California Onigiri
California Onigiri is a delicious twist on the traditional Japanese rice ball. The rice is mixed with tobiko, then stuffed with a creamy filling of imitation crab meat, kewpie mayo, cucumber and avocado. Wrapped in a crisp sheet of nori, this California Onigiri makes a flavour-packed lunch, snack, or easy meal prep idea.
Servings: 12 onigiri
Ingredients
Onigiri Rice
- 450 g short grain rice
- 560 g water
- 110 g tobiko
Filling
- 5 imitation crab sticks
- 2 tablespoon Kewpie mayonnaise
- ½ avocado
- ½ continental cucumber
- 6 sheets nori
Instructions
- Rinse rice under cool running water until water runs relatively clear. Add rice and water to a rice cooker and cook according to appliance instructions. Alternatively, use stove top method: add rice and water to a large sauce pan and place over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to the lowest setting, place a lid on top of the pot and allow rice to absorb for 12-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove from stove. Transfer rice to a bowl or lined baking tray to cool slightly before making onigiri.
- To prepare filling: use a fork to shred crab sticks and add to a bowl with Kewpie mayonnaise. Stir to combine. Dice avocado into cubes, approximately 0.5-0.7cm. Do the same with the cucumber, removing the seeds first.
- Once rice has cooled enough to handle, stir through tobiko until evenly dispersed through the rice. If using an onigiri mould, soak it in cool water between uses to stop the rice from sticking. Otherwise, onigiri can be formed using dampened hands.
- Using the moulds: add about one quarter cup of rice to the base of the mould, pressing it in and creating a small well in the centre to hold the filling. Add one tablespoon of crab meat and one teaspoon each of cubed cucumber and avocado. Add another quarter cup of rice over the top of the fillings. Add the lid of the mould and press down firmly to compact the rice.
- Pop out onigiri from the mould. Slice six sheets of nori in half. Place one half on a board on the rice ball on top, in the centre. Fold nori around the rice. Nori will soften once wrapped around the rice ball. You can leave the nori separate until ready to eat to retain crispiness.