Onigiri - Rice Triangles

Ingredients

• Ingredients (for 4 to 5 pieces):
• -300 g of Japanese Koshihikari rice
• -400 g (or 400 ml) of clean, cold water for cooking (the volume ratio of water to rice is approx. 1.1:1)
• -1 sheet of nori seaweed (cut into strips)
• -Sea salt (for rubbing your hands)
• -Water (for wetting your hands)

Method

1. Step 1: Rinsing and soaking the rice
2. Weigh out 300 g of rice, pour it into a bowl, and cover with cold water. Stir quickly and immediately drain the water so the rice doesn't absorb impurities from the surface.
3. Gently massage the rice with your hand (using a motion similar to washing delicate fabric) for about 15 seconds. Pour in clean water, stir, and drain. Repeat this process 5 to 7 times until the water is almost clear. Pour the measured amount of water (400 g) over the rinsed rice and leave it to soak for exactly 30 minutes. This allows the grains to absorb moisture and cook evenly all the way to the center.
4. Step 2: Cooking
5. Transfer the rice along with the soaking water to a rice cooker or a heavy-bottomed pot.
6. If using a pot: bring to a boil over medium heat. Once the water starts to boil vigorously, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat (absolutely do not lift the lid) and leave the rice to "rest" in the steam for another 10 minutes.
7. Step 3: Shaping the onigiri
8. Transfer the cooked rice to a wide bowl or a plate. It needs to cool down slightly – it should be warm enough to hold in your hands, but not so cool that it loses its pliability and begins to harden. Wet your hands in a small bowl of clean water so the rice doesn't stick to them. Place a generous pinch of sea salt in the center of your palm and rub it evenly over both hands. The salt preserves the onigiri and gives it its characteristic flavor. Scoop about a handful of warm rice into one hand (approx. 80-100 g of rice per onigiri). Make a small indentation in the center with your thumb and place your chosen filling inside (about half a teaspoon). Cover the filling with a little bit of rice to completely seal it inside.
9. Cup your hands into a V-shape and gently rotate the rice, shaping it into a triangle. Do not squeeze the rice too tightly – the grains should adhere to each other naturally but remain fluffy. Wrap the bottom part of the finished triangle with a strip of nori, placing the shiny side of the seaweed facing outward.