Simple Shio Onigiri (Salted Japanese Rice Ball)
Shio onigiri is a basic rice ball made with sticky Japanese rice, salt and crispy nori. Despite its simplicity, it's filling, tasty and satisfying. It only requires 3 ingredients and is great for beginners!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 7 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 700 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 1/2 tbsp salt (fine sea salt is recommended)
- 3 sheets roasted seaweed for sushi (nori) (cut into strips)
- 1 bowl ice cold water
Instructions
- 1
Set up a bowl of ice water, 1/2 tbsp salt and 700 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice.
- 2
Wash your hands thoroughly and then submerge them into the bowl of icy cold water for about 15-20 seconds. This will stop the rice sticking to your hands.
- 3
Rub 1-2 pinches of salt over the palms your hands. This not only adds the flavour to the rice ball, but also helps preserve the rice.
- 4
Take a handful of warm cooked rice and pressing the edges while turning to form a triangle shape. My technique is "press and turn" until the onigiri becomes a firm triangle shape. (Don't handle the rice for too long, quicker is better.)
- 5
Repeat until you've used up your rice (you should be able to make 5-6 rice balls) and then wrap each onigiri with nori.
- 6
Eat straight away or put in your lunch box with an ice pack. Best eaten the same day.
- 7
Enjoy!