Have you had a run-in with lunch box guilt? According to a study commissioned by Golden Circle, 87 per cent of Aussie parents say their kiddos get bored of their packed lunches, and 63 per cent report $10 to $55 worth of food getting chucked per week.
It’s no wonder that most parents (71 per cent) have felt pressured to keep lunchboxes nutritional, fun, and on par with the fancy lunches their child’s friends are bringing to school.
Rest easy knowing most Aussie parents are in the same boat. And if you’re looking for unique lunchbox fillers to try, why not take some notes from the Japanese?
Onigiri are widely sold in Japanese convenience stores as they are super easy to grab and go, and you can pack them with almost any nutritional topping you like. They can be kept chilled (a concern for 58 per cent of parents) and don’t require any utensils to eat.
It may take a couple of goes to perfect your shaping technique, but once you get the hang of it, you can make a batch of these in 10 minutes – and get the kiddos involved too!
Onigiri 3 ways
Makes 4 large or 8 small onigiri | Prep 10 mins
Katsuo-kombu topping
- 4 Tbsp + 4 pinches furikake seasoning (available at Woolworths and Asian grocers)
Mix 4 tablespoons furikake seasoning with the hot cooked rice. Shape the onigiri, then sprinkle each with 1 pinch furikake.
Tuna-mayo topping
- 100g tuna in sunflower oil
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- A little lemon or bergamot zest, cut into thin strips
- Chilli powder
Drain the tuna well, break up the flesh with a fork and mix with mayonnaise and soy sauce. Put a little of this mixture inside the onigiri, then continue shaping and put some tuna mixture, lemon zest and a pinch of chilli on top of the onigiri.
Nameshi (green leaf) vegan topping
- 70g green leaves and stalks (turnip, radish, or kale)
- 1 tsp salt, for cooking
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Wash the leaves thoroughly, keeping them whole. Bring water to the boil in a saucepan with the teaspoon of salt. Immerse the leaves in the water, starting with the stem, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and leave to cool. Squeeze the leaves thoroughly with your hands and chop finely. Mix the salt and leaves in a bowl. Mix with hot rice and sesame seeds, then shape the onigiri.
Making the Onigiri
- Hot cooked rice for 4 people
- Salt
- 1 nori sheet, cut into 4 strips (optional)
- Toppings – see above
Spread the rice out in a bowl, so that it becomes cool enough to touch. Slightly and carefully fluff the grains using a spatula. Prepare a small bowl of water and a small plate of salt. Wash your hands well with non-perfumed soap. Thoroughly wet your hands under the tap, then shake to remove excess water. Your hands should be moist, but not dripping wet.
Take 1 pinch of salt between the thumb, index finger and middle finger (for the correct amount) and put it in the palm of the other hand. Rub your hands to spread the salt out over the entire surface.
Take 1/4 of the rice (or 1/8 for small hands or to make small onigiri), poke a small hole in the middle and slide the filling of your choice into it. Form a ball using your other hand by pressing the ingredient into the ball. Add a little more rice to cover the filling, if needed.
Use your bottom hand to make a spoon-shape to form the base of the triangle and make a pointed mountain-shape with your top hand to create the top of the triangle. Squeeze both hands to form a triangle. Then turn the onigiri and press again to neatly shape each corner.
Turn and press gently several times. Only use a little force the first two times. If you press too much afterwards, you will crush the grains and the onigiri will become pasty. Wrap the onigiri with a strip of nori.
Wash your hands and repeat until all the rice is used.
Hot tip: Prepare the onigiri just after the rice has been cooked (and the 10-minute resting time).
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