Quick Eats: Onigiri (rice balls)

Ingredients

Sake Beef:

• 6 oz beef, thinly sliced (Japanese store) or minced
• 2 Tbsp sake
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp ginger powder(or fresh ginger)
• 1 tsp of minced garlic

Spicy Tuna:

• 3.5 oz tuna(fresh and uncooked)
• 1 Tbsp (kewpie) mayonnaise
• 2 tsp sriracha sauce or sambal
• optional:
• Furikake (rice seasoning) for garnish
• Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
• 1 large nori sheet, cut in 10 strips

1. Wash the rice under running water until the water runs clear. Cook the rice according to the instructions on the box and let it cool slightly once cooked.
2. For the sake beef: I used thinly sliced beef from the Japanese supermarket and I cut that in thin strips. You can also use ground beef. Marinate the beef in the sake, ginger powder and salt. Set aside for as long the rice is cooking. As soon as the rice is cooling off, fry the beef in a skillet over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes until done, without using oil or butter.
3. For the spicy tuna: Finely chop the raw tuna, like really really fine. Add the mayonnaise and the sriracha and stir until combined. Set aside.
4. As soon as the rice is cooled off enough so you can handle it you place a layer of rice in a bowl covered with plastic wrap:
5. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling of your choice in the middle.
6. Wrap the plastic to the center so that the rice covers the filling. Twist & squeeze until a tight rice ball forms. You can leave it as a ball or squeeze it a little more for a triangle:
7. Roll the onigiri in furikake (if using) and use the nori strips as a wrap.

Note: Do you want to keep the onigiri a little longer or bring with you as lunch? Wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store the nori separately. Wrap it around the onigiri just before eating.

For 10 onigiri you'll only need 1 one the fillings described above.