Vegan Onigirazu with Chili-Peanut-Tofu

(ad: in cooperation with pandoo)

So, I like sushi (vegan, of course!) and therefore I also want to eat sushi from time to time (who would’ve thought). Thing is, for the most part, there’s no fancy plant based sushi restaurant located in front of my house (sadly!) and the classic avocado or cucumber maki roll doesn’t really hit the spot to be honest.

And while I actually really do love making sushi at home, sometimes I’m just too lazy for the whole rolling- and cutting-into-small-pieces-thingy. Which brings to me to this recipe however, because these onigirazu sushi sandwiches are literally the ‘minimal-effort’ version of homemade sushi! So easy, yet so good!

and now here’s the recipe for:

Vegan Onigirazu with Chili-Peanut-Tofu

Ingredients (for 3-4 onigirazu):

for the chili-peanut-tofu:

• 250g firm tofu

• 1 tbsp natural unsweetened peanut butter

• 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

• 1/2 - 1 tsp chili sauce (or to taste)

• 1 clove of garlic (chopped)

• 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds

• juice of half a lemon

• a pinch of black pepper

• some fresh chili and spring onion (optional)

• 1-3 tbsp water or oil if the marinade is too thick (optional)

for the onigirazu:

• 250g short grain rice*

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (optional)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3-4 nori sheets

• fresh veggies of choice (e.g. lettuce, radishes, carrots, cucumber,..)

• a handful edamame beans (optional)

also:

• some vegan chili mayo, soy sauce, tamari or peanut sauce for the topping*

• sesame seeds, cashews or fresh herbs or spices (optional)

Instructions: 

1. First prep your tofu. For that, cut your tofu into slices and mix together all remaining ingredients for the marinade in a deep dish or plate. If you like, you can press the tofu between some paper towels for a few minutes to remove some of its moisture.*

2. Now cover the tofu slices in the marinade and let everything set in the fridge for at least 30mins or overnight.

3. To make the rice for the onigirazu, wash it first, add 2,5x the amount of water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low, cover with a lid and let the rice simmer for about 15-20mins until it soaked up all of the water.

4. Now remove from the heat completely and let the rice steep for another 10-15mins with the lid still on.

5. Once the rice is done, let it cool completely and season it with the rice vinegar and salt.

6. Wash and prepare your chosen veggies for the onigirazu filling and pan-fry the marinated tofu in a little bit of oil.

7. Now to make the onigirazu grab yourself a nori sheet and place it onto a cutting board or large plate with one of the corners pointing upwards. Then use slightly wet hands or a wooden spoon to press the first rice layer into the middle of the nori sheet, creating somewhat of a rectangular shape.*

8. Then add your veggies and fillings of choice on top of the first rice layer and lastly cover everything with a second layer of rice.

9. Now fold all of the nori sheet corners towards the middle (like you would with a little letter or parcel), press together and turn it over. Leave it like that for 1-2mins so that the nori sheets have some time to stick and hold together.*

10. Once the onigirazu is sealed and the nori sheets stick, you can cut your sushi sandwich into two halves, add some sesame or chili mayo and you’re done!

Think about it: bigger sushi = less rolling & cutting into small pieces = less effort BUT with the same amount of flavor & fun!

*Notes:

1. Short grain or ‘sushi’ rice both works equally well. (And for everyone living in Germany: ‘Milchreis’ is also a short grain rice! So if you want to save some money, you can also use that!)

2. You can ofc use any sauce or dip you like! I really like to just mix some peanut butter, soy sauce and water together for a super easy and creamy peanut sauce, or drizzle some vegan sriracha chili mayo on top!

3. Pressing the tofu will increase the amount of marinade the tofu pieces can soak up and therefore will eventually be intensifying the flavor of the tofu. This step can be omitted, but it might add that extra bit of deliciousness to your onigirazu!

4. You can also prepare the rice the day before and store in the fridge overnight to save some extra time and have less effort whenever you want to make the sandwiches!

5. Folding the onigirazu also works even better when you place a beeswax wrap underneath. That way you’ll have more stability folding the sides to the middle and can leave the onigirazu to set inside the wrap for a few minutes. (BUT: beeswax wraps are commonly not considered vegan because of the beeswax! If you don’t want to use beeswax, there are vegan reusable wrap alternatives out there too though.)

6. The nori sheet should stick and hold the onigirazu together because of the moisture of the rice and filling. If that’s not working for you at first though, you can sprinkle some more water onto the edges of the sheet too!

Did you make this recipe?

leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @choartemi