Sushi sandwiches and rolls, anyone? Check out the recipe below to see how I made these!
I'm a huge fan of Japanese food, most especially these sushi sandwiches (onigirazu) and sushi rolls (maki).
I've been making Japanese sushi rolls for much longer than onigrazu (sushi sandwiches) but once you get a hang of sushi sandwiches, they're so much easier to make than sushi rolls from my experience!
You can also check out my tofu katsu recipe video, whichI used as filling:
I also used to love taking them to school to eat while on-the-go. You can also get creative with your fillings! For these, I made my own vegan tofu "katsu" and drizzled some homemade teriyaki sauce.
Also, these are usually wrapped in plastic cling wrap to be able to really seal them well but I realized that it's possible to make them without the need for any plastics!
Anyway, check out the recipes below. Enjoy!
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes? Check out my latest Vegan Kitchen eBook, that has over 95 recipes (and a whole section for Asian recipes!) that are packed with flavour and made with simple and easily accessible ingredients! Also, two trees (instead of 1!) will be planted for every download of my eBook through non-profit organisation One Tree Planted.🌲
Vegan Tofu “Katsu” Sushi Sandwiches and Rolls (Onigirazu and Maki)
Makes 8 sushi sandwiches or 3 sushi sandwiches, and 2 rolls
You'll need:
A bowl of water
A sharp knife
A damp towel
Ingredients
Whole nori sheets
Prepared Japanese sushi rice (recipe below)
Tofu “Katsu”, some sliced into strips for the rolls (recipe below)
Other Filling/Veggies (totally up to you!)
Thinly sliced carrots
Lettuce
Pickled radish (store-bought)*
Pickled burdock root (store-bought)*
Homemade teriyaki sauce (or sauce of choice, recipe below)
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
*Feel free to use fillings of your choice!
Steps (Step by step video here)
Sushi Sandwiches (Onigirazu)
In a flat surface, place the nori sheet. Prepare a bowl of water t dip your fingers. This is to prevent rice fro sticking to your fingers.
Add a generous amount of the sushi rice to make a square shape the same size as the tofu katsu.
Add the lettuce and then the tofu.
Add other toppings of choice, all the same size as the tofu and rice.
Add another layer of rice and press down.
Fold each side of the nori sheet to the center while holding together the filling to ensure the sandwich will be held together well.
Fold the sheet up while tucking in the sides.
Flip over then slice with a sharp knife. Wipe your knife with a damp towel to prevent rice from sticking.
Feel free to add some sesame seeds and teriyaki sauce to your liking! If you intend to store these in the refrigerator, you can wrap them in some cling wrap or place them in an air tight container to avoid them drying out.
Sushi Rolls (Maki)
Prepare a bowl of water t dip your fingers. This is to prevent rice fro sticking to your fingers.
On a flat surface, place your bamboo mat. Place a sheet of nori.
Wet your hands. Thinly spread out rice. Leave at least a 1/2" border at the other end of the nori sheet.
Add in the fillings of choice.
Roll the nori sheet and tuck the filling with your fingers. Squeeze tightly together and roll another time, to seal the edges. Roll the finished maki into the bamboo mat again to make sure it's tightly packed.
Slice the whole maki into 8 pieces with a sharp knife. Wipe your knife with a damp towel to prevent rice from sticking.
Storage tip
To enjoy the following day, wrap sushi sandwiches (rreferably unsliced) and rolls in some plastic or paper wrap to keep them from drying out before placing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Japanese Sushi Rice
Good for 1 serving
1 1/2 cups uncooked Japanese rice or short grain rice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (this type of vinegar is essential)
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt
Steps
Wash the Japanese rice 2-3 times with water.
Cook in a rice cooker. (1 cup rice = 1 cup water)
While the rice is cooking, pour rice vinegar, sugar and salt into a large wooden or ceramic bowl. Mix well.
Once rice is cooked, add into the vinegar mixture and mix well. The hot rice will easily absorb the mixture.
Cover the rice with a damp towel. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cover with a towel or cling wrap then refrigerate.
Tofu “Katsu”
Makes 6-8, depending on the thickness of the tofu
2 200g blocks fresh extra firm tofu
Canola oil, for frying
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste*
Batter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp + 2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sweet paprika powder, optional
½ cup room temp. water
Breading
1 cup japanese breadcrumbs, or more as needed
Steps (See recipe video)
Drain water from the tofu by wrapping them in paper towels and then placing a heavy flat surface (a board or plate) on top of each. Leave for 15 minutes until water has been absorbed by the towels. You can also opt to use a tofu press.
Slice each tofu into 1/2 inch thick square slabs. You may be able to slice one tofu into 3 slabs, depending on the thickness of your tofu. Season with salt as needed. If you end up with extra tofu, you can always enjoy it as is!
Prepare the batter by mixing all the ingredients until smooth. In another plate or tray, add the breadcrumbs.
Place each tofu in the batter then coat into the breadcrumbs. Repeat this step for the rest of the tofu.
Heat the oil in a frying pan. Once hot (you can test this by putting a little bread crumbs), add in the tofu. Fry for around 6-8 minutes over medium heat until golden brown. Take them out of the oil then turn off the heat.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes to maintain the crispness.
Homemade Teriyaki Sauce
Makes around 1 cup
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce*
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or other sugar of choice)
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp room temperature water
*Note: If you have regular soy sauce, feel free to lessen to 1/4 cup and taste as you go since it can get a little salty if using regular soy sauce.
Steps
In a bowl, mix the corn starch and water.
Add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and leave to boil, stirring occasionally.
Leave to simmer until the sauce thickens from the cornstarch, around 7 minutes.
Turn off heat and set aside to use for the fried rice or other dishes. I store mine in a bottle and store it in the refrigerator for future use.
