View Full Version : How do I use my nigiri-press?
yukio_michael
Oct 27, 2006, 00:59
I bought a nigiri press recently, one that looks like this...
http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/5996/s640x480bg7.jpg
I'm just wondering the correct way to use it. I'm not making nigiri with it, more like mini-onigiri really... I don't quite understand if you are supposed to close the lid first and put the rice through the holes in the press, or put the rice in first, and then close the lid... Anyways, I'm just sort of mashing the rice in with my hands... these are my results...
http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/1238/p1020004ld5.jpg
tasukete please...
undrentide
Oct 27, 2006, 01:28
I've never used it myself, but I believe that first you put the rice in the mold, then put the lid on (squeeze!), remove the lid, and the hole is there to push out the rice.
The mini :62: you made looks very nice - oishisou... (drool) :gohan:
DoctorP
Oct 27, 2006, 01:48
The presses should be wet when you use them...this will keep the rice from sticking. But, you put the rice in first, then put the cover on and press...just as you mentioned.
yukio_michael
Oct 27, 2006, 13:38
Hmmm Okay, I think I've got it, but what are the holes for? Curious.
Kyoko_desu
Oct 27, 2006, 13:53
yukio_michael-san, as undrentide-san mentioned, the holes are for pushing out the rice after taking off the lids. I really don't know how to explain in English, but let me try.:-)
1)Push rice real tight into the nigiripress. (gyutto gohan wo oshikomimasu)
2)Put the lid and push it real hard. (futa wo shite, osaetsukemasu)
3)Take off the lid. (futa wo hazushimasu)
4)Hold the nigiripress upside down. (onigiripress wo shitani mukete mochikaemasu)
5)Put your finger on the hole and push the rice out of the nigiripress. (ana ni yubi wo atete, naka no gohan wo oshidashimasu)
As CC1 san said, the press should be wet. ← IMPORTANT
What you made looks really good already, but please try again and make sure to take a picture of the result. Good luck!
yukio_michael
Oct 27, 2006, 14:41
Ahh Okay... this all makes sense now... pushing OUT from the hole, not, OUT OF the hole... okay... I think I've done all this... More pictures soon!
Wow, very practical tools you have there!
And your Onigiri looks so good! *drools*
That connected nigiri tool you used could also be for those little ones in the lunch box?
http://www.umemoto21.co.jp/bentou/img/UMEM103.jpg
But anyway, you did well as to wrapping them with Nori, too. Very nice!
And those octopus and squid-like shape ones must make a cute onigiri, too.
leonmarino
Oct 27, 2006, 16:36
Wow!! Those nigiri-presses look great!! :cool:
I prefer to do it with my hands though. I love making triangular onigiri's, wrestling with the rice that is too hot, putting water and salt on your hands.. Yummy!! :-)
yukio_michael
Oct 28, 2006, 01:21
Wow, very practical tools you have there!
And your Onigiri looks so good! *drools*
That connected nigiri tool you used could also be for those little ones in the lunch box?
http://www.umemoto21.co.jp/bentou/img/UMEM103.jpg
But anyway, you did well as to wrapping them with Nori, too. Very nice!
And those octopus and squid-like shape ones must make a cute onigiri, too.I only have just the one that I circled... On the rice in ^^ that bento, it looks like sesame & something else I don't know---
I thought though how nice it would be to have the other shapes too, & I could make myself bento with different things for lunch... It seems like a lot of effort just for me to enjoy, but it's fun!
I only have just the one that I circled...
Ohh, I see. Sorry. ^^;
But yeah, it'd be nice to have other kinds.
On the rice in that bento, it looks like sesame & something else I don't know---
I was wondering myself, what the green-ish stuff could be. Hmm...
ricecake
Oct 28, 2006, 02:05
I own a set of nested triangular shape molds ( as pictured in post#1 ) for making rice balls,satisfied with results everytime hehe.I always add Mizkan Omusubiyama's seasoning for my homemade Onigiri,I don't like my rice too bland.
Mine came in a package imprinted with step-by-step users' instruction on back.
yukio_michael
Oct 28, 2006, 02:23
Now this thread is also onigiri discussion... Does anyone else have some tips, ideas, 'recipies' etc... I want to make onigiri like you can get at yakitori restaraunt, where it is fried a bit... I was told yesterday to put salt on onigiri--- but I don't quite understand... for flavour?
DoctorP
Oct 28, 2006, 02:26
yes for flavor...as for the yaki onigiri, just put a bit of butter in a frying pan and place your onigiri on it. wait a few moments then turn it over.
leonmarino
Oct 28, 2006, 04:49
Noooooo no butter!! :shock: Or at least, that's what I think. :relief:
You can also put some salt in the frying pan, heat it up a little and then put the onigiri's in the pan. The salt reduces the stickyness. I also like to put some syoyu on the onigiri's while frying them, just enough for the shoyu to drench the center of the onigiri and reach the bottom. (I like the smell of burnt syoyu.) Nothing beats a yaki-onigiri made on a BBQ though!! :cool:
Kyoko_desu
Oct 28, 2006, 05:33
Interesting! Everyone has his own method to make a yakionigiri.:cool:
As for me, I put a bit of butter in a frying pan and then put soy sauce and mirin(sweet sake) brushed onigiri. Did you know butter and soy sauce go very well together? I think it's a good example of "wayousecchuu" （和洋折衷） - blending of Japanese and Western elements.
misa.j
Oct 28, 2006, 08:28
Does anyone else have some tips, ideas, 'recipies' etc... I want to make onigiri like you can get at yakitori restaraunt, where it is fried a bit...
They sell a small, fine mesh grill that you can put over a gas stove for making yaki-onigiri in Japan. (I wish I could find a picture for it, but I couldn't. Sorry!)
