Kombu Onigiri / Musubi

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Savory and speckled with roasted white sesame seeds, Kombu Onigiri / Musubi is surprisingly easy to make. You can use shio kombu or kombu tsukudani. Only three ingredients (plus sea salt)! Form each onigiri in molds, eat and enjoy ^_^

We've been on a musubi making spree!

I bought The Musubi Book from Mana Musubi (one of my favorite musubi shops in Honolulu) last week and have made so many recipes from it. His musubi recipes are easy and tasty. The flavors feel familiar and comforting, very Hawaii.

We get takeout from musubi shops all the time, so it's nice to mix it up and also make musubi at home. It definitely saves a bit of money given how much musubi we eat hahaha.

Classic Musubi vs Mixed Rice Musubi

I made Tuna Mayo Musubi and Bacon Almond Onigiri / Musubi the other day. Today we're making Kombu Musubi.

According to The Musubi Book, Tuna Mayo Musubi is categorized as basic / traditional musubi. Kombu Musubi and Bacon Almond Onigiri / Musubi is considered mixed rice musubi. Why?

Kombu Onigiri / Musubi from The Musubi Book (by Mana Musubi).

Because the seasoning ingredients (kombu, sesame seeds) are mixed with the rice. With Tuna Mayo Musubi, the tuna filling is tucked into the center of the musubi. But with Kombu Musubi and Bacon Almond Onigiri / Musubi, everything is mixed together.

Another key difference between basic / traditional musubi and mixed rice musubi: no need to wrap the musubi with nori for mixed rice musubi.

Shio Kombu vs Kombu Tsukudani

When making kombu onigiri, some recipes call for shio kombu. Others call for kombu tsukudani. You can use either for this recipe!

What's the difference?

Shio Kombu (Dry)
Kombu (kelp) that is simmered with soy sauce and plenty of seasonings. Then cut into small strips and dried. When you combine shio kombu with hot rice, the kombu softens. Even though it's dried, you don't need to rehydrate shio kombu before eating it.

Kombu Tsukudani (Wet)
Kombu (kelp) simmered with soy sauce and plenty of seasonings. The kombu is cut into small strips, but is not dried. While shio kombu is sold dried, kombu tsukudani is sticky, saucy, and a little "wet."

The Musubi Book uses kombu tsukudani. You can make kombu tsukudani at home or you can buy it prepared at a Japanese supermarket.

I had a few bags of shio kombu at home (I love enjoy cooking with shio kombu) so used shio kombu in today's recipe.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need:

Freshly cooked Japanese short grain rice, still warm - In Honolulu, we love to buy rice from The Rice Factory. Most Japanese supermarkets will also have a selection of Japanese short grain rice.
Roasted white sesame seeds - If your sesame seeds are on the older side, you can easily "freshen" them up by toasting them on a small pan over medium heat. Cook until the sesame seeds are fragrant, careful not to burn them!
Shio kombu - Available at most Japanese supermarkets and online.
Sea salt

Instructions

Let's get cooking!

Prepare the rice.
If the rice is still in the rice cooker, fluff the rice and then use a rice paddle to move all the rice into a large bowl.

Add the seasonings.
Sprinkle the roasted white sesame seeds and the shio kombu on top of the rice. Use the rice paddle to gently mix everything. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly blended. Set aside.

Then prepare the onigiri making station.
Use a large plate or cutting board as your onigiri making area. Wash the onigiri mold and place it on the plate.

Lightly wet the onigiri mold with a splash of water. Shake out any excess water.

Then sprinkle a little sea salt inside the onigiri mold. To make this step easier, I spoon some sea salt into a small dish and keep that on the side. Just pinch and sprinkle.

Add rice to the mold.
Fill the onigiri mold full with the rice. Gently pat the in the rice with a rice paddle. Never ever smash the rice.

Close the mold.
Use the top/lid of the mold to gently press down and "seal" the onigiri.

Remove onigiri from the mold.
Then flip the mold over and lightly press the back of the mold to "pop" the onigiri out of the mold. Place the completed onigiri onto another plate.

Repeat and eat ^_^
Then repeat steps 4-7 until you use all the rice. You should have about 6 onigiri pieces (or 12 mini onigiri pieces).

Eat warm and enjoy!

FAQ / Useful Tips

Are your sesame seeds old?

Freshen the sesame seeds up by toasting them on a small pan over medium heat. Cook until the sesame seeds are fragrant, but please be careful not to burn them. They go from golden to burnt very quickly.

What else can you make with shio kombu?

Oh man, so many wonderful things! Start with:
Shio Kombu Rice
Shio Kombu Tuna Rice
Shio Kombu Tofu
Shio Kombu Sweet Potato
Shio Kombu Sashimi

What to eat with this musubi?

We mostly eat the musubi plain, when it's warm and freshly made. But you can really eat it with anything. I made a light Japanese curry with thinly sliced pork and onions (pictured above) earlier in the day, so ate some musubi with a side of curry for lunch. Doesn't really "match" but it sure was tasty! And makes it feel more like a "complete" meal ^_^