Onigiri Appetizer Instructions
These rice balls are easy to make, and can be varied to suit the theme of your party or the age of your guests. They're a great appetizer for a Pokemon party!
Start by cooking up a recipe of sticky rice, which is a short grain sushi rice. Use the package directions. You can increase the amount of cooking water a bit to make a stickier rice if you like.
While the rice is cooking, prepare your filling ingredients. Typical filling may include some of the following: minced vegetables, minced pickled plums (umeboshi), minced pickled daikon, pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce or salt, toasted nori. (Nori, a seaweed, can help give a seafood flavor without using raw seafood or fish.) Just be sure whatever you use for the filling is not juicy, or it may drip through the rice or cause it to break up.
Once the rice is cooked, remove pot from heat and leave covered for 10-15 minutes. It should still be fairly warm. To assemble, you can either use your hands or plastic wrap, but your hands may get pretty red from handling the very warm rice. If you use your hands, dip them in salt water before each assembly, to keep the rice from sticking.
It's easier (and cooler) to use plastic wrap. Make sure it is not too thin or flimsy. Use a piece of plastic wrap to line a small teacup, draping it over the sides and onto the table. It needs to be large enough to wrap around the whole ball and twist at the top. Sprinkle a little water into the plastic-lined cup, and sprinkle a little salt over that. Shake out any excess.
Start with a couple tablespoons of rice in your palm or teacup. Make an indentation in the center. Add about a half tablespoon of filling. Put another tablespoon of rice on top. Close your other hand over your rice hand or gather the wrap and twist it at the top, and press firmly enough to make the ball hold together, without smasing it too hard.
To serve immediately, remove from wrap and place on serving dish. You can keep reusing the same piece of plastic wrap for making the rest of the rice balls.
Sprinkle balls with toasted white or black sesame seeds, and bits of dried seaweed.
Options:
- Let the guests mix their own! Keep the rice warm on a hot plate, turned very low, and keep the rice pot covered, with a damp towel draped over the pot and under the lid to keep it moist. Have precut plastic wrap, or a roll of it nearby, so the guests don't have to get their hands messy--unless they want to.
- To save some for later, you can keep them wrapped individually in the plastic wrap, freeze, and microwave when ready to use. (Use microwavable plastic wrap if you plan on doing this!)
Tip: If you haven't made rice balls before, have an experienced guest help you, or try out the recipe before the party to get the hang of cooking the rice and shaping the balls, and to see what combination of flavors you like.
Note: We're vegans, so our instructions don't include the fish or seafood traditionally used in making Onigiri, though you certainly may include them in yours, if you want!