Inarizushi recipe (Sushi rice wrapped in juicy fried tofu)

Inari zushi（いなり寿司）

What kind of dish is Inari zushi??

Inarizushi is fried tofu that has been simmered in sugar and soy sauce and stuffed with vinegared rice (sumeshi). It is one of the traditional Japanese sushi that has a perfect combination of sweet, salty and sour flavors.

Inari sushi = inari zushi

Inarizushi looks simple, but there are a few steps to making it.

• Boil the aburaage (fried tofu) in hot water for a few minutes.　
  • This process is called aburanuki, and removes excess oil, odors, and peroxides. This makes it easier for the flavors to soak into the ingredients.
• Use a flat-bottomed pan when simmering the aburaage.
  • If the aburaage is overlapping or bent, the broth will not soak in evenly and the color will be uneven.
• Keep an eye on the aburaage while it is cooking.
  • Some cooks simmer the aburaage until the seasoning liquid is gone. I have tried this method several times and the aburaage has burned. (This broth uses a lot of sugar, so it burns easily.) If you are clumsy, you can prevent failure by making more broth. However, if you only increase the amount of water, the flavor will be diluted. Inari sushi with a weak taste is very unpleasant, so please keep the proportion of water.

Origin of Inari zushi

There are over 30,000 Inari shrines nationwide, including the main shrine, Fushimi Inari Taisha. The main deity enshrined is 宇迦之御魂大神(Uka no Mitama Okami), who is said to govern the five grains. (He is a god who symbolizes rice and agriculture.)

Until the Edo period, most of the population was engaged in agriculture, so Inari shrines were supported by many common people.

At Inari Shrine, figurines of foxes, which are believed to be messengers of the gods, are placed on the grounds.

There was a legend that the fox’s favorite food was fried tofu, so people had a custom of offering fried tofu as a tribute, and then they stuffed it with rice and ate it.

This is the origin of inari zushi.

Inari zushi varies by region and household, such as using deep-fried tofu that has been seared on the surface, making it triangular to resemble the shape of a fox’s ears, and adding wasabi, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and sesame to the ingredients.

This inexpensive, delicious sushi has become a popular menu item in supermarkets, convenience stores, and home-made bento boxes.

Recently, inari sushi with various toppings has become popular. The most commonly used toppings are as follows:

• kinshi tamago (egg sheet)
• boiled salted shrimp, green beans, spinach
• soboro (minced chicken simmered in soy sauce)
• pickled lotus root
• sashimi
• sesame

By the way, in Japan, foxes are called Kitsune, and fried tofu is sometimes called Kitsune. Therefore, a dish with fried tofu on soba is called “Kitsune Soba.”Add hot water and dashi stock to the broth left over from simmering the fried tofu to make soup for the soba noodles. Fried tofu can be frozen, so it’s best to make a larger quantity.

NUTRITION FACTS of Inarizushi Recipe (Sushi rice wrapped in juicy fried tofu)　24pieces 6SERVINGS

Total Nutrition Value　3797kcal Protein 90.8g Fat 61.4g Carbs 729.2g Salt Equivalent 10.4g

※The nutritional value is calculated assuming you consume 2/3 of the seasoning used to simmer aburaage.

INGREDIENTS for Inarizushi Recipe (Sushi rice wrapped in juicy fried tofu)　24pieces 6SERVINGS

• Fried tofu(aburaage) 12 pieces (13g x 12 pieces)
  • ★Soy sauce 90g
  • ★Sugar 90g
  • ★Mirin 30g
  • ★Water 120g
• Warm white rice 850g～
  • ☆Grain vinegar 60g
  • ☆Sugar 30g
  • ☆Salt 6g

Inarizushi Recipe (Sushi rice wrapped in juicy fried tofu) COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

In the video, I use a seasoning for sushi rice called “sushi zu,” which is a mixture of kelp, sugar, and vinegar.

1. Boil the Fried tofu(aburaage) in boiling water for a few minutes.
2. Place the fried tofu in a colander and squeeze out the water when it cools.
3. Put soy sauce, sugar, mirin, water and fried tofu in a pot and boil over medium heat.
4. When the broth is reduced to about 1/3, arrange the fried tofu on a flat tray.
5. Pour the remaining broth over the fried tofu.
6. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and wait for a few hours.
7. Put the vinegar, sugar and salt in a heat-resistant container and heat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. This will dissolve the sugar and make the vinegar less sour. The liquid produced in this way is called sushizu.
8. Pour the sushizu over the warm rice and mix.
9. Press the fried tofu from above and below to squeeze out the water and cut it in half. It’s best to keep it slightly damp rather than completely squeezing out the water.
10. Stuff sumeshi (sushi rice) into the opened bag-shaped fried tofu.
11. When filling in the sumeshi, first stuff a small amount of rice into the corners of the fried tofu, then stuff about a spoonful of sumeshi into it. The amount of rice used for one piece is around 40g. Be careful not to crush the rice too tightly, as it will turn into glue.

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