Hi!!
This blog is how to make Inari at home and a short introduction to Inari. Inari is Sushi rice wrapped with in a cooked sweet soy deep fried tofu pocket.
Is Inari Vegan? Yes, it is!! Aburaage is made of soy and Dashi powder is Konbu which is made from kelp.
Where you can buy Aburaage?
• Asian shops.
• Coles online. Yamato Bean curd
This is already cooked one, so you don’t have to cook.
• Japanese grocery shops.
*Aburaage is soy pocket deep-fried in a sweet soy sauce. Inari is these pockets stuffed with sushi rice.
Usually, they sell Aburaage in the cold section at shops but you can also keep it in your freezer if you don’t use it all.
Where you can buy Konbu-dashi? Konbu is kelp.
• Asian shops.
• Japanese shops.
• Amazon au
• Healthy shops.
You can use this product for making miso soup, soup for Udon or Soba, etc.
I will do a blog post and YouTube video one day.
How to make Inari and recipe
Ingredients
For Inari
- 9 each Aburaage 3 pack
- 1.5 cup Water
- 4 g Konbu-Dashi powder
- 3 tbsp Soy sauce
- 4 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Mirin
For Sushi vinegar
- 200 g Rice vinegar
- 40 g Sugar
- 20 g Salt
For Sushi rice
- 500-600 g Cooked rice See my video on How to cook rice
- 3 tbsp Sushi vinegar
- 40 g Frozen peas *
- 1 tsp Sat *
- 2 tsp White sesame
Instructions
- Roll Aburaage with a long chop stick or rolling pin to open the Aburaage pouches.
- Cut Aburaage in half.
- Boil Aburaage in water for 1-2 mins to remove excess oil.
- Remove them from boiling water and let them cool.
- Add 1.5 cup of water into a pot and add 4g Konbu- Dashi powder, 4 tbsp of soy sauce, 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of Mirin into the pot.
- Turn the heat to mid and add the Aburaage. Squeeze them gently as doing so to remove excess water.
- Cook them until the broth is nearly gone (10-12mins).
- Place the Inari on a tray and allow to cool.
- In the meantime, make some sushi vinegar. Pour 200g of rice vinegar into a pot and add 40g of sugar and 20g of salt. Over a mid heat cook until the ingredients dissolve then let it cool down.
- Boil water and add 1 tsp of salt, add 40g of frozen peas, and cook for 1-2mins.
- Strain the peas and cool them down.
- 500-600g of cooked rice into a bowl and add 3 tbsp of your sushi vinegar, the peas, and 2 tsp of white sesame and mix well.
- Open the Inari of pouches and pack the sushi rice into the pouches.
Video
Where does the word Inari come from?
There’s a Japanese God (Kami) called Inari Okami. He’s the god of foxes and soil fertility. Today, Inari Okami is the God for industries which is why my grandfather and grandmother’s business has an Inari Okami there. My mother places food, flowers, water, and incense there every day.
We believe foxes chase rats from rice or grain fields. The fox’s tale is also the same golden colour of ready-to-harvest rice, so foxes are believed to be Inari Okami’s messenger.
One the front of Inari-Okami shrink, foxes sit and protecting Inari Okami. Foxes are meat eaters but killing living animals is a sin so Aburaage made of soy was given.
Later on, Inari Okami was for soil fertility and foxes like Aburaage so we packed cooked rice into Aburaage and called it inari-sushi.
East Japan and west Japan have different Inari. In East Japan they’re shaped like straw bags called Tawara, and West Japan’s they’re triangles like a fox’s ears. Cooking style is also different as well. East Japan deep fries the tofu pouches with soy sauce and sugar for strong flavour then pack them with sushi rice. West Japan adds carrot, shiitake mushroom and sesame to the sushi rice before packing the Inari.
Today, you will see Inari at sushi shops,. They look like brown pouches and are usually inside the refrigerated display case.
In Japan, they are very cheap and you can buy at convenience stores, supermarkets, or deli shops. People also make them at home for picnics and school or work lunches.
How about making Inari at home for a party or lunch boxes for you and your family.
