A Japanese bento box staple, traditional onigiri are adorable little bundles of white sushi rice stuffed with morsels of fish, pickled plums, sea vegetables, or other ingredients. To rework these snacks so they’d pack more of a nutritional punch, we first swapped out white rice for short-grain brown rice. Since brown rice is less sticky than white, we skipped the standard rinsing to preserve as much starch as possible. Our next change was more dramatic: Instead of stuffing tidbits of spinach and edamame filling into balls of rice, we pulsed them up with the rice in the food processor. This enabled us to incorporate far more filling into each onigiri (it also made our job simpler). Slightly processing the rice released more starch, making the mixture easier to shape. We scooped out portions of the rice mixture and, with lightly moistened hands, pressed each into a petite disk, which we found less delicate than the traditional ball shape. We rolled the edges in toasted sesame seeds, which added a crunchy, nutty contrast to the rice. A simple soy dipping sauce made a tasty accompaniment.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons water
- 3 scallions, sliced thin
- 2½ teaspoons expeller-pressed toasted sesame oil
- 1 cup short-grain brown rice
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ¾ cup frozen shelled edamame beans, thawed and patted dry
- 2 (8 by 7½-inch) sheets nori, crumbled
- ¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, 2 tablespoons water, one-third of the scallions, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil in small bowl; set aside.
- Bring remaining 1¾ cups water and rice to simmer in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer gently until rice is tender and water is absorbed, 40 to 45 minutes. Off heat, lay clean dish towel underneath lid, and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and cover.
- Pulse spinach, edamame, nori, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ginger, salt, remaining scallions, and remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil in food processor until mixture is finely ground (it should not be smooth), about 10 pulses. Add rice and pulse until rice is coarsely chopped and mixture is well combined, about 8 pulses.
- Divide rice mixture into 24 portions (about 1½ tablespoons each) and arrange on parchment-lined baking sheet. Using lightly moistened hands, roll each into ball, then press into disk about 1½ inches wide and ¾ inch thick. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons sesame seeds onto plate. Gently roll sides of disks in sesame seeds, pressing lightly to adhere, and transfer to serving platter. Serve with soy dipping sauce. (Onigiri can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours; bring to room temperature before serving.)
| Nutrition Facts |
Serving Size 1 |
Nutritional Value Per Serving | Calories 200 kcal Calories from Fat: 63 kcal |
|
% Daily Value*
|
| Total Fat 7 g 20% |
Saturated Fat 0.5 g 3% |
Trans Fat 0.0 g |
Sodium 560 mg 9% |
carbohydrates 30 g 23% |
Dietary Fiber 5 g 13% |
Sugars 3 g 3% |
Protein 7 g 14% |
* Above mentioned %DVs (Percent Daily Values) are based on 2,000 calorie food intake.
DVs (Daily values) may be vary depending upon individuals daily calorie needs. Above nutritional values are estimates and should only be used as a guide for approximation. They are not allfoodchef.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average weight of 194 lbs. and ages of 19 to 50 years. |