A Spring-Inspired Shiso Onigiri
As the weather warms and fresh greens begin to appear, I often feel inspired to cook something that reflects the season. That was the idea behind this shiso onigiri. The bright green color from shiso leaves and edamame gives these rice balls a fresh, spring-like look.
Shiso has a distinctive herbal aroma that instantly adds a refreshing Japanese character to rice. Combined with aonori, sesame seeds, and bonito flakes, the rice develops layers of fragrance and umami that make each bite interesting and satisfying.
A Mixed-Rice Style Onigiri
Among the many types of Japanese rice balls, this recipe belongs to the category of mixed-rice onigiri, where ingredients are mixed directly into the rice before shaping.
Other examples of this style include wakame onigiri and umeboshi onigiri, and another popular variation is ume shiso onigiri, which combines the tartness of pickled plum with the refreshing shiso taste.
This shiso onigiri recipe highlights several elements at once: the aroma of shiso and aonori, the nutty fragrance of sesame seeds, the umami of bonito flakes, and the bright green color and gentle bite of edamame. The result is a simple but flavorful onigiri that comes together quickly and easily.
Ingredients
Rice: 2 rice cups, uncooked
Frozen edamame: 1/2 cup
Salt: 1 1/2 tsp
Dashi powder: 1 1/2 tsp
Rice vinegar: 1 tsp
Neutral oil: 1 tsp
Water: to the 2-cup line in the rice cooker
Shiso leaves: 5 leaves
Sesame seeds: 1 tbsp
Aonori: 1 tbsp
Bonito flakes: 1/4 cup
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear and drain well.
- Add the rice to a rice cooker. Add frozen edamame, salt, dashi powder, rice vinegar, neutral oil, and water up to the 2-cup line. Stir lightly and cook using the regular or quick-cook setting.
- While the rice cooks, wash the shiso leaves, pat them dry with a paper towel, remove the stems, roll the leaves together, and slice them thinly.
- When the rice is finished cooking, add sesame seeds, shiso, aonori, and bonito flakes, then gently mix using a cutting motion with a rice paddle.
- Lightly wet an onigiri mold with water, fill it with rice, and press firmly to shape the onigiri. If you don’t have a mold, shape the rice balls with your hands.
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear and drain well.
- Add the rice to a rice cooker. Add frozen edamame, salt, dashi powder, rice vinegar, neutral oil, and water up to the 2-cup line. Stir lightly and cook using the regular or quick-cook setting.
- While the rice cooks, wash the shiso leaves, pat them dry with a paper towel, remove the stems, roll the leaves together, and slice them thinly.
- When the rice is finished cooking, add sesame seeds, shiso, aonori, and bonito flakes, then gently mix using a cutting motion with a rice paddle.
- Lightly wet an onigiri mold with water, fill it with rice, and press firmly to shape the onigiri. If you don’t have a mold, shape the rice balls with your hands.
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