Tofu Pouch Sushi

Many people think that sushi = raw fish. But! Sushi just means “vinegared rice” in Japanese. (I am not Japanese but that’s what I learned from reading lots of Japanese cookbooks.) So anything with vinegared rice, whether with raw fish on top or not, can be called as sushi.

I made one of the non-fish sushi with fried and seasoned tofu pouch a few days ago for a party, and it was so popular. It’s served as “Inari sushi” in many Japanese restaurants, and the version I served is my mom’s version for picnic. A dear friend wanted the recipe so I tried to write down, but I make this dish without measuring so add the seasonings a bit at a time and taste-adjust! (You always need to adjust the seasonings to your taste even if you are using the measuring tools..) I am writing this post for my dear friend Neil.

Ingredients:

About 2 cups Cooked short grain rice - I like Kagayaki brand. (Most Asian markets will sell this brand) or Organic Sushi Rice from Lundberg. It’s very important to use the right kind of rice! The best way to cook short grain rice is to use a rice cooker. It costs around $50-150 (depends on the brand and the extra functions), and it’s one of the most useful things in your kitchen if you like eating Asian food. (Cuckoo brand from Korea and Zojirushi from Japan are the best.)

3 TB Sushi Vinegar or more - You can make your own sushi vinegar by mixing 4TB rice vinegar, 2 -3 TB sugar (according to your taste), and 0.5 TB salt. (Many recipes have different ratios of Vinegar-Sugar-Salt, so you may need to experiment to find what you like.)  You can also purchase Japanese ready-made sushi vinegar or seasoned vinegar from Asian markets. (Marukan or Mitsukan brand)

1/2 carrot and 1/4 yellow onion (1/2 if the onion is small), finely chopped - stir fry with a bit of salt in a wok or fry pan until the onion is translucent. My mom also added seasoned ground beef (with soy sauce, sugar, pepper, garlic, and sesame oil). You can add chopped daikon pickles, stir fried shiitake mushrooms, and cucumbers as well. Just make sure that the rice is the main ingredients, not the other stuff.

Fried and seasoned tofu pouch - you can buy it from any Asian markets. I prefer Korean version from Pulmoowon - this is smaller and less sweet/ comes with vinegar and seasoning mixture. For Japanese version, look for a round can that says “Inarizushi No Moto” -Hime brand is good.

How to Make:

1) Cook the rice - make sure you don’t put too much water. Sushi rice should be on the dry side, not on the watery side. You may put a piece of kombu seaweed or spoonful of sake for more flavor, but you don’t have to.

2) Stir-fry the chopped carrot and onion in 0.5 TB or more canola oil (or grapeseed, corn, soybean oil. Don’t use Olive oil) with a bit of salt. This should not be too dry or too oily. Set aside.

3) Take out the tofu pouches from the can and put them in a colander. Run hot water to wash out excess seasoning and then drain. Be careful not to tear them! If using the Korean kind, follow the package instruction and use the vinegar mixture inside.

4) Put the cooked rice into a large bowl, and mix with sushi vinegar. Be careful not to break the rice! Swing a fan or a plastic panel over the rice to get rid of heat and moisture.

5) Mix in the cooked carrot and onion.

6) Take the tofu pouch - be careful not to tear it - and put a spoonful of rice into the pouch. This sushi does not require wasabi and soy sauce. Perfect finger food~