Spam Onigirazu is a enjoyable twist on the basic Japanese Onigiri rice ball. It’s made with a slice of fried Spam and steamed rice, all wrapped up neatly in a sheet of roasted Nori seaweed. In contrast to conventional Onigiri, you don’t need to form the rice by hand—simply wrap and go! It’s tremendous simple to make, and you will get artistic with the fillings. The salty Spam and crisp veggies make an ideal steadiness of taste and texture, turning it right into a satisfying meal you’ll be able to maintain in your hand. Spam Onigiri is a good dish for a fast lunch to pack in your bento for college or work.
What’s Spam Onigirazu?
Because the identify suggests, Onigirazu is a kind of rice ball made with out shaping it by hand. Merely put, it’s like a sandwich made with rice as an alternative of bread. You possibly can fill it with something you want, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable and simple to customise.
Apparently, Onigirazu truly got here from a Japanese Manga comedian guide! It first appeared within the widespread comedian collection Cooking Papa again within the Nineteen Nineties. In one of many tales, a personality makes a rice ball with out shaping it by hand and calls it “Onigirazu,” which accurately means “not gripped.” The thought rapidly caught on as a result of it was easy, neat to eat, and allowed for loads of fillings. A long time later, it made a giant comeback on social media—everybody liked the colourful layers and limitless methods to make it their very own.
Spam is one in every of our favourite components for Onigirazu. It won’t be the healthiest selection, however it’s salty, hearty, and so satisfying—excellent for a fast, comforting lunch. Plus, it’s tremendous simple to arrange, particularly on busy mornings. I like so as to add a cooked egg for further taste and texture, however you’ll be able to skip it if you happen to’re quick on time. For veggies, lettuce retains it gentle and recent, however sliced cucumber or shredded cabbage work nice too. The very best half is how versatile this dish is—you’ll be able to combine and match components to fit your style or no matter you might have within the fridge!
Suggestions and substitutions for Spam Onigirazu
- The components across the Spam are very versatile, so be at liberty to decide on your favourite greens. As talked about above, sliced cucumber and shredded cabbage add a pleasant recent crunch, whereas sautéed spinach or julienned carrots convey nice taste and colour. Principally, take into consideration what you take pleasure in consuming with Spam and rice, and construct from there!
- You possibly can merely wrap the whole lot in Nori, however we extremely advocate utilizing plastic wrap to assist maintain it collectively—particularly earlier than slicing. Since Onigirazu isn’t tightly formed or packed like a daily rice ball, it could possibly simply disintegrate. Wrapping it in plastic wrap retains the whole lot compact and makes it a lot simpler to eat.
- Should you’d like a bit of further taste, season the steamed rice calmly with salt. Watch out to not add an excessive amount of, because the Spam itself is already salty, however a pinch of salt can actually convey the entire dish collectively.
Extra recipes like Spam Onigirazu
Fast and attractive rice sandwich with fried Spam, egg, and crisp lettuce in Nori
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Slice Spam into 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) thick items. Warmth 1 teaspoon of oil in a frying pan over medium warmth, and cook dinner the Spam till calmly browned on each side.
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In a bowl, calmly beat the eggs with salt and mirin. Warmth 1 teaspoon of oil in a tamagoyaki pan (an oblong Japanese rolled omelet pan), pour in half of the egg combination, and cook dinner right into a sq. sheet, flipping to cook dinner the opposite aspect as nicely.
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Place a sheet of nori on a bit of plastic wrap with one nook pointing towards you. Put 1/2 cup of rice within the heart and flatten it barely. Place 1 piece of Spam, 1 sheet of cooked egg, and 1 lettuce leaf on prime. Cowl with one other 1/2 cup of rice, and flatten once more gently with out squashing.
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Convey all 4 corners of the nori to the middle, then wrap the entire bundle tightly with plastic wrap. With the plastic nonetheless on, lower it in half.
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Repeat with the remaining components.