I return with
May. 18th, 2011 11:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
railenthe
Homemade rice balls—or onigiri, if you prefer.
As a bit of a celebration of my return to the land of the cyberliving, see here the most exciting thing I've done in two days.
This is a first attempt; they'll get better-looking. But they still taste delicious, even though they're funny-lookin'.
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Date: 2011-05-19 10:40 am (UTC)Huh...do you have to hand roll onigiri to get them in that shape or can you try putting them in moulds? *culinary derp*
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Date: 2011-05-19 06:20 pm (UTC)The hardest part was getting my mitts on the sushi rice. I’m using this, which a friend was nice enough to bring me on their way back from Chicago. (http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com/product/10028-kagayaki-select-short-grain-rice-15lbs) You start with cooking it, which involves a lot of rinsing and a decently long soak, then you cook it, and you shape the balls while they’re still hot.
I’m not entirely positive that you could use shaping molds with this—since you shape them while the rice is still hot, and while the rice is still hot it sticks to EVERYTHING INCLUDING YOU—they become much less sticky when they’ve cooled off a bit, which is how sushi rice works, I suppose—I’ve never had a California roll stick to me, at any rate. …though silicone molds for this purpose would probably work, since they’re always at just about room temperature, now that I think about it. The question is, where does one find such a thing???
You take the rice, put some in your hand, which you either cover with nine inches of saran wrap or dust with salt, poke a hole in the middle, stuff it with your favorite—er, stuff, then close the rice over it with your hands. I like doing the triangle-points, though you really can’t tell in that first attempt—I swear the one on the far right is square—and if you’re eating them later, you keep them in the saran wrap. Otherwise, you pop the nori on the bottom (All I had was laver seaweed, but I like the taste of that) and go to town. I’ve topped it here with furikake seasoning, which has lots of seasonings, more seaweed, toasted sesame seeds, and other stuff that I can’t remember without looking at the jar.
I suppose a muffin pan could actually work, but then there’s the question of getting it off of the pan itself. Like I said, it sticks to pretty much everything until it cools—and when it cools it sticks only to itself. …and the rice steamer, of course…and THAT'S nonstick!
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Date: 2011-05-19 06:42 pm (UTC)Aha...So best to try by hand the first time and hope for the best?
Thanks for the detailed guide, I might try buying some sushi rice next time I'm in Chinatown, there are some really great asian supermarkets there.
Sounds like you had a hell of a mess to clean up afterwards!
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Date: 2011-05-19 10:58 pm (UTC)Try for Kagayaki brand if you can find it. It's got a sweetness to it that is simply to die for—and a teaspoon of mirin in the steamer or pot while the rice cooks helps cohesion—and accentuates the delicate flavor of the rice.
Luckily, since the steamer pot is nonstick, once I let it dry and hit it with hot water again, it came right off. =D
Did some research, and guess what?
Date: 2011-05-20 02:46 am (UTC)Apparently molds for these things do exist!. Not much of a variety, but that's probably because I checked Amazon. I bet other places would have better selections.
…I get to visit an Asian grocer this weekend. I think opportunity just knocked.
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Date: 2011-05-20 12:20 am (UTC)But then, I'd always be stealing your food, so maybe that wouldn't be good for you XD lol!
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Date: 2011-05-20 02:48 am (UTC)I'd like to show off my food to people who would taste and respond with a response bigger than just 'It's good' or 'Meh.' I'm close to a depressingly small number of foodies. XD