Crispy Yaki Onigiri with Sweet Miso Glaze

⏱ 40 min · Serves 4

Golden, crunchy grilled rice triangles brushed with a sticky sweet-savoury miso glaze that caramelises into a lacquered crust. The outside shatters, the inside stays pillowy — the best thing you can do with a pot of leftover rice.

Per serving: 352 kcal · 7.2g protein · 64.0g carbs · 6.5g fat

Ingredients

• 300g Japanese short-grain rice (sushi rice), uncooked
• 400ml water
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 3 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake (or water)
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp neutral oil, for the pan
• 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 sheet nori, cut into strips (optional)

Method

1. Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs almost clear, then drain well. Put in a saucepan with 400ml water, cover, bring to the boil, then reduce to the lowest heat and cook 12 minutes. Rest off the heat, lid on, for 10 minutes.
2. Fluff the rice with a wet spatula, stir through the salt and let it cool until just warm enough to handle.
3. Wet your hands, take about 80g of rice and press firmly into a triangle about 2cm thick — compact it well or it will fall apart in the pan. Repeat to make 8 onigiri.
4. Whisk the miso, mirin, sake, sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil into a smooth, brushable glaze.
5. Heat the neutral oil in a large non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Fry the onigiri for 4–5 minutes per side, undisturbed, until a pale golden crust forms.
6. Brush the top side generously with miso glaze, flip and cook 1–2 minutes until it caramelises and smells nutty. Glaze and flip the other side too — watch closely, the sugar catches fast.
7. Slide onto plates, scatter with sesame seeds and spring onion, and wrap with a strip of nori if you like. Eat hot, straight away.