In Seoul, all I wanted to eat for a quick lunch were
Kimbap. There are delicious, healthy, and filling, and I love them.
Nevertheless, they're a bit time-intensive to make. What about their Japanese counterpart then, Onigiri ? Those are Japanese rice balls, often shaped into triangles, and wrapped partially in a sheet of nori (seaweed).
Well, of course it would be simpler. And equally delicious. I love the minimalistic approach of Japan when it comes to cooking ; I've learnt that the Japanese principle of
wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in simplicity and imperfection, influences many aspects of Japanese culture, including cooking. The idea is to appreciate the purity of the ingredients and the craftsmanship in preparation without unnecessary embellishments.
The Onigiri recipe follows this principle. You won't have any authentic Japanese filling that contains more than 3 to 4 ingredients. Yet, I kid you not, the end result is much more than the sum of its ingredients.
When you bite into a pretty Onigiri, you get the moist, fluffy rice, that acts as a pillow of comfort. This rice itself must be well-seasoned, and for that purpose, I draw out my ultimate weapon :
furikake. It is a popular Japanese seasoning powder which is typically used over rice, and often includes dried fish like bonito flakes, sesame seeds, seaweed, salt and sugar. The one I used is
Furikake Piritto Umai - Togarashi, with red pepper and bonito flakes and I absolutely adore it. But feel free to find your favourite amongst the huge variety that exists !
Then for the filling, the most authentic ones are the following :
- Japanese pickled plum (umeboshi),
- Bonito flakes moistened with soy sauce (okaka),
- Salted salmon (shake),
- Tuna mayo,
- Simmered seaweed (kombu),
- Salted cod roe (mentaiko).
Being a basic Westerner, I'm a huge fan of the
simple tuna mayo version. I simply decided to make it mine by adding some
Buldak hot sauce (for my spicy ramen lovers, you know what I'm talking about!!) and
chives.
I must admit I'm not too fond (yet) of the authentic Japanese vegetarian versions of Onigiris with umeboshi or kombu. Therefore, I thought of my vegetarian friends and made a simple
Korean-Japanese fusion one, with
Kimchi !!
Spicy Tuna / Kimchi Onigiri - Recipe
Ingredients - Advice & key points
- It is important to use short-grain rice here, so that it is sticky enough to shape the Onigiris. Nowadays, you can find it in your grocery store !
- Try to pick an oil-based canned tuna. I know, oil + mayo seems unhealthy, but remember that the oil is drained and that you barely put a tablespoon of filling per onigiri. I've tried the recipe with a non-oil-based canned, and it was definitely less tasty.
- For the Buldak sauce, you'd likely need to go to an Asian store to find it. But simply use your usual hot sauce instead !
- Also, if you want to buy :
- Onigiri molds, and
- Onigiri Packagings,
you'll either find them in Asian stores or online !
Recipe - Advice & key points
- I advise you to use onigiri molds for this recipe. I've already formed my onigiris by hand, and you can definetely do it too, but it takes more time to make and is more irregular than the mold version.
- You can keep the Onigiri in the fridge on the day you make them, or even overnight, but definitely use :
- a first layer or cling film to wrap them,
- then, 1 (or 2!) kitchen towels to wrap them again, so that they'll be protected from the excess cold ! The rice becomes too dry with the direct cold effect.
- I don't recommend keeping it longer than overnight. If you do, simply make grilled Onigiri (Yaki Onigiri) instead ! Brush the leftover onigiri with soy sauce or miso paste and grill them in a skillet until they develop a crispy, golden-brown crust.
All set ? Let's dig into it !