This post for Onigirazu was originally posted on the 26th of July 2021.

The first time ever I have seen Onigirazu around must have been while playing Cooking Mama on my old Nintendo. Does anyone remember that lovely little lady? She was my idol back then, I must have been 16 or 17 years old and I loved her. I really think this is where I discovered how to make these little onigirazu sandwiches. And where I thought, yes, I love cooking enough to play a videogame about this. Fancy teenagers nowadays won’t understand the joys of peeling a digital potato or mixing a bowl of food on tv.

The recipes I was able to make while playing were quite silly, yes. But lord, was I hooked up on that game! You could definitely learn a thing or two – at least visually – and some sort of knowledge of foreign recipes, especially Japanese food. I had never heard of so many dishes out of that game! Plus Mama was adorable – what’s not to love?!

I don’t remember whether or not Mama actually made Onigirazu or Onigiri. All I remember is that it was a Japanese Rice ball made of sushi rice. And there was definitely some Nori sheet involved in some form. It was some sort of Japanese cooking, for sure, not sure what really. But then again, do you know the difference? I only found out while researching so I could make a nice one for Cristina and me. Excluding Fred, as she does not eat fish and doesn’t like seaweed. I know, I know.

So yes, researching a dish – do you ever do that? I find it interesting to read about how a dish came about and what’s the history behind each dish. And the onigirazu is no different here. Let me show you a little bit about it.

In the meantime, you should also try the tofu nigiri, boba smoothie recipe and the iced hojicha latte for the perfect summer recipes!

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what is onigirazu? What is the difference between onigiri and onigirazu?

So, onigirazu is a take on the traditional onigiri, a type of Japanese rice ball. While onigiri is traditionally shaped into a ball or triangle of cooked rice, onigirazu takes a flat square or rectangular shape just like a rice sandwich. It originated in the 1990s in the comic book series ‘Cooking Papa’ as part of a bento meal.

The Japanese term for this popular snack derives from ‘onigiri’ which translates as ‘rice ball’ and the term ‘nigirazu’ where ‘razu’ means not to mold. Therefore a rice ball not to be molded in hands like traditional onigiri.

Onigirazu is wrapped in dried nori seaweed, but unlike the traditional counterpart, the fillings are a lot more untraditional! Think spam, avocado, deep-fried tempura fish…not your average one! Tofu katsu or chicken katsu onigirazu are a thing. (The Spruce Eats)

So I was chatting to Cristina a couple of months ago and she literally was ready to chomp down on these the moment we discussed the fillings. I couldn’t back up anymore. No chance she’d let me live with the regret of not giving her one of those onigirazu sandwiches. So, like the good sister I am, I went and made her some fancy ones with different fillings.

Have you ever tried Nori seaweed?

Nori is a type of seaweed that is dried in sheets. It comes from red algae, which turns its distinctive dark green colour once dried. One of the most common uses sheets of nori is in sushi, or actually also as a snack, in soups and salads. But also smoothies and supplements!

But is nori any good for you? Oh yes! Actually, nori seaweed is a good source of omega-3 fats and vitamin B12. Nori seaweed contains iodine and tyrosine, which support thyroid function. And it also contains a variety of antioxidants and provides fibres that can support your gut health.

Any other good aspect of Nori? If you ask! Eating nori might reduce heart disease risk. And also help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes by improving your blood sugar control. If you ask me, not too shabby right? You can find nori sheets at any Asian grocery store or your local stores too nowadays.

One thing we would like to try is to sprinkle nori on our savoury dishes and ramen. Sometimes all you can see is sesame seeds used as a garnish, but I am pretty sure this would work equally and it tastes amazing with soy sauce too. If not better! Imagine being able to add a little saltiness to every mouthful. Yum. Moving on to the onigirazu sandwich right now!

What can I put in my onigirazu rice sandwich?

We have made two different kinds of onigirazu – a vegan version and a fish version. Both of those have then got avocado in them, and one or two sauces of your choice. You could use anything you can think of, from spam onigirazu to fried egg and salad or salmon, the options are endless. Some of the most common fillings are tuna, chicken katsu, bacon and many more. Not your traditional Japanese onigirazu fillings, but some great combos nonetheless.

Is it easy to build sushi sandwiches?

You’d be surprised to know that these onigirazu sandwiches are so easy to make and take roughly an hour from the sushi rice cooking to them resting in the fridge. They are quite fun to build and we even had a little competition on who did it better, but you know Cristina won.

Do you ever do that with your sisters? Competing with Cristina is definitely a lost cause, she always ends up winning. Fred is a lot more fun because she doesn’t like losing, yet she’ll sometimes just try to wing it. And we all know, winging it in the kitchen is not the best thing to do.

