9/03/2013

Cooking rice balls so called onigiri :)


Today I'd like to introduce how to cook 'rice ball', so called "onigiri" or "omusubi" in Japan. Let's start cooking, shall we? :)


 Japan has some unique ingredients though, you could use what you can get in your place.  Baked salmon, vegetables such as cucumber, whatever :D At least you need rice, but that's it.


 First, preparing rice. Basically rice balls are made for eating outside like a picnic! (I like picnic a lot by the way ;)) Naturally, we have to make it cool. Use a fan, or just leave the rice sometime while you're cutting or cooking some toppings on it, it's also good for cooling the rice.


 This time I put sesame and dried seaweeds which is sliced :D


And some flavor as well!


 I prepared another basin to make the rice half potion, I mean, make rice half and half. Why? Because I wanted to enjoy two kinds of flavors of rice balls ;)


 In Japan, we use rice called "Japonica rice", which is rather sticky. We cook it with our hands. In order not to stick rice on my hands, I dipped them in water a moment, then start triangulate rices. 'Why the triangle shape?' You would think. Well... I don't know :P There are many other shapes like rounded, box-shaped and so forth. It all depends on you ;)

Tip: If you have a cling wrap for foods, it's way easier making rice balls by using it :D


 Use your two hands and try to make it triangle shape.


I added a Japanese apricot that is pickled, yes, a common topping for rice ball.


 It has a seed in it, you know. I always take it off so that I don't chew it during eating the rice ball. When we buy rice balls with Japanese apricot at stores, it all depends on sellers whether they remain a seed or not. And you can't tell it until you eat. So please careful when you eat rice balls which include it.
 When you eat it which I made? It never contains seed, so no worry! ;)


I made four of them. Look, they are different sizes, something are not even triangle shapes, yes, my mistake, haha.


 This is it, dried laver seaweed, we call it "Nori" by the way. Let's wrap rice balls with it :)


 Before explaining anything, forgive me for my left wrist :( I should have hidden it... :(


 Laying down seaweed thing and put the rice ball on it. Then,


 Wrap,


 Wrap,


 Wrapping!



 Here it is :)

 Rice ball is really easy to cook. Actually you don't even need seaweed things like I just said above. Only rice, that's it and I also like plain one! I hope you will cook, eat and like it ;)

15 comments:

  1. おはよう^^
    Your onigiri looks really good, I wish I could taste it right now.
    I made them once, they didn't look as professional as yours, and I couldn't find うめぼし. But they tasted really good ^^
    I should make them again ;D this time with your tips and tricks. I could take them to college for lunch, yumm!
    ありがとうね!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzanne_san, Good morning :)

      No, they weren't that good shapes you know, if Japanese people see these photos they would sigh, haha :D
      I'll try to cook it again to make it better, better, and better :)

      You can make うめぼし by the way, my mother also makes it like every year.
      And you also can make alcohol called "Ume-shu" means Sake with Japanese apricot at home!
      Yes, cling wraps are really useful!
      I can't do anything without them! (;´▽`A``

      Delete
    2. The shape was not perfect, but you did put effort in it and that's important as well ^^.
      When I made mine I didn't use cling wrap either, but like you said. It is quite convenient.

      Wait, I can make うめぼし by myself? How.. ?
      Maybe you can put this in your next mail to me ^^

      じゃあね!

      Delete
    3. Suzanne-san, good morning :)

      You're right, doing my effort was the most important thing I thought, and that's why I decided to update these photos :)

      I checked some recipes out on web sites earlier this morning and found it takes moths to leave Japanese apricots with salt, and after that we have to dry them outside at least three days without any rain.
      Hmmmm....seems difficult?
      Let's talk about it in E-mail :D

      Delete
  2. hello!
    people may say making Onigiri is easy
    but by looking and reading your blog I must say! you can really cook!
    羨ましい!私は簡単なパスタしか作れない(笑)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Megu-san, hello there ;)

      Hmmm....it's difficult for you to cook Onigiri?
      Maybe we have to cook it together sometime? :P
      Ah!
      Cooking pasta is way difficult than onigiri! Especially when you make sauces for pasta.
      I worry if you go with instant one, your place is such a great to eat, so cook with someone and taste it, I recommend^^

      Delete
    2. pasta sauce is super easy!! As long as you add tomatoes (in any kind of form, like fresh ones, purée, or mashed tomatoes) nothing can go wrong. I always like adding finely sliced paprika, and eggplant. ;)

      Delete
    3. and of course fresh herbs like basil.

      You can also make a nice mixture of Mediteranean herbs (for example fresh basil, oregano), good quality olive oil and anchovies. Just blend it together. The taste may be strong but on boiling hot spaghetti it's amazing ^^

      Delete
    4. Yes, it could be easier to make pasta though, if we want to make it tremendous one, well, that's another topic, haha :D

      I really like vongole bianco (you know I'm a big fan of clams!) and I've cooked hundreds times.
      Not perfect yet!
      So difficult!!

      Delete
  3. Oh I know your Vongole Bianco, I've come across many of your picture of that dish. It always looks mouthwatering. I like clams as well, too bad that they're expensive here in Holland :S
    じゃあね!
    How are you doing these past few days by the way?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's right! I'm a Vongole Bianco addict you know ;) Due to extremely humid and hot days, I hadn't cooked pasta these days. Seemingly, the weather is gradually getting calm and mild^^
      Thank you Suzanne-san, I'm pretty fine recently :D

      Delete
  4. The first time I ate one of those flavour packets, I was so fascinated.
    But nice blog by the way. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello there! Thank you for commenting on this post :)
      Did you taste some flavors for rice balls?! Nice :D
      I found some cooking books that focus on rice balls with unique flavors like cheeses.
      I have to try it! ;)

      Delete
    2. I've actually never tasted rice balls before but I'll have to try some one day! :D

      Delete
    3. Oh, I'm sorry for my misunderstood :( If you have rather sticky rice called "Japonica rice", you can easily make it :D

      Delete