Vegan Tofu “Katsu” Sushi Sandwiches and Rolls (Onigirazu and Maki)

For these sushi sandwiches and rolls, I made my own crispy vegan tofu "katsu" for the filling, along with other veggies, and drizzled some homemade teriyaki sauce! You can also of course get creative with your fillings.

📝 Ingredients

• Whole nori sheets
• Prepared Japanese sushi rice (recipe below)
• Prepared tofu katsu
• Other prepared tofu of choice (teriyaki tofu, black pepper tofu, smoked tofu, etc.)
• Thinly sliced carrots
• Lettuce
• Pickled radish (store-bought)
• Pickled burdock root (store-bought)
• Homemade teriyaki sauce
• Sesame seeds (for sprinkling)
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked Japanese rice or short grain rice
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup rice vinegar (this type of vinegar is essential (see notes))
• 1 1/2 tbsp cane sugar (feel free to adjust accordingly)
• 3/4 tsp salt

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Japanese Sushi Rice ---
2. 2Wash the Japanese rice 2-3 times with water or until water runs clear.
3. 3Cook in a rice cooker. (1 cup rice = 1 cup water)
4. 4While the rice is cooking, pour rice vinegar, sugar and salt into a large wooden or ceramic bowl. Mix well.
5. 5Once rice is cooked, add into the vinegar mixture and mix well. The hot rice will easily absorb the mixture.
6. 6Cover the rice with a damp towel. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cover with a towel or cling wrap then refrigerate.
7. 7--- Sushi Sandwiches (Onigirazu) ---
8. 8In a flat surface, place the nori sheet. Prepare a bowl of water to dip your fingers. This is to prevent rice fro sticking to your fingers.
9. 9Add a generous amount of the sushi rice to make a square shape the same size as the tofu katsu or tofu of choice.
10. 10Add the lettuce and then the tofu.
11. 11Add other toppings of choice, all the same size as the tofu and rice. I used a mix of carrots and pickled radish.
12. 12Add another layer of rice and press down.
13. 13Fold each side of the nori sheet to the center while holding together the filling to ensure the sandwich will be held together well.
14. 14Fold the sheet up while tucking in the sides.
15. 15Flip over.
16. 16Wipe your knife with a damp towel to prevent rice from sticking then slice in half.
17. 17Feel 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.
18. 18--- Sushi Rolls (Maki) ---
19. 19You can check out the video below on how to roll the maki.Prepare a bowl of water t dip your fingers. This is to prevent rice fro sticking to your fingers.
20. 20On a flat surface, place your bamboo mat. Place a sheet of nori.
21. 21Wet your hands. Thinly spread out rice. Leave at least a 1/2" border at the other end of the nori sheet.
22. 22Add in the fillings of choice.
23. 23Roll 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.
24. 24Slice the whole maki into 8 pieces with a sharp knife. Wipe your knife with a damp towel to prevent rice from sticking.