Kombu Onigiri (Kelp "Tsukudani" Rice Ball)

Name: Kombu Onigiri (Kelp "Tsukudani" Rice Ball)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 50 g rehydrated kombu ((kelp)); 500 ml water; 2 tbsp sake; 1 tsp rice vinegar; 1 tbsp light brown sugar; 1 tbsp mirin; 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu); ½ tbsp toasted white sesame seeds; 600 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice; 2 tsp salt; 6 pieces roasted seaweed for sushi (nori) (cut to rice ball size, 1 sheet of sushi nori will be enough for approx 4 onigiri)

Instructions

Prep:10minCook:40min

Have you ever wondered if you can use your leftover kombu after making dashi? Well, the answer is you can! You won't believe how delicious kombu itself can be until you try this recipe. This umami-packed simmered kelp called "Tsukudani" is one of Japan's most popular onigiri fillings!

Updated at: Fri, 19 Dec 2025 04:29:08 GMT