Zoomed in view of Kani Salad Onigiri.

Tuna or Kalani Salad Onigiri

This K-12 twist on onigiri is a great way to use leftover rice and a fun sushi adjacent meal for students of all ages.

This recipe stars U.S.-grown brown long grain rice and comes to us from Chef Bettina Applewhite of USA Rice’s K-12 Chef Advisory Board.

  • Servings
    25-50
  • Serving Size
    1 onigiri

Ingredients

For 25 Servings

  • 25 cups cooked brown rice
  • 2½ cups Furikake rice seasoning
  • 2½ cups seasoned rice vinegar
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 12½ cups kalani or tuna salad (prepared using your favorite recipe)
  • 25 sheets nori paper

For 50 Servings

  • 50 cups cooked brown rice
  • 5 cups Furikake rice Seasoning
  • 5 cups rice vinegar
  • ⅔ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 25 cups kalani salad or tuna salad
  • 50 sheets nori paper

Directions

  • Combine sugar, vinegar, and salt and heat until sugar is dissolved.
  • Once dissolved, combine with warm cooked rice, or leftover rice. Allow rice to cool completely under refrigeration (<41º).
  • Once rice has cooled, combine with Furikake seasoning.
  • To assemble onigiri, place one nori sheet on enough plastic wrap to fully cover nori sheet with some overlapping plastic wrap. Spread one cup of prepared rice mixture over nori sheet. Then layer ½ cup of kalani salad on top of rice. Using the plastic wrap, fold the 4 edges intro each other to make a square and close the onigiri.
  • Alternatively, you can use a triangle onigiri mold. Place ½ cup prepared rice in the mold, add ½ cup of kalani salad, top with another ½ cup of prepared rice. Press the mold firmly to create the shape. Remove onigiri and wrap it in a nori sheet.
  • One onigiri per serving, served cold.

Recipe Notes

1 onigiri provides:
3 oz m/ma,
2 oz whole grain