RECIPE : onigiri with roasted sweet potato & shiitake filling

this is a recipe from my cookbook !
in the book, there’s a chapter with a japanese inspired buffet, and this onigiri recipe is a part of that chapter. in the book i’ve included two different fillings – these sweet potato and mushroom filled ones, and another recipe for avocado and lemon marinated plum filling.

in these photos i’m serving them with miso soup. i love having something hot to sip on while eating cold dishes. and that gorgeous red and black sesame spice is another cookbook recipe : orange and chili coated sesame seeds to be precise.

onigiri with sweet potato & shiitake filling
about 4 onigiris
200 ml / 0.8 cup sushi rice
about 250 ml / 1 cup water
1 nori sheet
1/3 sweet potato, diced
about 2 shiitake mushrooms, fresh or dried (if dried, soaked for 5-6 in cold water)
0.5 tsp light soy sauce or tamari
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
salt & pepper

– rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear. place the rice in a bowl and cover with cold water. let sit for 10 mins.
– measure the amount of water specified by the rice package (about 250 ml / 1 cup) in a pot and add the rice. simmer with lid on low heat until the water has absorbed completely, about 15 mins. remove from the heat and let steam under lid for another 15 mins or so. let cool.
– preheat your oven to 225° C / 440° F.
– roast the sweet potato dices with salt and pepper for about 10 mins. flip them oven and roast for another 10 mins or so, until they’re soft and lightly browned.
– remove the stem of the shiitake and slice them. sauté in a bit of water, with garlic and pepper on medium heat for 5-10 mins, until softened. remove from the heat and fold in sweet potato dices and soy sauce.
– moisten your hands with a bit of water. take a handful of rice and softly roll to a ball. use your thumb to make an indentation in the ball and add some of the mushroom mix. make another rice ball, flatten it and place over the indentation of the first ball. roll the onigiri again, and finally form a triangle with your fingers. repeat the procedure until you’ve used all the rice.
– cut the nori sheet into thick strips and split each strip in 2 or 3 pieces (depending on the size of your onigiri). place the nori around the bottom of the onigiri (see images). serve with light soy sauce or tamari.