Inari Sushi
These tofu pockets are made of fried slices of firm tofu, cut in half to reveal the pocket which forms inside, simmered in a sauce made with mirin, sugar, and soy sauce, and then filled with plain sushi rice. Or, more elaborate preparations may be served. If sushi rice is unavailable, cooked basmati or jasmine rice, or even cooked brown rice, may be used to fill the pockets. I've even seen recipes which use seaweed salad.
Although they may be made at home, the tofu pockets are fussy to prepare and canned or frozen commercially prepared versions are perfectly acceptable. In canned form, the Hime and Shirakiku brands are well known.
Inari Sushi pockets with cooked shrimp and a garnish of shredded nori and sesame seeds. I like a bit of wasabi and some pickled ginger to accompany the inari sushi though some thinly sliced green onion would be lovely as well .
Inari sushi or Inarizushi (also known as Kitsune-zushi or fox sushi in Japan)
1 cup uncooked sushi rice (will be enough to fill all pouches)
1 tsp dashi granules, optional
1 1/4 - 1 1/3 cup cold water
2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 can (16 pockets) of inari-sushi (fried tofu pockets simmered in sweet sauce)
Optional Additions - use only one or 2 additions so the taste of the rice and curd pocket is not overwhelmed by all the other flavours
1 tsp furikake (rice seasoning mixture) - to stir into rice or sprinkle on top of the pouches
green onion, to taste - to stir into rice
toasted sesame seeds (white or black) - sprinkled over rice
Preparing the tofu pockets
Open the can of inari sushi. Take out the pockets carefully so you don't tear them. You might want to gently pull several out at a time and put them into a larger bowl, pouring the sweet syrup out into bowl as well. Look for the cut edge of each of the pouches (one of the 2 longer sides) and pull them apart. There is already a slit or pocket there, you just have to tease the 2 edges apart.
Preparing sushi rice
Place the sushi rice in a saucepan and fill the pan with cold water, stirring around through the rice with your hand. Drain off the cloudy water and repeat, rinsing the rice at least 5-7 times in the cold water until the water runs clear or is not milky white or cloudy in colour any more. Drain off as much of the water as possible and let the remainder of the water soak into the rice for 30 min to 1 hour.
Add the measured amount of cold water and dashi granules, if used, to the rice in the saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and just as it comes to a rolling boil (you can see several holes starting to form among the rice kernels) reduce the heat to the lowest possible on your stove and put the lid on your pan. Simmer the rice for 15 minutes.
Take the saucepan off the heat and reset your timer for an additional 10 minutes. This lets the rice steam for the remaining time and finish absorbing the water in the saucepan. Taste the rice when this waiting period is over with. The rice should NOT be crunchy, meaning it is uncooked. (If it IS uncooked, add an additional 1/3 of a cup of cold water to the rice, bring the water to a simmer, cover and let steam off the heat for another 15 min.)
Empty the cooked rice into a glass or ceramic bowl and fold rice vinegar into the rice gently, using a wooden paddle if you have one, so you don't crush the rice granules. Or use a spatula. Let the rice cool until you can handle it with your bare hand.
To fill the pouches, wet one hand with cold water and roll a generous tbsp of rice into a ball in the palm of your hand, applying just enough pressure to get the ball to hold together. Hold the pre-opened tofu pocket in your other hand and insert the ball gently into the pocket opening. You can also try spooning a tablespoon of the rice into the pouch using a regular tablespoon but you must be careful not to tear the pocket. Add a bit more rice to the top of the rice ball if desired or top with additions like whole shrimp or a tsp of flying roe. Serve with open end on top to display the toppings.
Otherwise, leave a bit of space on top and fold the two flaps, one over the other, and place on serving dish with flaps on the underside.
Variations
1. Add chopped shrimp to the rice mixture before stuffing the pocket. Or place one or two cooked shrimp on top of the rice in the pocket before serving.
2. Add enough flying fish roe (tobiko) to cover the rice. Plain tobiko is orange-red but flavoured versions are also available ie. wasabi (green), yuzu (pale orange) or squid's ink (black).
