Inarizushi

Name: Inarizushi
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 12 Aburaage (Fried Tofu Pouch)s, thin fried tofu pouches; 400ml Dashi Stock; 4 tbsp Sugar; 4 tbsp Soy Sauce; 3 tbsp Mirin; 300g Japanese Short-Grain Rice, sushi rice; 360ml Water; 1 piece of Kombu, 5 cm, optional; 4 tbsp Rice Vinegar; 2 tbsp Sugar; 1 tsp Fine Salt; 2 tbsp White Sesame Seeds, toasted; 60g Pickled Ginger, gari, to serve

Inarizushi are sweet-and-salty tofu pouches stuffed with seasoned sushi rice — a classic, hand-held Japanese treat. The aburaage are simmered until glossy and fragrant, then filled with vinegary, slightly sweet short-grain rice and finished with toasty sesame and bright pickled ginger for contrast. They make an elegant appetizer, picnic snack, or part of a bento.

Inarizushi are sweet-and-salty tofu pouches stuffed with seasoned sushi rice — a classic, hand-held Japanese treat. The aburaage a... Show more

Traditional Japanese Recipe

Health Grade

D- · Occasional

Rating

4.3

Time

1 hr30 min

Price

1,42 €

Calories

494 kcal

low calorie

meal prep

kid friendly

potluck

Method

Wash and soak rice

Rinse the Japanese short-grain rice in a sieve under cold water, swishing it with your hand and changing the water 3–4 times until it runs mostly clear. Tip the rice into a saucepan, add the Water, and tuck the optional Kombu on top. Let it soak 30 minutes so the grains absorb the water evenly.

Simmer the pouches

While the rice soaks, put the Aburaage in another saucepan with the Dashi Stock, Sugar, Soy Sauce, and Mirin. Bring it to a gentle simmer, then cook 15 minutes, stirring and turning the pouches once or twice so they soak up the seasoning evenly. Leave them in the liquid to cool a little; that keeps them juicy and makes them easier to handle.

Cook the rice

When the rice has soaked, lift out the kombu if you used it, then bring the rice and soaking liquid to a boil over medium heat. Cover tightly, lower the heat to low, and cook 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 10 minutes so the steam finishes the grains.

Mix the vinegar

While the rice rests, whisk the Rice Vinegar with 2 tbsp of sugar and the Fine Salt in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. The mixture should look clear and taste sharp-sweet, not gritty.

Season the rice

Uncover the rice and spread it into a wide bowl so the steam can escape. Drizzle over the vinegar mixture and fold gently with a rice paddle or spatula, cutting through the grains instead of stirring in circles, until the rice is glossy and evenly seasoned. Keep fanning or folding for a few minutes until the rice is warm rather than hot.

Fill and serve

Lift the tofu pouches out one by one and gently squeeze out the extra liquid. Open each pocket with your fingers if needed, pack in a small mound of rice, and shape the top neatly so the pouch closes around the filling. Arrange the finished inarizushi on a platter, sprinkle with the toasted White Sesame Seeds, and serve with Pickled Ginger on the side.