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I was looking for inspiration in a Japanese cookbook and onigiri called my attention very much. I remember having seen them somewhere when I was a child and finally I found the recipe.

It is a snack of rice formed into triangle or oval shapes and wrapped in green leaves* (avoid nori seaweed cause it may not be vegetarian). Onigiri literally means “taking hold of (something) with your hands”. It is one of the most famed and popular snacks in Japan. I find onigiri not only cute but very practical for travelling. This is how to make them:

1. Cook a suitable amount of rice for the number of people you want to feed. Important: do not rinse the rice before cooking! You want it to be sticky and clumpy. White short grain rice is the best kind for onigiri.

2. It’s important to work with the rice while it’s still warm and sticky, but let it cool a little first so you won’t be scalded. Five minutes should do it. Turning the rice from the cooking container into another bowl and fluffing it with a fork or rice scoop will help it to cool slightly.

3. Fill a bowl with cold water and stir in a couple of teaspoonfuls of salt - keep this in your work area and dip your hands before beginning each onigiri. This will ensure that the rice sticks to itself, without sticking to you!

4. Having dipped your hands, scoop out a small quantity of warm rice. Take an amount that you can easily work in your hand.

5. Give shape to your onigiri…

Fancier shapes will usually require a mold…

6. Use any green leave to decorate your onigiri, folding it around one edge of the disc or triangle…

…or wrapping around the middle of the capsule…

7. Set the completed onigiri aside on a plate and dip your hands ready for the next one. Chilling the onigiri in the fridge helps to set them.

This is the very basic recipe, but you can fill and decorate your onigiri in unlimited ways… get inspired!

I can’t wait to make onigiri for Krsna!

ys, Sol (^_^)

technorati tags:rice, onigiri, japan, harekrishna, vegetarian, cooking, recipe