Onigiri are Japanese rice balls which are often eaten during picnics or as take-out food. For this recipe we used chicken teriyaki, but other filling variations can also be used.

Rice molds can easily be found in Japanese stores. If you cannot find any, you may form the rice into balls or patties using your hands.

 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 chicken thigh fillets

1 cup cooked Japanese rice

Nori or seaweed wrappers, cut into 2 inch rectangle strips

Rice roll mold

For the teriyaki sauce:

1/2 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon dashi powder

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

3/4 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 tablespoons water

 

First, prepare the sauce by combining half a cup of water, brown sugar, mirin, sake, soy sauce, dashi and grated ginger in a medium sized saucepan over high heat. Bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for a minute.

Dilute the cornstarch in the remaining water. Add it to the sauce and cook it for 2-3 minutes or until it thickens. Let it cool completely.

Place the chicken in a baking dish or a re-sealable bag. Pour in 1/2 cup of the prepared sauce. Marinate it in the refrigerator overnight.

Fry or grill the chicken for 3-5 minutes or until they are soft. Transfer it to a chopping board and cut it into 1/4 inch cubes.

Put 1/4 cup of cooked rice in the mold. Fill it with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cooked chicken. Add some of the reserved teriyaki sauce. Cover the mold and let the rice take the shape.

Slowly remove the molded rice. Dip the nori in water and place it at the bottom of the rice roll. Repeat it for the remaining ingredients. Serve warm or chilled.

 

Photo Courtesy Of: Zooey_