Hello

Welcome to Yet Another Cooking Blog.

As you may have guessed, this is a blog about cooking - in particular my cooking. It has been mentioned to me several times that I seem a little obsessed with food, so I have decided to blog about my menus, my successes, my failures and anything else that springs to mind

Saturday 16 April 2011

Tuna and broccoli onigiri

I thought I would show how I make onigiri.  Onigiri are Japanese rice balls, often eaten as a snack, or with a bento lunch.  These ones have been made mainly for my daughter, but as I made so much rice, I thought I would do some adult sized ones as well.

Onigiri are traditionally triangular in shape, and it is MUCH easier if you have a mould.  You can shape them by hand however.


Tuna and broccoli onigiri


Ingredients (for 5 large and 8 small onigiri)


2 cups (not mugs) of sushi rice
3 cups of water
1 tsp bonito flakes (optional if for babies)
1 small tin of tuna in springwater (the individual portion size)
5 pieces of broccoli, cooked al dente and finely chopped
1 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp salt (reduce if for babies)
1 tsp caster sugar
wasabe coated sesame seeds (optional)

1.  Wash the sushi rice thoroughly until the water is clear.  This may take 4 or 5 rinses.
2.  In a saucepan with a lid, put the rice, the bonito flakes and the cold water and put the lid on firmly.
3.  Put on the heat.  As soon as it comes to the boil, reduce to a simmer and time for 10 minutes.  Do not take off the lid at any time.
4.  Once the 10 minutes are up, turn the heat off, and leave the rice in the saucepan with the lid on for a further 10 minutes.  This will fluff up the grains in the residual steam.
5.  whilst the rice is resting, in a small pan, put the mirin, rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt (if using) and heat softly to dissolve the sugar.  This is your sushi vinegar mix.
6.  Once the rice has finished resting, put into a wide based dish.  Sprinkle some of the sushi vinegar mix whilst turning the rice with a spatula.  Be careful not to squash the rice, you do not want it turning into sticky mush.  Keep working the rice until all of the grains are coated in the sushi vinegar, and the rice is only luke warm.
7.  Keep turning, whilst mixing in the tuna and broccoli until it is thoroughly mixed.


8.  If you have a mould, fill to approx 3/4 full, then put the top on and press.  Turn out onto greaseproof paper or a cake paper case.  If you don't have a mould, take a small handful, and shape between your two hands in your palms.



9.  If you are coating with sesame seeds, pour the seeds on a plate, and rest each side of the onigiri in the sesame seeds (they will easily stick).


They are now ready to be enjoyed!

There are many other ways of making onigiri, with a pickled plum in the middle, seaweed on the edges, spicy, plain, they are only limited by your imagination.

I hope you like them

No comments:

Post a Comment