Japanese Rice Balls (Onigiri)

Someone once told me Onigiri in Japan are like sandwiches to us. They're extremely popular in your bento(lunch box). I love these rice balls, although because of my distaste for seafood I can do without the bonito flakes (I love using chicken instead) and I don't eat the seaweed wrapped around it. They're really fun to make and very filling.

Difficulty: Easy
Taste: ***

4c shortgrained white rice (minute white rice is easiest)
4c water (I actually like using half water half vegetable broth to give the rice more flavor)
1c water
1/4tsp salt
1/4c bonito shavings (dry fish flakes) but again, I like using chicken instead!
2 sheets nori (dry seaweed) cut into 1/2in strips
2T sesame seeds

Boil the water and vegetable broth. Cook the rice in the boiling water according to the package directions. Let it cool before seperating it into 8 servings. After dipping your hands in the salty water, using one serving at a time, take half and shape it with wet hands. Make a well in the center and fill with bonito shavings (or chicken or whatever you want to use) then take the second half of the serving of rice and form on top. Try to shape the rice into a triangle. Wrap the nori around it then sprinkle the top with sesame seeds.


I really need to work on shaping mine into triangles...
they look pretty mishapen haha!