Yaki Onigiri Rice Balls with Miso

Serves 2
30 minutes

Rated by 37 people

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If you enjoy pan-fried onigiri rice balls, you are in for a treat with this miso version. Most yaki onigiri are brushed with soy sauce while being cooked, giving them a very sharp, salty flavour. These yaki onigiri are instead seasoned with liquid miso, which gives the onigiri a sweeter, more full-bodied flavour with a touch of umami from the added dashi in the miso. Give this version a try and see which you prefer.

Ingredients

rice balls:
200g japanese rice
260ml water

1 tsp vegetable oil

sauce:
4 tbsp liquid miso with dashi
1 tsp water

How To Prepare

Wash and cook the rice according to your preferred method. See our recipe for how to cook Japanese rice if you are unsure. When finished cooking, allow the rice to cool slightly until able to handle by hand. Form 4 rice balls from the cooked rice. Form them into the traditional triangle shape or any shape you prefer. Just make sure that the rice balls are not too thick (about 2cm maximum in thickness) to ensure even cooking.
Heat 1 tsp vegetable oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Combine the miso and water to make the sauce. Place each rice ball down and then brush each top with the miso sauce. Flip the rice balls over and then brush the tops again with the miso sauce. Fry each side for about 1 min, then flip over. Repeat the flipping and brushing of the tops with the miso sauce 2 more times.
The rice balls are done when they are crisp and browned on each side. Enjoy warm as a snack or as a side to any Japanese meal.

Tips and Information

- Wet your fingers or rub them with salt to help in forming the rice balls by hand. You can also use cling film as a quick and no-mess way to form them.