How to Make a Basic Inari Sushi

So you've wanted to prepare sushi in your kitchen but have been intimidated by the process. Well, it's not really that difficult to make.

The inari sushi, sometimes known as the brown bag sushi or tofu skin sushi, is the easiest kind of sushi a beginner can make with good results. Basically, inari sushi is just a clump of cooked rice stuffed in a fried tofu pocket (fried tofu pouch). The key is making good sushi rice; cooked rice mixed with sugar and vinegar. The rest is simple.

Recipe good for vegan/vegetarian. Gluten free.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 6 aburage; fried tofu pockets
• 2 cups short grain rice, sushi rice; sticky rice
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar (for the sushi rice)
• 3 tablespoons sugar (for seasoning the tofu pouch)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Mirin; Japanese sweet wine (optional)
• 1 cup Dashi or fish stock
• 2 tablespoons roasted white sesame seeds, or black sesame seeds, or 1 tablespoon of each

1. 
    
   Basic rice inari wrapped with pickled ginger strip

   Drop aburage (fried tofu skin) briefly into boiling water in a pot to remove the excess grease, 10 seconds. Let cool to room temperature.
   
   While the aburage is cooling, mix rice with 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar and vinegar. Add water and cook in the rice cooker. Or cover and cook in a pot with 2 cups water on medium heat, 18-20 minutes. Wait until rice is slightly cooled after cooking.

2. When cool and to have an open end for each piece, cut the aburage in halves. You should now have 12 pieces.

3. In a sauce pan, combine 3 tablespoons sugar, dashi (fish sauce), mirin, salt and soy sauce. Bring mixture to a boil then turn heat down to low.
   
   Add fried tofu pockets to the sauce to season. Cover and let cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Drain. Place between sheets of paper towels and press out excess liquid. Set aside.

4. 
    
   Stuffed vegetable inari sushi

   Mix sushi rice with roasted sesame seeds in a large bowl. Stuff the rice into cut tofu pockets, carefully folding, overlapping and pinch ends to secure the content. You can leave the ends "open" if you like.

5. 
    
   Vinegar rice brown bag sushi

   Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce on the side. Inari sushi is a fine party finger food or an appetizer before a meal. It can be eaten cold; chill in fridge 25 to 30 minutes before serving.
   
   *Notes: double the portions in the "Things You'll Need" list, if you need more for your crowd.
   
   **Variations: Japanese salty pickled cucumber, fresh sliced carrots, blanched cabbage leaves, cut hard boiled eggs, imitation crab sticks, cooked minced shrimps are good choice varieties for stuffing the tofu pouch, combined with or without the sushi rice.

Tips & Warnings

• Double the portions in the "Things You'll Need" list, if you need more for your crowd.
• Aburage nicknames: fried tofu skin, tofu pocket, tofu/bean curd pouch, brown bag, tofu bag, brown skin bag/pocket/pouch.
• Aburage is also spelled "Aburaage".
• Aburage can be sold in the package or can. They can be bought in Chinatown and Japantown. Asian supermarkets and some western grocery stores carry them, too.

Resources

• Introduction to Sushi and Sushi Recipes
• Making Inari Sushi (YouTube video); 2min37sec
• About Aburage; Aburaage - the Tofu Pouch for Inari Sushi

[sullysee]

on 12/16/2009 Great article, love the pictures and instructions. Well done. 5*

[sonni57]

on 4/22/2009 Thanks for the sushi recipe sounds easy enough.