Inarizushi (Sushi Rice Inside Fried Tofu) Recipe

By
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka
Setsuko Yoshizuka is a freelance food writer and Japanese cookbook author.
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Updated on 05/22/22
Fried Tofu Inarizushi on plates

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Serving: 1 to 2 servings
Yield: 12 pieces
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
515 Calories
13g Fat
82g Carbs
16g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1 to 2
Amount per serving
Calories 515
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 1602mg 70%
Total Carbohydrate 82g 30%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 243mg 19%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 375mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Named for the Shinto god Inari, Inarizushi is also known as "brown bag sushi" because the rice is packed in seasoned aburaage, or fried tofu pouches. Because the aburaage keeps the rice held together so well, and it's usually made with just rice inside, inarizushi is easy to eat, even when using your hands.

The flavor of inarizushi is essentially the flavor of the sushi rice, although this version includes sesame seeds and others also include vegetables such as carrots with the rice.

Ingredients

For Sushi Rice:

  • 1 1/2 cups Japanese rice

  • 1 2/3 cups water

  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

For Cooking Aburaage

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Fried Tofu Inarizushi ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Put rice in a bowl and rinse with cold water. Repeat rinse until water becomes almost clear. Drain rice in a colander and set aside for 30 minutes.

    Rice in a strainer, over a glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Place rice in a rice cooker and add measured water. Let rice soak in the water for at least 30 minutes. Start cooker.

    Rice and water in a rice cooker

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Prepare sushi vinegar by mixing rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Put pan on low heat and heat until sugar dissolves. Cool vinegar mixture.

    Sushi vinegar by mixing rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan on a burner, with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Spread hot steamed rice into a large plate or a large bowl. Sprinkle vinegar mixture over the rice and fold rice by shamoji (rice spatula) quickly.

    Rice and vinegar mixture in a glass bowl, shamoji

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Mix sesame seeds into sushi rice. Wet your hands and make small mounds of sushi rice.

    Rice in a bowl, formed into balls and placed on a platter

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Meanwhile, cut aburaage in halves so that each piece has an open end.

    Aburaage cut in half on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Put dashi soup stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce in a medium pan and bring to a boil.

    Dashi soup stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce in a pan on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Add aburaage in pan and lower the heat. Put a lid on pan and simmer until liquid is almost gone. Stop the heat and let cool.

    Aburaage in a pan with the soy sauce mixture on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Take a piece of aburaage and lightly press to remove excess liquid. Open the pouch and stuff a mound of sushi rice inside. Fold in the open side to close the pouch.

    Fried Tofu Inarizushi on a platter with rice balls

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Variation Without Rice Cooker

Recipe can be made without a rice cooker, simply follow the package instructions on the bag of Japanese rice for cooking on the stove and continue with the recipe as instructed.

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