Main Course
Cartoon Rice Ball
timer
15 MIN
signal_cellular_alt
Medium
person
4 servings
About This Recipe
Football and Cherry Tomato-Shaped Rice Balls – Fun & Delicious!
These playful football and cherry tomato-shaped rice balls are a creative twist on traditional onigiri, perfect for kids and adults alike! Made with sticky rice, savory fillings like meat floss, braised kelp, or roasted fish, and wrapped in crisp nori, these adorable bites are as tasty as they are cute. The secret? Cutting nori into pentagons and strips to craft a football shape or shaping it into a zigzag-edged cherry tomato for extra whimsy. Use plastic wrap for easy molding and tweezers for precise nori placement. Whether you follow the detailed football assembly or take the shortcut method, these rice balls are sure to delight. Pack them for lunches, parties, or a fun family cooking project—guaranteed to bring smiles and big appetites!
Instructions
Detailed preparation guide
servings
4
Total Time
15m
shopping_basket Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- rice 200g
- nori 6 sheets
- meat floss 50g
- roasted fish 50g
- egg 1 piece
- braised kelp 30g
The aromatics
- pickles 30g
The sauce & seasonings
- sauce 1 tbsp
menu_book Directions
1
Step 1
Cut the nori into the desired shape. Prepare manual scissors, tweezers, and nori.
2
Step 2
Pre-cut an equilateral pentagon (side length 1.5cm) from cardboard, then fold the nori into several layers, place the cardboard pentagon on top, and cut the nori into the same size equilateral pentagon along the cardboard. Make a football-shaped rice ball, at least six pentagons are needed. Cut some long and thin nori strips for later use.
3
Step 3
Prepare the filling for the rice ball. (You can use meat floss, pickles, sauce, roasted fish, egg, or anything else.)
4
Step 4
Spread the rice evenly in the center of the plastic wrap, and place your desired filling in the middle. Here, we use braised kelp.
5
Step 5
Use your hands to shape the rice into a round ball through the plastic wrap.
6
Step 6
Place a pentagon in the center of the rice ball, then attach five nori strips at equal distances from the five angles outward.
7
Step 7
Then, take five more pentagons and attach them under the nori strips (in the direction shown in the picture). Finally, cover with plastic wrap and press gently to make the nori stick to the rice ball, and the first football-shaped rice ball is complete.
8
Step 8
You can also take a shortcut, first attach a pentagon in the center, then attach a circle of five pentagons at equal distances below. You don’t need to bother with attaching nori strips, and it already looks like a football.
9
Step 9
Cut some long and thin nori strips, and attach them to the rice ball as shown in the picture to make a ball-shaped rice ball.
10
Step 10
Finally, make a cherry tomato-shaped rice ball. Cut the nori into a rectangle (about 4-5cm wide and 8-10cm long), then cut one edge into a zigzag shape. If you have a serrated knife, you can use it to cut the nori. Cover the cut nori over the edge of the rice ball, cut off the excess nori, and use plastic wrap to wrap and press the nori onto the rice ball. Then, attach the eyes, mouth, and other facial features, and the cherry tomato-shaped rice ball is complete.
11
Step 11
It’s so lively! Boys and girls have each found their favorite toys! Wish the kids a good appetite!
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