Vegetable onigiri, a vegetarian recipe from Japan

Name: Vegetable onigiri
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 400 g Japanese short-grain rice; 480 ml water; 2 sheets nori, cut into strips; 4 umeboshi, pitted and chopped; 80 g Japanese pickled vegetables (takuan, cucumber or radish), finely diced; 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 1 tsp salt; A small bowl of salted water for wetting your hands

Method

Rinse the rice in several changes of water until it runs nearly clear, then leave it to drain for 15 minutes.
Put the rice and water in a saucepan, cover and bring to the boil. Turn the heat right down and cook for 12 minutes, then rest off the heat for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
Spread the rice out in a wide dish and let it cool until you can handle it. Fold the sesame seeds into half of the rice.
Set out two fillings in bowls, one with the umeboshi, the other with the pickled vegetables.
Wet your hands in the salted water, take a large handful of rice, make a dip in the centre, add a spoonful of filling and close the rice over it.
Press firmly while turning to shape a triangle, without crushing the grains. Repeat to make 8 onigiri.
Wrap each triangle in a strip of nori just before serving so it stays crisp.

Onigiri are best warm or at room temperature, never chilled, as the fridge turns the rice hard. Wrap them in film for a same-day picnic.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my onigiri fall apart when I handle them?

Usually the rice is not Japanese short-grain: its starch is what makes the grains cling together, and long-grain rice will never hold a triangle. Also check that the rice is still warm when you shape it, because cold rice no longer binds.

What can I use instead of umeboshi?

Umeboshi are salted, intensely sour Japanese plums that act here as a concentrated seasoning. If you cannot find them, lean on the pickled vegetables instead, or use a little miso paste mixed with sesame. The filling has to be salty and punchy, because the rice itself is barely seasoned.

Why wrap the nori only at the last minute?

Nori draws moisture from the rice within minutes and turns soft and rubbery. If you make the onigiri ahead, keep the nori strips separate in an airtight bag and wrap each one just before eating.

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Vegetable onigiri

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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