Onigiri

Onigiri are Japanese rice balls, a substitute to the Western sandwich. They are the white blobs you always see anime characters eating, and sometimes decorated elaborately. You only have to search 'onigiri' on Pinterest to bestow yourself in an array of cute onigiri. Although these images look like a recipe for disaster for amateur cooks, you can easily make simple, tasty onigiri yourself. Here is my personal recipe to making scrumptious onigiri:

Ingredients:

- Haruka/Sushi Rice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Seaweed
- Fillings (tuna, mayonnaise, salmon)
- Soy Sauce

1. Place 500g of rice in 750ml of water in a saucepan. Then, leave the water to boil on a high temperature and then turn the heat down to a low simmer. Wait till all the water is fully absorbed by the rice before turning the oven off and leaving to stand.

2. It is very important to leave your rice stand for at least 30 minutes. This will make sure you don't burn yourself, as I did in the process of moulding the rice balls (oopsie!) Add 2-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and mix with a wooden spoon in the meantime.

3. Whilst leaving to stand, you can make your fillings. To make the tuna mayonnaise filling simply add 2-3 tablespoons to a bowl of tuna - of course after emptying the tuna from its can and draining it from the oil - and mix together. You can do the same with the salmon. You can also experiment with various other fillings!

4. After the rice has cooled, take some rice and mould this flat into a circle or triangle (whatever your preference). Make sure you have a bowl of water next to you because wet hands help in the process of moulding.

5. Add the filling to the middle of the mould. Get some more rice and place this on top. Secure the rice ball by rolling it between your hands. You can then shape this back into a triangle.

6. You can simply leave your onigiri as need be or add some decoration. You can cut a strip of seaweed and place in the middle of your onigiri all the way round - this can act as somewhere to grip your rice ball whilst eating. If you're feeling creative you can make faces! Cut various strips into eyes and mouths and place on your onigiri. I also cut small pieces of ham to make cute blushed cheeks for mine.

7. You're all finished and ready to eat your onigiri. Dip into soy sauce for extra pleasure :D

I am not Japanese but incorporated this recipe from different sites and knowledge from my local oriental store. There are more traditional ways to make your onigiri and this recipe is just to get you started.

Cooking food from different cultures can really broaden your horizons and helps you learn extra facts along the way. I've been immersed in the Japanese culture for a very long time and I enjoy all their food and learning to cook it myself.  Don't be afraid of trying something new to cook, even if it's from a different culture, you'll enjoy the end result and progress regardless. ^.^