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Tofu Veggie Onigirazu

Makes for a great, delicious lunch! If you plan on packing this for lunch, see my note below on the wrapping. I do recommend making them the morning of. If wanting to make them the night before, here is Nami's (from Just One Cookbook) advice:
"If you plan to make it ahead of time, wrap the onigirazu with a thick kitchen towel and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. The towel will prevent the rice from getting hard and dry from cold air (but it's impossible to keep it moist/fluffy). I strongly recommend making onigirazu on the same day you enjoy it." I 100% agree with Nami.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Lunch or snack
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Onigirazu, Tofu Veggie Onigirazu
Servings: 2

Equipment

  • plastic wrap

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets nori
  • kosher salt
  • 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice* freshly made and cooled
  • 2 tablespoons kewpie mayo
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
  • furikake
  • 4 slices pan fried tofu
  • cucumber thinly sliced and pressed with paper towels
  • carrots shredded

Instructions

  • Place some plastic wrap on a flat surface (using a cutting board works well) and place a sheet of nori on top (shiny side facing down), with a corner pointing up. Sprinkle some kosher salt in the center of your nori. This is optional but gives the Onigirazu more flavor and helps to keep the rice fresher for longer.
  • Evenly spread the cooked, cooled rice in a thin layer on top of the salt and form into a square shape in the center of nori sheet. In a small bowl, mix together the kewpie mayo and the sriracha. This will create the spicy mayo. Place some on top of the rice and top with some furikake.
  • Layer two pieces of pan fried tofu (next to each other) on top of the rice and top with some thinly sliced cucumber and some carrots. Top with more rice and repeat the spicy mayo and furikake.
  • To fold and close: Bring the left and right corners of the nori sheet towards the center. Fold gently but tightly to wrap around the layers at the center. Then bring bottom and top corners towards the center, tucking in the sides like you are wrapping a present. Once you have it wrapped, flip the onigirazu over (loose ends down) and wrap tightly with the plastic wrap.
  • Let sit for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, slice the onigirazu in half. If packing these for a lunch, I slice them in half and then wrap the onigirazu again in plastic wrap to keep them fresh. Enjoy!

Notes

*cooked Japanese short-grain rice. Although, Nishiki says it's medium grain, I like using this brand. Kokuho Rose Sushi Rice is also another good brand.