Maitake-Stuffed Yaki Onigiri with Miso-Lacquered Kabocha
Crisp stuffed rice triangles, sticky maitake, and jewel-toned kabocha.
Daily recipe · September 25, 2026
A little about this dish
This cool-weather Japanese-inspired plate pairs frilly, deeply savory maitake mushrooms with sweet kabocha squash. The mushrooms are tucked inside crisp yaki-onigiri rice triangles, then brushed with a glossy white-miso maple glaze and finished with shiso, nori, sesame, and citrus.
Ingredients (for 4)
- Fresh maitake mushrooms — 10 ounces — tear into bite-size fronds
- Japanese short-grain rice — 1 1/2 cups — rinse
- Water — 2 1/4 cups, plus 2 tablespoons — measure; reserve 2 tablespoons for the glaze
- Kabocha squash — 1 small squash, about 1 1/2 pounds — scrub, seed, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- Shiso leaves — 8 leaves — thinly slice
- Scallions — 3 — thinly slice
- Nori sheets — 2 sheets — cut into 16 narrow strips
- Fresh ginger — 1 tablespoon — finely grate
- Garlic — 1 clove — finely grate
- Lime — 1 — finely zest and juice
- White miso — 2 tablespoons
- Gluten-free tamari — 2 tablespoons — divide
- Pure maple syrup — 1 tablespoon — divide
- Unseasoned rice vinegar — 2 teaspoons
- Toasted sesame seeds — 2 tablespoons — divide
- Shichimi togarashi — 1/2 teaspoon
- Neutral oil — 1 tablespoon — divide
- Toasted sesame oil — 1 teaspoon
- Kosher salt — 1/2 teaspoon — divide
Preparation
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Step 1 — 🍚💧🔥Combine the rinsed rice and 2 1/4 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.
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Step 2 — 🍄🟤🍳Cook the torn maitake in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and dry.
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Step 3 — 🧄🫚✨Add the sesame oil, ginger, and garlic to the mushrooms. Cook for 30 seconds, then toss with 1 tablespoon tamari, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until glossy. Transfer to a bowl.
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Step 4 — 🥣🍋🥢Whisk the miso, remaining tamari, remaining maple syrup, lime zest, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl.
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Step 5 — 🎃💨🌶️Steam the kabocha wedges with 1/3 cup water, covered, for 7 to 9 minutes. Let the water evaporate, then add 2 teaspoons neutral oil, shichimi, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sear for 2 to 3 minutes per cut side until browned.
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Step 6 — 🍚🥄🧂Fluff the warm rice and fold in the rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cool until slightly warm and easy to handle.
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Step 7 — 🤲🍙🔺With damp hands, divide the rice into 8 portions. Flatten each portion, add about 1 1/2 tablespoons mushroom filling, seal the rice around it, and shape into a compact triangle.
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Step 8 — 🥘🔥🟡Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining neutral oil over medium heat. Sear each rice triangle for about 3 minutes on each of its three sides until crisp and golden.
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Step 9 — 🖌️🌊🟩Brush the triangles with miso glaze during the final 30 seconds on each side. While warm, press two nori strips around each triangle.
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Step 10 — 🍽️🌿✨Place two onigiri and several kabocha wedges on each plate. Scatter with shiso, scallions, and the remaining sesame seeds. Drizzle with any remaining glaze and serve immediately.
A final fox tip
This recipe makes approximately 540 calories per serving. Maitake can be replaced with oyster mushrooms, but keep the frilly pieces large for the best texture. Shape the rice cakes with damp hands while the rice is warm; chilling the assembled onigiri for 15 minutes before searing makes them even sturdier. Check labels on miso, tamari, nori, and shichimi to confirm they are dairy-free and gluten-free.