Toasted Rice Balls

Ingredients

• One cup (200cc) of cooked rice for every 2-3 rice balls required
• Fillings: flesh of pickled plums ("umeboshi"), shaved bonito ("katsuo bushi"), tuna fish, teriyaki chicken, or "takuan" (yellow pickled radish).
• Soy Sauce
• Salt

Preparation

Wet your hands thoroughly, sprinkle salt on them and rub them together. Shape the rice with pressing and rolling motions. The rice ball should be firm.

Poke a hole in the rice ball and insert the filling. Shaved bonito should be mixed with a small amount of soy sauce before insertion.

Toast the rice balls on a grill over a slow flame. A stove top fish grill is often used in Japan, but a barbecue grill is also suitable.

Toast them on both sides, being careful not to let them burn. Baste both sides with soy sauce at least once while they are being grilled.

When both sides are a golden brown, they are ready to serve.