ilyadaysRecipes

Onigiri

Onigiri: shape by hand

This page teaches hand shaping: plain short-grain rice, a cupped left hand and a roof-shaped right hand. Choose one shop-inspired filling recipe below, or make plain rice triangles. Tokyo's Bongo inspires the bold combinations here; Asakusa Yadoroku the traditional fillings, and Kyoto's Nigihaya the eggplant mixed through rice. These are our home versions: the shops do not publish their recipes. The mold and plastic-wrap methods have separate pages; you do not follow them after hand shaping.

9 hand-shaped onigiri~1½ h
Onigiri: shape by hand

Choose a filling

Each filling opens a complete recipe with its own ingredients and steps.

Other shaping methods

Step by step

  1. Rice

  2. Cook the rice

    1Cook the rice

    ~1 h incl. soaking

    For this step

    • Japanese short-grain rice450 g
    • Water (rice)600 ml (2½ cups)
    • Wash the rice, then soak it 20–30 minutes in the water.
    • Rice cooker: use the short-grain cycle. Pot: bring to a boil over medium heat with the lid slightly ajar, then cover tightly and cook on low for 12–13 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Rest off the heat, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff.
    • This batch makes about 990 g cooked rice, enough for nine hand-shaped onigiri.
    • Plain rice — no vinegar, no sugar. The salt goes on your hands.

  3. Shape by hand

  4. Wet both palms, then dip 2–3 fingers in kosher salt…
    Wet both palms, then dip 2–3 fingers in kosher salt…
    …and rub the salt over both palms.
    …and rub the salt over both palms.

    2Wet and salt your hands

    ~5 min

    For this step

    • Kosher salt (for your hands)a little for each onigiri
    • Let the rice cool just until you can hold it — it must still be warm to stick.
    • Wet both palms with a little water.
    • Dip 2–3 fingers in kosher salt and rub it over both palms (table salt: half as much).
    Wet and salt your hands
    Should look like this
  5. About 50 g of warm rice on your left palm; press a small well into the middle.
    About 50 g of warm rice on your left palm; press a small well into the middle.
    Example with salmon; use your chosen filling or leave it out for plain onigiri.
    Example with salmon; use your chosen filling or leave it out for plain onigiri.

    3Rice, filling, close

    1 min each
    • For eggplant or pepperoncino, use rice with the prepared filling already mixed through it. Shape directly from that rice and skip the separate filling and central well below.
    • Scoop ~50 g warm rice onto your LEFT palm — the left hand always stays underneath.
    • For a filled onigiri, press a small well and add 1–2 tsp of one prepared filling. For plain onigiri, leave the filling out.
    • Cover with another ~50 g of rice and press it gently round the filling into a ball.
    Rice, filling, close
    Should look like this
  6. Right hand on top, fingers together and bent like a roof; left hand underneath in a “C”, pressing the sides.
    Right hand on top, fingers together and bent like a roof; left hand underneath in a “C”, pressing the sides.
    Press lightly, then roll the corner you just made towards you — a third of a turn — and press again.
    Press lightly, then roll the corner you just made towards you — a third of a turn — and press again.

    4Press the triangle

    ~1 min each
    • RIGHT hand on top, fingers together and bent into a roof — it makes the corner.
    • LEFT hand underneath in a “C” — fingers and heel gently flatten the two sides.
    • Press lightly, then roll the corner you just made towards you — a third of a turn.
    • Three corners, then 2–3 more rounds. Lay it on each face and press once to flatten.
    • Firm enough to hold together, but airy inside — don’t squeeze.
    Press the triangle
    Should look like this

  7. Finish

  8. Wrap a third of a nori sheet round the bottom just before eating — the nori stays crisp.
    Wrap a third of a nori sheet round the bottom just before eating — the nori stays crisp.
    Or coat the faces in furikake with damp fingers.
    Or coat the faces in furikake with damp fingers.

    5Nori, furikake, a dab on top

    ~4 min

    For this step

    • Nori3 sheets
    • Furikaketo coat (optional)
    • Wrap a third of a nori sheet round the bottom of each onigiri just before eating for crisp nori.
    • Or coat the faces in furikake with damp fingers. Serve freshly made.
    Nori, furikake, a dab on top
    Should look like this

Based on: Just One Cookbook — Onigiri (Japanese rice balls)