Autumn Onigirazu

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With a nutmeg cinnamon steamed butternut squash and sesame garlic spinach filling, this Autumn Onigirazu is a stunning take on a Japanese sushi sandwich.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Cooling time30

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings: sandwiches

Calories: 431kcal

Author: Emily Roz

Ingredients

For the rice

300g sushi rice
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
½ tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon boiling water

For the butternut squash filling

1 small butternut squash slice off top and bottom, slice in half lengthways and then down the middle. Scoop out the seeds.
½ inch ginger minced
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon MSG or sugar
2 teaspoon light soy sauce

For the spinach filling

200g fresh spinach
1 garlic clove minced
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon sesame oil

For the dipping sauce

2 tablespoon cooked butternut squash from above
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon light soy sauce

For assembly

8 nori sheets
rice wine vinegar for brushing the edges

Instructions

Pour your sushi rice into a saucepan and rinse with water. Drain the rice then add in the same volume of water as rice (300g). Place a lid on the pan and onto medium heat. When the water is bubbling, reduce the heat to low and set a timer for 10 minutes. Don't remove the lid. Once the 10 minutes has gone by, turn the heat off and leave for another 10 minutes.
While your rice is cooking, place your butternut squash slices skin up into a steamer (see images further up in the blog for reference). Cook for 15-20 minutes on medium heat until the butternut squash is soft (spike with a fork to check). Keep an eye on the water level as you might need to top it up otherwise it'll evaporate and burn the pan.
Once your rice is cooked and fluffy, combine the rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and boiling water in a small bowl, give it a stir, then pour it into your rice. Give everything a good mixture, then leave to cool (I place it into the fridge).
Your butternut squash is ready when it's soft and buttery. Remove the squash from the peel using a spoon and place it into a separate bowl. Keep 2 tablespoons of the butternut squash in a separate small bowl for the dipping sauce.
To your larger bowl of butternut squash, add minced ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, MSG (or sugar), and light soy sauce. Give it all a good mix, taste and season according to your preferences.
Place your spinach in a colander and in the sink, pour boiling water gently over the spinach. You'll slowly see it begin to wilt. Once fully wilted, strain out any excess liquid and roughly chop. Add to a bowl with minced garlic, sesame oil, sugar, and salt. Give it a good mix then set it aside.
To make the dipping sauce, get the remaining butternut squash and then add to it sriracha, mayonnaise, and light soy sauce. Give it a good mix and then set aside.
Once your rice has cooled, time to assemble your onigirazu. Place a sheet of nori onto a clean surface with a flat side of the square facing you. Place sushi rice into the centre of the nori sheet and form into a square around 4 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. Top with spinach, butternut squash, and more rice. Take another nori sheet and slice it into a 5 inch by 5 inch square. Place it on top of the sushi rice. Brush the edges of the bottom nori sheet with rice wine vinegar. Then once slightly moist, wrap up and seal.
Wrap with clingfilm or a non-plastic alternative and form into a square. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes and enjoy!

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe, so scroll up to find them!

To double quantity: This recipe can be doubled to make sandwiches for 8 people.

Storage: Place any autumn onigirazu in the fridge for up to 3 days. Any filling or rice leftovers, place them all into a bowl with the dipping sauce and combine. Eat as a meal or with nori sheet.

Freezing: Yes, you can freeze these onigirazu sushi sandwiches. Place them in clingfilm and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Leave to thaw in the fridge overnight before eating them. Their texture may change slightly.

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