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Food

Crispy California Onigiri Recipe

Deep-Fried, Inside-Out, California-Roll-Style Onigiri
Crispy California Onigiri Recipe
Photo by Farideh Sadeghin

Servings: 10
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, plus infusing time

Ingredients

for the nori oil:
½ ounce|10 grams Iwanori seaweed, finely ground
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ ounces|50 ml vegetable oil

for the rice:
1 cup|240 grams sushi rice, washed
¼ cup|60 ml rice vinegar
vegetable oil, for frying

for the wasabi mayo:
1 cup|220 grams Japanese mayonnaise
1 tablespoon wasabi paste

to finish:
¼ pound|4 ounces king crab leg meat
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 cucumber, seeds removed and julienned

Directions

  1. Make the nori oil: Combine the nori, oil, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Allow to infuse for a couple of hours.
  2. Make the rice: Place the rice and 3 cups|750 ml water in a rice cooker. Cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. When finished, slowly add the rice vinegar while fanning continuously to cool the rice down. Using an onigiri mold or by hand, press and form the rice into 10 onigiri (they should be shaped into triangles).
  3. Heat 2-inches of vegetable oil in a large saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 375°F|190°C. Working in batches, cook the onigiri until golden brown, about 6 minutes per batch.
  4. Make the wasabi mayonnaise: Whisk the mayo and the wasabi paste in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
  5. To assemble, toss the crab with the rice vinegar. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of wasabi mayonnaise onto each nigiri. Top with a few slices of avocado and some cucumber, then the crab. Finish with a dollop of the nori oil.

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