Onigiri recipe, made vegetarian with tofu. Japanese rice ball also known as onigiri is a triangle shaped rice dish usually stuffed with chicken, tuna or any vegetables of choice and wrapped in nori sheets. This vegan onigiri is stuffed with spicy and creamy tofu filling and coated with furikake and sesame seeds. In this blog post, learn how to make onigiri with step by step pictures and video.
Onigiri Recipe
This dish may sound unusual, but actually it is very simple to make and taste absolutely delicious. Onigiri is made with cooked short grain rice, wrapped with a spicy and creamy tofu filling and coated with nori or furikake seasoning. Whenever I make it at home, I like to coat it with my favourite seasoning.
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I made my first onigiri few years back. I was inspired to try it after watching the popular Netflix series “The Makanai, Cooking for the maiko house”. The recipe which I made is stuffed it with seasoned chicken and it was so good. Ever since after that I started making it more often for my kids. Everyone in the family started enjoying it too. This version is for all vegetarian and vegans. It is made with spiced tofu and it is bomb.
What is Onigiri?
Onigiri is a Japanese rice ball, (either short grain or sushi rice) which usually stuffed with some kind of seasoned or flavoured protein and shaped like a ball or triangle. This rice ball is wrapped in nori sheets or furikake seasoning and sesame seeds. Onigiri is wrapped with a specially designed plastic wrap to keep the rice fresh and to prevent it from getting dry.
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About Vegan Onigiri (Tofu Onigiri)
Vegan onigiri or Tofu onigiri has become my favourite type of onigiri. Since it is easy to make and is high in protein, you can pack it in kids lunch box too. I used short grain rice for the outer coating and the filling is made with seasoned tofu which is tossed with mayo and flavourings.
You can either use short grain rice or sushi rice for making onigiri. Long grain rice or basmati rice won’t work in this recipe, because you need the high starch content to bind the rice when shaping. For short grain rice, I like to use 1 part rice and to 1.5 part water. Some recipes and variety of rice uses less water. It totally depends on you.
Once the rice is cooked, you have to flavour the rice with the special seasoning sauce. It is made with vinegar, sugar, salt, toasted sesame oil. You can also use furikake seasoning for more flavoured rice. Pour the seasoning sauce when the rice is still hot so it absorbs the sauce batter. Allow the rice to come to warm temperature before shaping.
The filling for the onigiri has some kind of creamy component like mayonnaise to create the creamy mouth feel. But you can use cream cheese or even heavy cream. Taste and flavour the filling just right because it makes the onigiri taste amazing.
Onigiri is traditionally wrapped in a specially designed plastic wrap in which the sea weed paper or nori used in the onigiri doesn’t touches the rice until you are ready to eat which prevents them from getting soggy. I like to coat mine with sesame seeds and furikake seasoning.
Onigiri Ingredients
Rice – You can either use short grain rice or sushi rice for making onigiri. Long grain rice or basmati rice won’t work in this recipe, because you need the high starch content to bind the rice when shaping.
Tofu – For making the filling. I like to use firm or extra firm tofu. You can grate the tofu or crumble it into even sizes.
Flavourings – I like to use onions, ginger, garlic, chillies for the tofu. As far as the sauce, I like to use soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper.
Chilli sauce – for kick you can use red chilli sauce and red chilli powder for spicy kick.
Mayo – I used kewpie mayo, but you can use any vegetarian mayonnaise.
Furikake – it is a wonderful spice mix, which has toasted sesame seeds, garlic, seaweed and other flavourings. It pairs well with rice.
How to Shape Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball)
Onigiri can be shaped which ever way you prefer. Traditionally it is shaped into triangle or rice ball shape. But you can shape it however way you like. Here are the steps on shaping onigiri.
Making Rice & filling – Cook rice as mentioned, flavour it with seasoning sauce. Toss gently and place it in a covered bowl so it doesn’t get dry. Make the filling of your choice. Taste it and adjust it as per your liking.
Preparing hands – Before shaping onigiri, Dip your hands in water or you can use gloves and apply oil before shaping.
Shaping – take a small portion of rice, shape it into a ball, flatten it gently, place filling in, cover the filling with little cooked rice. Bring the edges together and shape it into a triangle. Use a your fingers to create triangle shape. Roll it in nori or sesame seeds and enjoy.
How to Make Onigiri (Stepwise Pictures)
Cooking Filling
1) Heat oil in a pan. You can use toasted sesame oil or regular cooking pot. Let it heat.
2)Add in crumbled tofu and cook on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
3)Now add in ginger, garlic, onions, green chillies and toss along with the tofu.
