Photo: Heami Lee • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Heami Lee • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen
Inarizushi is widely popular throughout Japan among children and adults alike. Aburaage—deep-fried tofu pockets—are simmered in a sweet-savory dashi-soy sauce broth, then stuffed with tart vinegared rice. Nara, Japan-based tofu maker Masahiro Kondo, who helms the food company Miki Tofu, suggests making his inarizushi recipe for a filling snack or component in a lunchtime bento box. Look for the pockets fresh or frozen in a Japanese grocer, or online.
Featured in “Meet the Makers Preserving the Past in Nara” by Megan Zhang.
Yield: 6 Time: 1 hour 45 minutes 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice, washed One 4-in. kombu square 6 aburaage (fried tofu pockets) 1½ cups dashi 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. mirin ¼ cup rice vinegar 2 tsp. sugar ½ tsp. kosher salt Black and white sesame seeds, for garnish Instructions To a rice cooker, add the rice and fill with water to the indicated line. Place the kombu on top, set aside to soak for 20–60 minutes, then set the machine to cook. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Cut each tofu pocket in half, and insert your thumb into the opening of the cut side to separate the
