Grilled onigiri filled with melted cheese: the Japanese snack you'll want to have again
Have you ever heard of onigiri, those famous Japanese rice triangles? This pan-fried version is even more delicious. After being cooked, the rice forms a thin, golden, and crispy crust, while the inside remains perfectly tender. And in the center?
Ingredients · Servings 5
- 200g of sushi rice
- Water (for washing the rice)
- 200 ml of water (to cook the rice)
- 1 sheet of nori seaweed
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (salted)
- 5 mozzarella balls
- Neutral oil (sunflower type)
Method · 3 h 35 min
- Wash the sushi rice several times in cold water, until the water runs clear, to remove the starch.
- Put the rice and cold water in a saucepan and cover it. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all the water. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, still covered, for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the nori seaweed sheet: first following the lines marked on the sheet and then cutting the strips in half.
- Mix the still-hot rice with the soy sauce.
- Fill the onigiri mold halfway with the still-hot rice. It's recommended to dampen the mold; this will make it easier to unmold the onigiri later.
- Place a well-drained ball of mozzarella in the center and press it down lightly. It should be perfectly centered inside the onigiri.
- Cover with more rice and place the mold lid to compact the onigiri and give it shape.
- Remove the lid from the onigiri mold. Run a knife around the edges of the mold to make unmolding easier.
- Unmold the onigiri onto a strip of nori seaweed and wrap it with it. Cover it with cling film and repeat the process with the remaining ingredients before putting them all in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
- Put a little oil in a very hot pan and place the onigiri.
- Brown each side until a nice golden crust forms. If you want the mozzarella to be melted, finish cooking by covering the pan for a few minutes before serving.
- And that's it!
