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  • 2 days ago
Okaka onigiri is a quick Japanese rice ball recipe that uses seasoned bonito flakes to turn warm rice into a savory snack or simple lunch in about fifteen minutes. This dish usually starts with katsuobushi mixed with soy sauce and sometimes mirin or sesame seeds to create a moist filling with smoky aroma and deep umami. Warm short grain rice is shaped around the okaka filling or mixed together before being pressed into triangles or rounds. A sheet of nori can be wrapped around the rice for extra aroma and a crisp bite when served fresh. The final onigiri is portable and filling with soft rice smoky bonito flavor and a clean soy sauce finish that works well for lunch boxes quick breakfasts picnics or a light Japanese meal with miso soup and pickles.
Transcript
00:00When people think of traditional onigiri feelings, okaka is often right up there at the top of
00:05the list.
00:05Even today, with all the creative new onigiri variations out there, this simple but delicious
00:11combo still holds its own as one of the most popular choices.
00:15You can also find this recipe on my website, along with 400 Japanese recipes.
00:19Just google okaka onigiri space sudachi to find the written recipe.
00:23First up, let's mix our flavouring.
00:25In a large bowl, add 15g of munito flakes, 1.5 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of toasted white
00:33sesame seeds, ½ tbsp of toasted sesame oil, ½ tsp of sugar, and ¼ tsp of dashi granules.
00:40Give it a good mix until those munito flakes are completely saturated with all that savoury
00:46goodness.
00:50Once it looks like this, add 600g of cooked Japanese rice and mix until everything is
00:56evenly distributed.
00:57So, if you prefer, you can place dokaka right in the middle of the rice ball instead.
01:02It's really up to your preference.
01:04Use a cut and fold motion with your spatula like this, that way you won't crush the rice
01:10while you mix it.
01:12600g of rice will make between 4 and 7 rice balls depending on the size.
01:17So what exactly is okaka?
01:19Originally, the word just meant thinly shaved dried bonito, but these days when we say okaka,
01:24we're talking about those fine bonito flakes mixed with soy sauce and seasonings like this
01:29recipe.
01:30The beauty of this recipe is that it doesn't require any fresh ingredients, just common Japanese
01:35pantry items with a long shelf life.
01:38Perfect for those days when your fridge is empty and you're craving something filling
01:42untasty.
01:43Ok, it's evenly mixed, now I'll walk you through all three methods of shaping onigiri.
01:49Let's start with hand shaping.
01:51Fair things first, give your hands a thorough wash, then plunge your hands into ice-cold water
01:56for about 15-20 seconds.
01:59This isn't too chill your hands, it actually prevents the rice from turning into a sticky mess
02:04all over your palm.
02:08Grab yourself a handful of rice.
02:10If you want your onigiri to look uniform, try dividing your rice equally before you start
02:15shaping.
02:16I usually grab a handful.
02:18Cup your hands slightly and press that rice into your folded palm, then rotate and press
02:24to create those classic three edges.
02:27Keep pressing and turning until you've got a firm rice ball that holds its shape.
02:31Don't worry if your first few attempts don't look perfect, I've been doing this since
02:36I was a kid and practice makes perfect.
02:41Once it's shaped, you can wrap it with nori and tuck in.
02:47Next up, the mould method.
02:49And let me tell you why some people swear by these plastic helpers, they're arguably hygienic
02:55and give you that consistent shape and size every time.
02:59Just press the rice gently into your mould, making sure to fill it right to the top.
03:04Don't skimp on the rice or it'll fall apart, but don't pack it too tight either.
03:10Place the lid on and give it a firm press.
03:12This is what gives you that stable shape that won't fall apart during lunch.
03:16Then just push down the top at the back, pull away the mould and there you have it, perfectly
03:22shaped onigiri.
03:26Last but not least, we've got the plastic wrap method.
03:30This is especially great if you're meal prepping, shape them, cool them and they're
03:34ready for the freezer.
03:36Place your rice in the centre of the wrap, then lift those edges to wrap it all up nice
03:40and secure.
03:43With the rice all wrapped up, cup your hand and give it a gentle press into your folded
03:48palm.
03:48Just like with the hand shaping method, rotate and press to form those three classic edges
03:55until you're happy with the shape.
03:56If you're freezing them, then don't put the nori on.
04:00You should do that right before eating so the nori is nice and crisp.
04:04Anyway, that's it, okaka onigiri, one of Japan's classic rice ball flavours.
04:10Want even more delicious recipes?
04:12Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
04:16Ok, let's go over the ingredients one more time, and if you're ready to cook, grab the
04:20written instructions by clicking the full recipe box with a picture that's about to pop up
04:25on your screen.
04:26Here we go, the link to the full recipe is on the screen for you now.
04:29And if you want to watch more similar videos, don't miss my onigiri recipe playlist popping
04:33up on your screen as well.
04:35Thanks so much for watching and I hope to see you in the next one.
04:37Bye.
04:38Bye.
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