Warning! These umeboshi onigiri with Szechuan pepper may not be for beginners. You have to enjoy the distinct sour-salty taste of Japanese preserved umeboshi plums and the tingling sensation in your mouth that Szechuan pepper will give you.
This year I made my own Dutch version of Japanese umeboshi with the small plums from our orchard and the last pink ripe Szechuan berries from the tree in my city veggie garden. Do you like strong flavors? Then this recipe is a must-try!
Umeboshi onigiri with Szechuan pepper
for ± 12 onigiri
350 g (2 cups) Japanese sushi rice
25 ml (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) rice vinegar
20 g (5 tsp) sugar
12 umeboshi, pit removed
± 2 nori sheets, in strips
1-2 tsp Szechuan pepper, coarsely ground
(Himalayan) salt, coarsely ground
also needed: onigiri mold (optional)
1 Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package for ± 25 min. until done. Leave to cool until the rice can be handled, but is still warm.
2 In the meantime, mix the vinegar, sugar and 5 g (1 tsp) salt in a pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
3 Drizzle the vinegar through the rice while carefully stirring and folding the rice. Season with some extra salt if necessary.
4 Line each onigiri mold with some plastic wrap and fill with ± 30 g rice. Make a hole in the middle all the way to the plastic. Press an umeboshi in the hole, cover with another ± 30 g of rice. Cover with plastic wrap and press firmly with the lid. Remove from the mold with the plastic wrap and twist to close. Make all the onigiri in this way.
If you do not have an onigiri mold, take 60 g of rice and shape into a ball. Place on a piece of plastic wrap and lightly press down until flat. Place the umeboshi in the middle. Fold closed and use the plastic wrap to form a triangle of 2-3 cm thick. Make sure that the omboshi remains visible on 1 flat side.
4 Just before serving the umeboshi onigiri with Szechuan pepper, fold a strip of nori around the bottom of the onigiri and sprinkle with the Himalayan salt.
Looking for more recipes with plums? check these: Grilled plum and tomato gazpacho, plum clafoutis with hazelnuts and blueberry sauce