Description
Chirashi Sushi is a vibrant and flavorful Japanese dish featuring seasoned sushi rice topped with a variety of colorful ingredients including tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette), shiitake mushrooms, vegetables, and delicate garnishes like sakura denbu and myoga. This recipe combines perfectly cooked sushi rice with savory and sweet toppings, creating a balanced meal that’s visually appealing and delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Sushi Rice
- 2 cups Japanese short grain rice
- 1.8 cups water
- 1 5cm strip of Kombu Kelp
- 4 tbsp vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt
Mixing-in Ingredients
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight
- ½ carrot (cut into matchstick-like pieces, about 70g)
- ¼ cup kanpyo (dried gourd strips)
- ⅔ cup shiitake dashi (soaking water from shiitake mushrooms)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp salt
Tamagoyaki (Japanese Omelette)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cooking oil
Toppings and Garnishes
- 4 snow peas (parboiled and cut)
- ¼ cup renkon (lotus root), sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp sakura denbu (pink cod flakes)
- 2 myoga flower buds (thinly sliced, for garnish)
- 2–3 green shiso leaves (chopped, for garnish)
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash Rice: Rinse the Japanese short grain rice several times until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.
- Cook Rice: Drain the rice and place it in a rice cooker with 1.8 cups of water (10% less than rice volume) and add the 5cm kombu kelp strip. Cook the rice according to the rice cooker instructions.
- Prepare Sushi Vinegar: While the rice cooks, gently heat rice vinegar, sugar, and sea salt in a small pot over medium heat until the sugar dissolves without boiling.
- Prepare Wooden Tub: Moisten the wooden tub with water, then wipe off excess moisture with a cloth to prepare for mixing rice.
- Season Rice: Once the rice is done, remove the kombu kelp and transfer the rice into the wooden tub. Pour the prepared sushi vinegar over the rice and mix gently with a wooden spatula while fanning to cool the rice and enhance flavor.
- Prepare Mixing-in Ingredients: Squeeze excess water from soaked shiitake mushrooms, reserving the soaking water as shiitake dashi. Remove stems from mushrooms and slice thinly.
- Cook Vegetable Mixture: In a saucepan, combine shiitake dashi, sliced mushrooms, carrot, kanpyo, sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until most of the liquid evaporates. Drain any remaining liquid through a sieve and set aside.
- Make Tamagoyaki: Beat eggs with sugar, salt, and water, then strain the mixture twice through a sieve.
- Cook Tamagoyaki: Heat cooking oil in a rectangular frying pan over medium heat. Pour 1/3 of the egg mixture and gently scramble to remove bubbles. When slightly solidified, fold the egg to one side, wipe the empty pan area with oiled paper, and pour another 1/3 mixture under the folded egg. Fold and roll the egg. Repeat with the last 1/3. Remove from pan, cool, and cut into small cubes.
- Prepare Vegetables: Defrost frozen lotus roots and string snow peas, parboil them, then set aside.
- Assemble Chirashi Sushi: Mix the cooked vegetable mixture into the sushi rice using a cutting motion to avoid mashing. Scatter tamagoyaki cubes, snow peas, lotus root slices, and sakura denbu over the rice.
- Garnish: Decorate with chopped shiso leaves, thinly sliced myoga flower buds, and sprinkle white sesame seeds on top before serving.
Notes
- Soaking shiitake mushrooms overnight enhances their flavor and creates a delicious dashi broth for cooking other ingredients.
- Use a wooden tub or a large bowl for mixing and cooling sushi rice to maintain the proper texture.
- Fanning the rice while mixing helps to cool it quickly and makes it shiny and flavorful.
- When mixing ingredients into sushi rice, use a cutting motion to prevent the rice from becoming mushy.
- Tamagoyaki requires patience and practice to fold neatly; use a rectangular pan for traditional shape.
- Sakura denbu adds a subtle sweetness and beautiful pink color to the dish.
- Prep Time: 30 mins (including soaking shiitake mushrooms overnight)
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Chirashi Sushi, Japanese sushi rice bowl, tamagoyaki, shiitake mushrooms, sushi rice, Japanese cuisine, sushi bowl, easy Japanese recipe
