Umeboshi and miso tuna onigiri

My dad, Takatoshi, used to make onigiri whenever we would go camping or on a bushwalk. He would make two kinds - umeboshi (Japanese sour plum) and miso tuna. He taught me how to make onigiri with my hands and a bowl instead of using onigiri moulds. I often burn myself on the hot rice, but it’s worth it.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 95 g can tuna in oil, drained
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp shiro (white) miso paste
• 2 cups freshly cooked white rice
• 4 umeboshi (Japanese sour plum)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 8 seasoned nori sheets

Instructions

1. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat, then add the tuna. Crush with a spatula, until it separates and is flaky. Stir through the spring onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add the miso paste to the pan and mix until well combined. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

2. Use a rice paddle to spoon some rice into a small bowl. Make a circular indentation using your finger, about 2 cm wide. Fill the indentation with the tuna mixture or the umeboshi, then cover it with extra rice.

3. Moisten your hands lightly with water, then sprinkle your palms with the salt. Use your hands to shape the filled rice into triangular balls, using caution as the rice is hot. Transfer the rice balls to a serving platter and repeat with the remaining mixture. You should have around 6 – 8 onigiri.

4. To serve, wrap the onigiri with seasoned nori sheets and serve immediately.

Note

Umeboshi is a fermented Japanese salted plum that can be found at Asian grocery stores. For extra flavour and colour, add some furikake to the rice, but this is optional.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Ferment To Be

Watch the full episode here

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Watch the full episode here

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