Trio Of Halloween Onigiri Recipe

Halloween is the season for all things ghoulish and ghostly, where culinary creativity meets monstrous delights. If you're seeking a deliciously eerie addition to your Halloween spread, look no further than recipe developer, Tanika Douglas' trio of Halloween onigiri. Douglas has created a recipe that combines the beloved Japanese snack, onigiri, with the festive spirit of Halloween. This imaginative trio of Halloween onigiri recipe offers three different varieties of sushi to choose from, with a vibrant orange pumpkin lantern, a scary white ghost, and a speckled monster skull. "With just 35 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking, you can easily create these captivating and spooky Halloween treats," suggests Douglas. 

The base of the onigiri starts traditionally with freshly cooked sushi rice, which when combined with the decorations, forms the trio of Halloween characters. Whilst many Halloween celebrations are centered around sweets like candy and chocolate, this recipe offers an irresistible savory alternative. "The trio of Halloween onigiri is a real winner with little ones, as they capture the attention of children and make the ultimate wholesome Halloween snack,"Douglas says. Whether you're hosting a haunted house party or simply looking to surprise your loved ones with a Halloween-themed meal, this trio of Halloween onigiri is sure to become a seasonal family favorite.

To create this trio of Halloween onigiri recipe, your cauldron of ingredients calls for a magical blend of Japanese flavors with a spooky twist. Douglas states, "The fluffy sushi rice is the most important aspect of the recipe, as once perfectly cooked, it becomes sticky enough to form into the onigiri Halloween characters." The rice is made with water, salt, and rice wine vinegar to create the perfect foundation for the eerie onigiri. The autumnal-rich pumpkin puree will then be added to a third of the rice, imparting both flavor and a vibrant orange hue for the pumpkins. For the playful detailing of these edible creatures, you'll need crisp chives, nori seaweed sheets for crafting the eyes and mouths, and a sprinkle of punchy furikake. To complete this trio of Halloween-themed rice treats, a cucumber becomes the canvas for crafting monster skulls' eyes and mouths. Lastly, a duo of condiments, including wasabi and soy sauce, stands ready to take the sushi to the next level. With these ingredients on hand, you're all set to craft this imaginative trio of Halloween onigiri. 

Fill a small pot with the sushi rice and cold water. Place the pot over the stove and bring to a boil.

Turn the rice down to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff up the rice. Stir in the salt and rice wine vinegar.

Divide the rice into 3 bowls.

To one bowl of rice, mix in the pumpkin purée.

Form 6 pumpkin shapes with the pumpkin rice.

Cut small pieces of chives and push them into the pumpkins for the stems.

Using the nori, cut out small triangles for the eyes and thin strips for the mouth.

Place the eyes and mouthes onto each pumpkin.

With the second bowl of rice, form 6 ghost shapes.

Using the nori, cut out small ovals for the ghost mouthes and eyes.

Place the nori eyes and mouthes onto the ghosts.

With the third bowl of rice, form 6 skull shapes.

Place the furikake in a bowl and toss each skull in the furikake.

Cut the cucumber into slices. Then cut small ovals for the eyes and thin strips for the mouth.

Place the cucumber eyes and mouths onto the ghosts.

Serve the Halloween onigiri alongside the wasabi and soy sauce.

Sushi rice stands as the only, and best choice for creating this irresistible trio of Halloween onigiri for several compelling reasons. Firstly, sushi rice sets itself apart from other rice varieties, is because of its short-grain, plump texture and stickiness. These factors mean the rice is engineered to hold its shape, ensuring your onigiri creations remain perfectly intact. This sturdiness is crucial when sculpting the intricate pumpkin, ghost, and skull shapes, allowing them to maintain their form throughout preparation and presentation. Douglas states,"'Whilst other rice varieties like brown, jasmine, and long-grain can often be used interchangeably in recipes, in this instance sushi rice is absolutely essential." 

Furthermore, sushi rice boasts a mild, slightly sweet flavor profile that pairs harmoniously with a medley of ingredients, making it an adaptable base for a wide range of creative and thematic dishes. As rice is naturally gluten-free, this means this trio of Halloween onigiri is perfect for those with trouble digesting gluten. Just be sure to use a gluten-free tamari instead of the soy sauce! Sushi rice is accessible in most supermarkets, or can often be found in your local Asian grocer. 

Yes, this trio of Halloween onigiri recipe can easily be adapted to suit your own flavor and texture preferences! Whilst it is incredibly important to start with the versatile base of the freshly cooked, sticky sushi rice, from there you can easily adjust the recipe according to your own imagination. Douglas offers, "Whilst pumpkin puree adds the earthy, sweet, autumnal flavor we all know and love to the recipe, sweet potato puree is a brilliant alternative that will also work perfectly." 

Furikake can often be a much-loved or incredibly divisive flavor, though it gives the monster skull onigiri a unique, savory flavor, and provides the crunchy, green and black speckled exterior. If you aren't a fan of furikake, a great alternative is black sesame seeds which will offer a delicious nuttiness and interesting texture. Chives are a brilliant way to create the pumpkin stems within this recipe, though these can easily be swapped out for another soft herb stem-like coriander or parsley. Lastly, if cucumber isn't your favorite ingredient, other vegetables can be thinly sliced to make the skull's eyes and mouth. Firm, crisp vegetables like carrots, red peppers, and radishes are all excellent alternatives. Regardless of what your flavor preferences are, this spooky trio of Halloween onigiri is easily adaptable and perfect for your next ghostly Halloween feast!