Capelin roe (masago) or salmon roe (ikura) may also be used. Or, cover half the rice with scrambled eggs and the rest with the flying fish roe. If you're feeling particularly well off, you could spring for caviar.
Although they may be made at home, the tofu pockets are fussy to prepare and canned or frozen commercially prepared versions are perfectly acceptable. In canned form, the Hime and Shirakiku brands are well known.
Inari Sushi pockets with cooked shrimp and a garnish of shredded nori and sesame seeds. I like a bit of wasabi and some pickled ginger to accompany the inari sushi though some thinly sliced green onion would be lovely as well .
Inari sushi or Inarizushi (also known as Kitsune-zushi or fox sushi in Japan)
1 cup uncooked sushi rice (will be enough to fill all pouches)
1 tsp dashi granules, optional
1 1/4 - 1 1/3 cup cold water
2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 can (16 pockets) of inari-sushi (fried tofu pockets simmered in sweet sauce)
Optional Additions - use only one or 2 additions so the taste of the rice and curd pocket is not overwhelmed by all the other flavours
1 tsp furikake (rice seasoning mixture) - to stir into rice or sprinkle on top of the pouches
green onion, to taste - to stir into rice
toasted sesame seeds (white or black) - sprinkled over rice
Preparing the tofu pockets
Open the can of inari sushi. Take out the pockets carefully so you don't tear them. You might want to gently pull several out at a time and put them into a larger bowl, pouring the sweet syrup out into bowl as well. Look for the cut edge of each of the pouches (one of the 2 longer sides) and pull them apart. There is already a slit or pocket there, you just have to tease the 2 edges apart.
Preparing sushi rice
Place the sushi rice in a saucepan and fill the pan with cold water, stirring around through the rice with your hand. Drain off the cloudy water and repeat, rinsing the rice at least 5-7 times in the cold water until the water runs clear or is not milky white or cloudy in colour any more. Drain off as much of the water as possible and let the remainder of the water soak into the rice for 30 min to 1 hour.
Add the measured amount of cold water and dashi granules, if used, to the rice in the saucepan. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and just as it comes to a rolling boil (you can see several holes starting to form among the rice kernels) reduce the heat to the lowest possible on your stove and put the lid on your pan. Simmer the rice for 15 minutes.
Take the saucepan off the heat and reset your timer for an additional 10 minutes. This lets the rice steam for the remaining time and finish absorbing the water in the saucepan. Taste the rice when this waiting period is over with. The rice should NOT be crunchy, meaning it is uncooked. (If it IS uncooked, add an additional 1/3 of a cup of cold water to the rice, bring the water to a simmer, cover and let steam off the heat for another 15 min.)
Empty the cooked rice into a glass or ceramic bowl and fold rice vinegar into the rice gently, using a wooden paddle if you have one, so you don't crush the rice granules. Or use a spatula. Let the rice cool until you can handle it with your bare hand.
To fill the pouches, wet one hand with cold water and roll a generous tbsp of rice into a ball in the palm of your hand, applying just enough pressure to get the ball to hold together. Hold the pre-opened tofu pocket in your other hand and insert the ball gently into the pocket opening. You can also try spooning a tablespoon of the rice into the pouch using a regular tablespoon but you must be careful not to tear the pocket. Add a bit more rice to the top of the rice ball if desired or top with additions like whole shrimp or a tsp of flying roe. Serve with open end on top to display the toppings.
Otherwise, leave a bit of space on top and fold the two flaps, one over the other, and place on serving dish with flaps on the underside.
Variations
1. Add chopped shrimp to the rice mixture before stuffing the pocket. Or place one or two cooked shrimp on top of the rice in the pocket before serving.
2. Add enough flying fish roe (tobiko) to cover the rice. Plain tobiko is orange-red but flavoured versions are also available ie. wasabi (green), yuzu (pale orange) or squid's ink (black).
Capelin roe (masago) or salmon roe (ikura) may also be used. Or, cover half the rice with scrambled eggs and the rest with the flying fish roe. If you're feeling particularly well off, you could spring for caviar.