Chia Seed Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

Step 1

Place uncooked rice, water, rice vinegar, salt and 1Tbsp sugar in your rice cooker and stir. Turn on the rice cooker, wait for it to finish the cooking cycle (20-30 min).

Step 2

Mix the chia seeds into the hot cooked rice, then let rice stand with the lid open for an additional 5-10 minutes so it cools enough to handle.

Step 3

There’s many ways to form rice balls. The simplest way is to press some rice into a small rounded bowl or round biscuit cutter, add a tablespoon of filling, then top with more rice and press it together in the bowl/mold with your hands or the bottom of a cup. (See photos above.) Remove from bowl/mold and shape it a bit more to get the rounded or triangular shape.

Step 4

You can also spread some rice out into your hand, press filling into the center, fold the rice around the filling, and shape it into a ball or triangle with your hands.

Step 5

Once it has been formed, wrap it with a strip of nori and serve.

Step 6

If storing for later, wrap the rice ball closely in plastic wrap and keep the nori and rice ball separate until ready to eat to avoid soggy seaweed.

Step 7

This recipe will make approximately 6 onigiri, but your sizes may vary depending on how you mold them.

Step 8

Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.