Japanese riceballs?!
Thanks^^
Answers: I need to make riceballs(meatless) for culture day at my school. Is there a special way to make them? How do i get the grains to stick together? what type of rice do i use? what do i cook it in? (i don't have a rice cooker) and do i put it in the frige after it's done or is it suppose to stay hot?
Thanks^^
As to how to make them, I'll leave you to search the web. I have a couple of cookbooks with the recipe but haven't made them in 20 years and so I can't remember well enough how to enhance the instructions from experience.
The grains will stick together if you use the right kind of rice. Brands like Kokuho are the kinds you want. Kokuho obviously is a Japanese name but the rice is Japanese STYLE, grown in California. It is short grained and is the type for most all Japanese cooking. It is available in most super markets and ALL Asian markets. There are lots of brands. You're looking for short grain Japanese or Asian style rice.
As for cooking the rice, you can use a sauce pan. I can tell you how I learned from my Japanese/American uncle, but there might be another way someone could suggest. Put rice in the pan. With one hand on top of the rice, with your fingers straight out, fill with water to the middle of the knuckle of your middle finger. The amount of rice doesn't matter. This is how rice is measured in Japanese cooking. Then cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. The pan must have a lip to secure the foil securely. Turn heat up to high. When it start to boil, let in cook 30-45 seconds. (The foil will bulge and may even steam out a little. Ignore that. It's normal.) Then turn the heat to low and put a heat diversifier under the pan and let cook for 40 minutes. Your rice will be perfect every time. (A rice cooker IS easier, but if this is the only time you'll be making this, I wouldn't spend the money.)
Rice balls are just fine cold. They go in bento boxes for kids' lunches all the time. If you wish to reheat, they warm up in the microwave in no time.
Go to the website www.about.com and proceed to search their cooking pages. They have a very exhaustive Japanese food section that gives clear, simple instructions on video.
I don't know anything about riceballs, but here's a page on Onigiri (Rice Triangles) if you can't find anything on riceballs
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h...
They are commonly called musubi. Use shortgrain rice. You can make them with your hands by cupping it together. For meatless, I like to use Ume.
Also use salted water to dip your hands so the rice doesn't stick to your hand. they are stored at room tempreature for less than a day. You cannot refrigerate it. The rice will dry.
Gene H is right on the money with your cooking instructions, and JDB's link gives you the right idea on how it looks. Here in Hawaii, we call them musubi. I don't ad anything to the rice itself, but we often put stuff inside the center of the musubi. Ume, a cherry sized, salty, pickled plum is th most common and traditional, at least for local Japanese. Depending on where you live, Hinode and Diamond G rice are other brands you can look for. Other wise look for any rice that is labeled either "sushi rice" or "calrose rice" Calrose is a medium grain, Japanese style rice. Good luck with your project.
