I like to prepare this onigiri when I find fresh young ginger in the market as I really enjoy the taste of ginger simply cooked with deep-fried bean curd. If you like, you can add unagi (barbecued eel) in the onigiri they go really well together. This is the perfect onigiri to eat when you need some extra energy or when you feel a cold coming, as eating ginger is known to strengthen the immune system.
Ingredients
- 2 oz (60 g) 1 Deep-fried bean curd (aburaage)
- 6¾ fl oz (200 ml) Kelp (dashi kombu) 1, about 10 x 10-cm (4 x 4-in), wiped clean and soaked in water for at least 2 hours
- 13½ oz (400 ml) Washed Japanese short grain rice
- 2 oz (60 g) Ginger peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- Salt a pinch
- 6¾ fl oz (200 ml) water + more if needed
How to Make It
- Pour boiling water over deep-fried bean curd to remove excess oil. Wrap deep-fried bean curd with kitchen paper and squeeze using your hands. Cut bean curd into thin strips.
- Remove kelp from water and set aside. Reserve water.
- Put rice, deep-fried bean curd, ginger, soy sauce, mirin, sake and salt into a rice cooker. Measure reserved water for soaking kelp and top up with more water to get 400 ml (13½ fl oz) liquid. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions.
- Place cling wrap in a rice bowl and scoop 120 g (4¼ oz) of the rice into the bowl. Pull out rice together with cling wrap and mould rice into your preferred shape. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
