Vegetable Sesame Rice Balls Recipes

SESAME RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Place the rice in a pan with 2 ½ cups of cold water and a pinch sea salt.
• Bring to the boil and reduce to simmer for 30 - 35 minutes until cooked.
• n a food processor grind half the cooked rice until it becomes sticky and glues together.
• Add ground rice to a bowl with the remaining rice, vegetables and sesame seeds.
• Using your hands take a small amount of the rice and veggie mix and make a ball the size of a 50 cent piece.
• Push index finger through to centre and place a blob of umeboshi if using and close up the ball. Sushi ginger also works well too.
• Continue this process until all the rice mix has been used.
• Roll each ball in the sesame seed and wind a strip of damp nori around each ball.
• Brush each ball with sesame oil.
• Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 160C.
• Serve with a dipping sauce of tamari.

VEGETABLE SESAME RICE BALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Chop the vegetables very finely - if the pieces are too big, the mixture will not stick together.
• Combine the rice and vegetables in a bowl. Mix the tahini, lemon juice, tamari and tofu in a blender until smooth and creamy.
• Pour this sauce over the rice and vegetables and mix thoroughly.
• With wet hands, roll bits of the rice mixture into balls of about 5cm in diameter.
• Roll the balls in the sesame seeds until they are completely coated and place them on a baking tray.
• Bake for 40 minutes, turning the balls twice during the baking process.
• While the balls are cooking, make the dipping sauce by mixing the tamari and mirin together in a small bowl.

BAKED MUSHROOM-SESAME RICE BALLS

Steps:

• 1. Put the rice in a large pot along with a big pinch of salt. Add enough water to cover by about 1 1/2 inches. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently.
• 2. Cook, stirring occasionally and adding more boiling water if the rice begins to stick to the bottom, until the grains are very tender and burst, about an hour.
• 3. Meanwhile, put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until dry, lightly browned, and almost crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. When the rice is starchy and very thick, stir in the mushrooms, transfer to a bowl, and let cool in the fridge, at least 45 minutes and up to 24 hours.
• 4. When you are ready to bake the rice balls, heat the oven to 375°F and grease two large baking sheets. Pour the sesame seeds into a shallow bowl. Roll the rice mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, dip each ball into the sesame seeds to coat it completely, and put the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared pans. Bake the rice balls, turning them as needed, until crisp and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve immediately, passing soy sauce at the table.