Japan · 75 min · Vegan · Main course · For confident cooks
Yaki Onigiri
In German: Gegrillte Reisbällchen mit Lotuswurzel · In English: Grilled rice balls with lotus root
For 2 servings · US units
Crisp pan-fried rice balls with lotus root, sesame seeds and a glossy soy-mirin glaze
Yaki onigiri are rice balls fried in a pan until they form a golden crust, then brushed with soy sauce and mirin at the end, so they're crisp and savoury outside and soft within. Grated lotus root in the rice adds a delicate, slightly nutty note; if you prefer, slice the lotus root instead and bake it as chips to go alongside. They're a lovely thing to make in autumn and winter, when fresh lotus root is in season.
Ingredients
- 8¾ ozriceraw weight, cooked slightly firmer than usual
- 1¼ cupswaterfor cooking the rice, amount depends on the rice variety
- 7 ozfresh, peeled; grated into the rice or sliced as chips on the sideThe thickened underwater stem of the lotus plant, run through with air channels that give every slice a flower-like pattern. Crisp, mild and faintly sweet.Substitute: There is no real substitute, since neither the pattern of holes nor the faintly starchy flavour is found elsewhere. Where only the bite matters, canned water chestnuts or jicama give a similar crunch, but they are juicier and sweeter and do not turn sticky with long braising.Read more
- 3 tbspsoy saucefor seasoning the rice and for the glaze
- 1 tbspfor the glazeSweet Japanese rice wine for cooking that gives sauces and glazes a mild sweetness and shine.Substitute: Sake or dry sherry with some sugar, about one teaspoon per tablespoon, comes close; sweetness and shine are roughly right, but the rounded, slightly malty depth of mirin is missing.Read more
- 2 tspmixed into the riceOil pressed from toasted sesame seeds, dark and strongly nutty, used by the drop as a seasoning.Substitute: There is no equivalent substitute; at a pinch, steep freshly toasted, crushed sesame seeds in a little neutral oil, which gives the roasted aroma only faintly and without the depth of the oil.Read more
- 2 tbspsesame seedswhite; mixed into the rice or for coating
- 2 tbspOilneutral, for pan-frying or for the lotus chips
- saltfor moistened hands and seasoning
- a splash in water to soak the peeled lotus root (optional)A mild, faintly sweet vinegar made from rice, much gentler than wine vinegar.Substitute: Light cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, thinned with a little water and rounded off with a pinch of sugar, comes close. It tastes slightly fruitier and sharper, and the difference shows most in sushi rice and delicate dressings.Read more
- 3 tbspChirimen jako (dried baby sardines)mixed into the rice (optional)
- ⅛ ozcooked with the rice (optional)Caution: Kombu is very high in iodine, so it is best used mainly for making stock rather than eaten in large amounts, especially by people with thyroid conditions.Dried kelp, a brown seaweed sold in stiff, dark green sheets; the foundation of the Japanese stock dashi.Substitute: There is no true substitute. A pinch of MSG supplies the savouriness but not the taste of the sea or the depth; instant dashi granules come close in flavour but usually contain fish, which rules them out for vegetarian dishes.Read more
- 2 tbspwith sugar, oil and mirin as a glaze (optional)A fermented paste of soybeans, salt and often rice or barley: salty, savoury and deep in flavour.Substitute: Soy sauce supplies salt and savouriness, but neither the body nor the rounded, faintly sweet depth of the paste; it will do at a pinch in soups and marinades, but not in glazes and dressings, where miso provides body. Light and dark miso can stand in for each other if you use the dark one more sparingly.Read more
- 2 tbspchopped, mixed into the rice (optional)Roasted seaweed pressed into thin, paper-like sheets, savoury and lightly briny.Substitute: For rolling or wrapping there is no workable substitute, since nothing else has the same form and strength. As a crumbled seasoning, aonori or furikake will do, carrying the taste of the sea but not the roasted note or the texture of the sheets.Read more
Method
- Rinse and soak the riceRinse the short-grain rice in cold water, changing the water until it stays clear. Soak the rice for 20 to 60 minutes, then drain it well.
- Cook the rice firmCook the rice with the water so it comes out a little firmer than usual. If you like, add a piece of kombu and a splash each of soy sauce and mirin to the cooking water. Remove the kombu once the rice is cooked. Let the cooked rice rest briefly.
- Prepare the lotus rootMeanwhile, peel the lotus root and, if you like, drop it into water with a splash of vinegar. To mix it into the rice, grate the lotus root finely and squeeze out the liquid well. For chips, slice it thinly instead, toss with vegetable oil, bake in the oven until crisp and sprinkle with salt.
- Season the riceWhile the rice is still warm, mix in the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds and the grated lotus root, if using. Fold in chopped nori too, if you're using it.
- Shape the onigiriWet your hands and rub them with a little salt. Press the rice firmly, a portion at a time, into balls or triangles and flatten them slightly so they sit well in the pan.
- Mix the glazeFor the glaze, stir the soy sauce and mirin together in a small bowl until smooth.
- Pan-fry until goldenHeat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the rice balls and fry for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown, without moving them too early.
- Glaze and finish fryingTurn the heat down and brush the rice balls all over with the glaze several times. Keep frying briefly until the glaze turns glossy, taking care that it doesn't burn.
- Serve right awayServe the yaki onigiri straight away, with the lotus chips if you made them.
Tips and variations
Instead of the soy-mirin glaze, try one made from miso, sugar, oil and mirin, with sesame seeds and nori mixed into the rice. You can also roll the rice balls in sesame seeds and cook them under the oven grill rather than in the pan. If you're not cooking vegan, use butter instead of sesame oil, mix chirimen jako into the rice, or fill the onigiri with karaage and cheese and cook them in a waffle iron. For a crunchier plate, bake the lotus root as chips instead of grating it into the rice, and set them beside the rice balls for nibbling.
Allergens
Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Sesame, Soybeans
Not every ingredient in this recipe has been checked, so nothing is promised as free from.
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