You can make these by hand very easily, but you can also use an onigirazu mold for it, which will help you keep the square shape. There are plenty on Amazon. I suggest though to try your hand at rolling them, all you will need is cling film to help you out.

Before I officially dive into the actual build-up situation, why don’t we look at the different elements and how to make them.

What Onigirazu are we making?

As mentioned, the onigirazu we made were a crispy tofu onigirazu, which is vegan, and a prawn katsu onigirazu. They were both made from scratch, including the main ingredients. Our crispy tofu recipe was shared ages ago on Instagram (you can still find it on highlights!) and it’s one we always make over and over. It’s extremely simple and quick to whip up.

The prawn katsu we also made from scratch. Fun, kinda. Smelly – like fish? Of course. Would do it again? Why do you even ask? It’s brilliant and we even made some with different onigirazu fillings for later, so you know what they say, the more the merrier!

What elements do we need for the vegan Onigirazu recipe?

First of all – tofu. We made our most infamous crispy deep-fried tofu because it would just be perfect. The crispy outside, the soft inside and the avocado with sauces and rice and seaweed were the perfect combinations. We used regular short-grain rice which we cooked on the stove, but you can also use a rice cooker to be faster. If white rice is not for you, you can find recipes with brown rice too.

We usually put quite a few different herbs in the cornflour but went plain-ish this time in order to keep the whole combo as clean as possible. But you can always add any herbs you like, we usually go for parsley.

The avocado was fresh, thinly sliced and slathered in sriracha and mayo. Simple, flavourful and with the right balance. Because too spicy, and it will cover all other flavours. But also not spicy enough and you will feel it a bit bland.

What elements do we need for the prawn katsu Onigirazu?

We have made prawn katsu. Yes, from scratch. Do I recommend it? Not sure, to be completely honest. Yes, it does taste great and you’ll be wanting more and more of these prawn katsu. But in all honesty, you can definitely buy them ready to fry or bake, if you are short on time. You will have to clean and devein prawns first before you get to fry them.

The same filling as the vegan one, just to make it easier: avocado, mayo and sriracha sauce. But you could also go for tonkatsu sauce or teriyaki sauce. Perfect and oh so tasty! You get the crunchiness of the katsu and must admit that prawns and sriracha are a flavoursome combo!

HOW TO MAKE ONIGIRAZU

You will start both of the Japanese rice sandwich recipes the same way. Cook your sushi rice, either in a rice cooker or on the stove. You can follow this recipe for it, which is the one we usually follow. 

In the meantime, start prepping your onigirazu filling. If you go for the vegan pick, you will start by slicing your tofu into 0.5cm thin slices. Then coat them in a mix of cornflour, salt and pepper. Fry it in oil and let it cool down on some kitchen roll. 

When your rice is done, mix in the rice vinegar, sugar and salt mix and get ready to prepare your Japanese onigirazu. Cut a square piece of plastic wrap and place it on the counter or a wooden board. Place the sheet of nori on it and cover it with a thin layer of rice, leaving 3 fingers from each side of the nori sheet empty.

Place your onigirazu fillings. Start with the tofu, sliced avocado, your sauces and the other half of the rice on top. Then seal all four corners of the nori sheet on top of the filling and wrap the cling film on top of it. Wrap it tightly and place it in the fridge to cool down. Cut it in half with a sharp knife when you are ready to serve. 

If you go for prawn katsu option, you will start off by cleaning, removing the shells and deveining your prawns. To make sure they will keep their shape, place each of them onto a kebab skewer. Prepare three plates, one with a beaten egg, one with flour, salt and pepper and one with panko. Dip each prawn in the flour, egg and panko last. Fry them and let them cool down on paper towel. 

When your rice is done, mix in the rice vinegar, sugar and salt mix and get ready to prepare your onigirazu. Cut a square of cling wrap and place a sheet of nori on it. Place the first layer of rice and leave some space empty on the sides. Then start placing three prawns, sliced avocado, sriracha and mayo and add the top of rice. Seal all four corners of the nori sheet on the filling and wrap the cling film on top of it. Wrap it tightly and place it in the fridge to cool down. Cut it in half with a sharp knife when you are ready to serve. 

HOW TO STORE THE JAPANESE RICE SANDWICH

You can keep the onigirazu for up to two days in the fridge. The one with prawn katsu is better to be eaten on the day, but anything else can be kept refrigerated for a couple of days. Make sure to keep them wrapped in cling film and in an air-tight container or with a wet kitchen towel on top to keep the rice from drying.

It’s always best though for better texture and taste to eat these on the same day, without risking the rice drying up with the cold.