 minutes
Onigiri are Japanese portioned rice balls with a filling inside. This is an ideal snack in every sense. Firstly, it is filling: each portion contains a decent amount of rice, and therefore carbohydrates. Secondly, it is portioned and convenient: onigiri are taken with you on the road, to work, given to children at school. They are convenient to eat on the go with your hands. Thirdly, it takes a few minutes to prepare and does not require any special culinary skills, even easier than rolls, no bamboo mats. They are extremely popular in Japan : there are even specialized stores that sell only onigiri. There are no mandatory ingredients other than rice. Chicken, meat, fish, vegetables can be inside. Both something specially prepared and left over from cooking other dishes, for example, leftovers from an omelet, salads, meat trimmings, etc. are an ideal representative of the utilizotto genre, so beloved by our editorial team.
1
Prepare the necessary ingredients.
2
Rinse the rice well with cold water until the water runs clear. Then, cover it with cold water and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Sushi rice: 450 g
- Water: 625 ml
3
After that, strain it through a sieve and let it drain for 15 minutes. Then, pour fresh water over the rice in a thick-bottomed pot, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to the minimum and cook for 12-13 minutes or until the rice has fully absorbed the water.
- Sushi rice: 450 g
- Water: 625 ml
4
Remove the cooked rice from the heat and let it sit covered for another 10 minutes. Then stir it with a wooden spoon and let it cool slightly. You should continue working with warm rice.
- Sushi rice: 450 g
- Water: 625 ml
5
Mash the tuna with a fork and mix it with mayonnaise.
- Canned tuna: 200 g
- Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie-style): 50 g
6
Wet your hands with water to prevent the rice from sticking. Then rub your hands with salt: dip three fingers in the salt shaker and spread the salt on both hands.
- Coarse salt: to taste
7
Take a grain of rice in your hand and make a dent in its center.
8
Place the filling (it should be three times less than the rice), fold the rice to cover the filling completely. Carefully shape the rice into a triangle.
9
Stick strips of nori onto the ready onigiri.
- Dried nori seaweed: 2 pieces
10
Serve with soy sauce.
- Soy sauce: to taste