4)Add in soy sauce and toss well.
5)Season the tofu with salt, pepper and sugar.
6)Drizzle in vinegar and mix well.
7)Let it cook for few minutes. Finally add in spring onions and mix well.
8)Remove it to a bowl and allow it to cool.
9)Now add in mayo, red chilli powder, red chilli sauce, toasted sesame seeds and mix well. Set aside.
10)Tofu filling is ready.
Make Seasoning Sauce for Rice
11)Mix sugar, salt, vinegar and toasted sesame oil in a bowl until sugar melts. This is your seasoning sauce for rice.
Cooking Rice
12)Wash rice in multiple changes of water until the rice runs clear. Now add rice in a cooking pot, cover with water and bring it to a full boil. Once it reaches a full boil, mix it once and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Now open the lid, gently fluff the rice with a rice paddle or fork. Cover again and let it for 10 minutes. Now the rice will be perfect texture.
Now pour the seasoning sauce over rice and toss gently.
13)Rice for onigiri is ready.
Shaping onigiri
14)Before shaping onigiri, Dip your hands in water or you can use gloves and apply oil before shaping. Take a small portion of rice, shape it into a ball.
15)flatten it gently.
16)place filling in, cover the filling with little cooked rice.
17)Bring the edges together and shape it into a ball.
18)Use a your fingers to create triangle shape.
19)Onigiri shaped.
20)Roll it in nori or furikake seasoning, toasted sesame seeds and enjoy.
21)Tofu onigiri ready to enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to use the right rice. Either short grain, sushi rice or any Japanese rice variety.
- Don’t add too much water when cooking rice, else onigiri may get gummy.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings in rice and the filling and get the taste right.
- After shaping onigiri, wrap it with plastic wrap so it stays fresh.
- You can use any cooked protein in the filling.
FAQ
Can I use any other rice instead of short grain rice?
You can either use short grain rice or sushi rice for making onigiri. Long grain rice or basmati rice won’t work in this recipe, because you need the high starch content to bind the rice when shaping.
Can I use silken tofu or paneer?
You can use paneer in this recipe. but silken tofu doesn’t work since it is too creamy which doesn’t give a pleasant mouth feel.
How to prevent nori sheets on onigiri from getting soggy?
Onigiri is traditionally wrapped in a specially designed plastic wrap in which the sea weed paper or nori used in the onigiri doesn’t touches the rice until you are ready to eat which prevents them from getting soggy. I like to coat mine with sesame seeds and furikake seasoning.
How to store onigiri for a long time
After shaping onigiri, wrap it with plastic wrap so it stays fresh. You can keep it in fridge, bring back to room temp before enjoying.
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📖 Recipe Card
Vegan Onigiri Recipe (Tofu Onigiri | Japanese Rice Ball)
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Servings: 4 onigiri
Equipment
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Cooking pot
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Frying Pan
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Kitchen Gloves
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Plastic Wrap
Ingredients
Seasoning Sauce (for rice)
Instructions
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Start by cooking rice. Wash rice in multiple changes of water until the rice runs clear. Now add rice in a cooking pot, cover with water and bring it to a full boil. Once it reaches a full boil, mix it once and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes. Now open the lid, gently fluff the rice with a rice paddle or fork. Cover again and let it for 10 minutes. Now the rice will be perfect texture.
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Make Filling. Heat oil in a pan. Add in crumbled tofu and cook on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add in ginger, garlic, onions, green chillies and toss along with the tofu. Now add in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and mix well. Let it cook for few minutes. Remove it to a bowl and allow it to cool. Now add in mayo, red chilli powder, red chilli sauce, toasted sesame seeds and mix well. Set aside.
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Seasoning rice – Mix sugar, salt, vinegar and toasted sesame oil in a bowl until sugar melts. Pour this over the cooked rice and toss gently.
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Shaping onigiri – Before shaping onigiri, Dip your hands in water or you can use gloves and apply oil before shaping. Take a small portion of rice, shape it into a ball, flatten it gently, place filling in, cover the filling with little cooked rice. Bring the edges together and shape it into a triangle. Use a your fingers to create triangle shape. Roll it in nori or furikake seasoning, toasted sesame seeds and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Make sure to use the right rice. Either short grain, sushi rice or any Japanese rice variety.
- Don’t add too much water when cooking rice, else onigiri may get gummy.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings in rice and the filling and get the taste right.
- After shaping onigiri, wrap it with plastic wrap so it stays fresh.
- You can use any cooked protein in the filling.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servings
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