You can directly put your fresh onigiri on it and cook it until it gets color on the outside, drizzle some soy while it's still hot, or you can brush some before you cook it.
Hmm, I can have some right now!
ricecake
Oct 28, 2006, 08:52
They sell a small, fine mesh grill that you can put over a gas stove for making yaki-onigiri in Japan.
It's available at Mitsuwa supermarket chain stores in California,don't know if the corporation has franchises in East Coast or not.I think there are scattered small Japanese communities through out New Jersey.
yukio_michael
Oct 28, 2006, 08:52
They sell a small, fine mesh grill that you can put over a gas stove for making yaki-onigiri in Japan. (I wish I could find a picture for it, but I couldn't. Sorry!) I have a Korean grocery store close by that sells them, but I have an Electric grill unfortunately... Maybe it will be hot enough.
misa.j
Oct 28, 2006, 11:52
Yeah, maybe. As heat easily travels through metal.
Although, if you have a broiler or a toaster oven and put a piece of tin foil underneath your rice balls, you might even get a better result.
Hiroyuki Nagashima
Oct 28, 2006, 14:33
A frying pan, A grid, A toaster oven,
Besides it, I make "Yaki onigiri" in "a hot sandwich maker".
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/fujix/1083357/1076873/
http://www.hou345.com/pictures/hp-4463kt.jpg
http://www.hou345.com/price/pr_hp-4463kt.htm
leonmarino
Oct 28, 2006, 17:45
A frying pan, A grid, A toaster oven,
Besides it, I make "Yaki onigiri" in "a hot sandwich maker".
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/fujix/1083357/1076873/
http://www.hou345.com/pictures/hp-4463kt.jpg
http://www.hou345.com/price/pr_hp-4463kt.htm
きゃわいい〜！:lol:
But I'm more of a リラックマ-fan. :D
Hiroyuki Nagashima
Oct 28, 2006, 20:36
In the Netherlands,There is "Nijntje Pluis".
In Japan, it is called "Miffy" or "Usako-chan".
She is a popular person.
There are a lunch box and an onigiri- press of Miffy.
http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/toomi/lunch6.html
http://www2k.biglobe.ne.jp/~nishi/goods020.jpg
undrentide
Oct 28, 2006, 23:17
A frying pan, A grid, A toaster oven,
Besides it, I make "Yaki onigiri" in "a hot sandwich maker".
Didn't know that yaki-onigiri can be made with a hot-sandwich maker!
I'll definitely try with mine!! I love yaki-onigiri!! :yeahh:
leonmarino
Oct 28, 2006, 23:41
It's a great idea to make yaki-onigiri with a sandwich maker!! I got some waffle makers too, so I can make waffle-styled yaki-onigiri's.. Yeah!! :cool:
By the way it's unbelievable how popular Nijntje is in Japan compared to Holland.. :relief:
yes for flavor...as for the yaki onigiri, just put a bit of butter in a frying pan and place your onigiri on it.Noooooo no butter!! :shock:Butter is perfectly fine, some people might even experiment grilled/pan-fried rice balls with olive oil and garlic, it is just that such rice balls are no longer called Japanese onigiri: Link (http://www.gohanmuseum.com/library/seminar/a6.html)
The real yaki-onigiri looks like:
http://www.komenet.or.jp/recipe/recipeimg/ss-060.jpg
Noooooo no butter!! :shock:Another one that is as bad: ham, egg and cheese grilled rice ball, to be served with ketchup.
Link (http://www.asagumi.jp/asagohan/contest/2004_soto03.html)
knina102
Dec 26, 2006, 00:24
:( I always want to try make onigiri, the triangle one with my hands instead of using the press...and always fail...so sad. Perhaps because of the rice preparation and stuff....is it the same as to prepare sushi rice? with mirin? tasukete kudasai...
undrentide
Dec 26, 2006, 01:33
:( I always want to try make onigiri, the triangle one with my hands instead of using the press...and always fail...so sad. Perhaps because of the rice preparation and stuff....is it the same as to prepare sushi rice? with mirin? tasukete kudasai...
No, when you are making onigiri, nothing should be added to the rice - just cooked rice.
What goes wrong when you are making onigiri? If you can elaborate, we might be able to help you.
:-)
- Short grain should be used (but if you've already made sushi, you are already using correct kind of rice...) The rice should be a bit chunky so you can take a mouthful with chopsticks. If the rice is flaky - I mean, like it is impossible to pick up a small amount with chopsticks, then you cannot make onigiri with it. But at the same time the rice should not be mushy.
- You need to give it a good squeeze. Otherwise onigiri crumbles too easily.
- You have to squeeze it while the rice is still very hot (maybe this can be the most difficult part of it.)
knina102
Dec 26, 2006, 03:41
Hm...well, now come to think of it, most likely the cause of my blunders is the rice. I used the so called short grain rice, but Canadian's brand. With this, the end result always mushy rice, or perhaps I need to reduce the water..... or perhaps I ought to buy real short grain Japanese rice. Will try then :-) Arigatou gozaimasu!
yukio_michael
Dec 26, 2006, 10:10
It might be how you are preparing the rice. As for the type of rice, I'm quite a novice when it comes to product brand-names, I just go to my local Korean market and buy some rice that looks familiar to me and says "sushi rice" on it.
You should use a rice cooker, or a rice-steamer though if you want to get consistent cooking results. Right now, I'm using a rice-steamer, which is not the best, I prefer a rice cooker which has a warmer... It's a great investment if you eat a lot of rice.
undrentide
Dec 26, 2006, 10:25
Here's "how to cook rice in a pot" with photos which I posted at a different forum sometime ago.
http://www.celifornia.com/forum/index.php?topic=56.0
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