Ingredients
-
Japanese Short-Grain Rice
About 150g (1 bowl portion) of freshly cooked rice.
-
Salt
As needed for seasoning your palms.
-
Your Favorite Filling
Tuna Mayo, Grilled Salmon, Umeboshi, etc.
-
Nori (Roasted Seaweed)
1 sheet per onigiri (rectangular).
Preparing the Rice
Transfer freshly cooked rice into a bowl. Use a wet rice paddle to gently fluff the rice with a "cutting" motion to incorporate air.
Wait a moment until the rice is just cool enough to handle, but still warm.
Secret to Fluffy Texture
Do not stir or mash the grains. Keeping the rice airy and warm is the secret to a perfectly fluffy texture.
Preparing Your Hands
Lightly wet both hands with water.
Why wet hands?
This prevents the rice from sticking to your hands, making it much easier to shape.
Press the tips of your first three fingers (index, middle, and ring fingers) into the salt so it sticks to your wet skin.
Rub your palms together to spread the salt evenly across both hands.
Filling & Shaping
Place a portion of rice in one hand and use the fingers of your other hand to create a small well in the center.
Place your filling of choice into the well. Next, cover the filling with a small amount of rice and gently fold it in to hide the center.
Cup one hand to act as a "base" and use the other hand to form a "triangle roof" over the rice.
Gently press and rotate the rice ball several times to form a triangle shape.
The Soft Handshake
Use gentle pressure, as if giving a soft handshake. Never press too hard, or you'll crush the rice grains and lose that fluffy texture.
Wrapping with Nori
Prepare a rectangular sheet of Nori with the rough side facing up, then place the onigiri in the center. The shiny side will become the outside.
Fold both ends of the Nori toward the center. Fold the remaining Nori at the bottom upward along the base of the onigiri.