The Thoroughly Modern Inari-zushi

This is strrraight (well, roughly) from NHK's "Tameshite Gatten" version, because it works. Recently, I've thought that inari-zushi were too sweet...but if you tone them down, they are too bland. When I read the NHK version, I immediately noticed the sushi rice - NO SUGAR! Aha! 

I do sometimes make sushi rice with no sugar, and I'm convinced that the sweetness of modern sushi rice has a lot to do with how long the sushi sits around after being made, and also the move away from salad-type homestyle chirashi-zushi, or sushi wrapped in tofu or leaves to the eye appeal and easy serving of nigiri and maki. No-sugar sushi rice doesn't stick together as well, and can get dry...but that's no problem with inari-zushi, and the fresh taste of vinegar is perfect with fried tofu pouches with the traditional strong flavor.

These are tasty but not cloying, perfect picnic and bento food, and a very good dinner with shira-ae (tofu-dressing and vegetables) and vegetable soup in a shoyu broth.

Sushi Rice for Inari-zushi

Per 2 cups (Japanese rice cup measure) of rice:

75 ml rice vinegar

scant t salt (4 g - bit less  is OK if using 1 T red pickled ginger, finely chopped)

1 T finely chopped red pickled ginger (the cheap type you buy pre-shredded)

1 T toasted black sesame seeds

Alternatives - finely chopped green shiba-zuke (cheap type), 1 t salt-pickled sansho seeds, white toasted sesame seeds plus finely shredded green shiso leaves.

Inari-zushi Pouches

3 slices thin fried tofu (aburage, usu-age)  1 pack - 6 pouches if pre-cut.

The cheap type are thinner and better for this dish than expensive products! Make plenty, these freeze well. If not prepared for inari-zushi, pop the aburage on a chopping board and use a rolling pin or several long chopsticks to roll back and forth a few times - this loosens the two layers. Cut in half into two squares, then gently pull apart to make pouches.

simmer 3 minutes in plenty of water, then drain. Use a saucer, drop-lid, or large strainer/colander to keep tofu under the surface of the water.

In clean pan, heat till dissolved:

5 T sugar (about 1/3 J cup)

3 T shoyu (1/4 J cup)

300 ml water

Replace aburage, and use some kind of drop lid, and simmer till liquid has almost gone. If you want, you can leave them overnight for flavor to penetrate fully, and reheat before using next day, but they are perfectly tasty used straight away.

I don't squeeze them, but lay them to drain on a cake cooler or kitchen paper etc.

With wet hands, take 2 small T of rice and gently squeeze to make a ping-pong sized rice ball. Pop into the pouches, pressing into corners if you feel you must, then lay upside down on serving plate so that the opening doesn't show.

Frozen Tofu Nuggets, Three Ways

There are plenty of recipes using frozen crumbled tofu out there...I wasn't that interested until I started using silken rather than cotton tofu. Cotton tofu works too though.

Frozen tofu nuggets

1 pack tofu, cotton or silk, 300g frozen and pressed, then squeezed to about 130g in weight, crumble into bowl

1/2 tsp ginger juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp kochujang or miso

1 T peanut butter

To coat: 1 T each soft flour and cornstarch/katakuriko

 Mix and squish together, make about 10 nuggets (1 T each) roll in flour mix, deepfry. 

These soft nuggets are great in meatless "subuta" (sweet and sour pork) or with a tangy sauce for lunchboxes.

 Tofu sausages

300g silk tofu frozen, pressed and squeezed to about 130 g in weight, crumbled

1 c fresh soft bread crumbs

4 T grated onion

1/2 tsp salt

Pepper

1/2 t brown sugar

1 T vinegar

1 t soy sauce

1/4 tsp red pepper (more is too spicy unless you want really spicy nibbles)

Cumin & coriander

Paprika

Marjoram or oregano, sage

2-3 T grated cheese optional (for the grilled crispy squares option)

 Mix together, form sausage shapes, roll in 1 T each soft flour and cornflour and deep fry.

Or, press out into squares and grill in oven toaster 10-15 mins (crunchier in thin layers).

The sugar and vinegar add more interest to the flavor, and give the herbs something to argue with.

 Pumpkin Tofu Sausage

300 g silk tofu frozen, pressed and squeezed to about 130 g in weight, crumbled

Steamed pumpkin, same weight as tofu

about 1/2 c soft breadcrumbs (depends how moist the pumpkin was)

1-2 cloves garlic (depending on size) and 1 t kalonjeera or cumin seeds, fried in 1 t oil

1/2 t salt

pepper

1 t crumbled dried sage

1/2 t brown sugar

2 t vinegar

 To deepfry:  form into sausages, roll in flour/katakuriko.

To bake: either grill on an oiled tray in an oven toaster, or roll up in greased foil or baking paper and bake in an oven toaster

The pumpkin/garlic/herb flavor is a winner. Leave out breadcrumbs if you don't need sturdiness (when stuffing vegetables, for example).