A typical Inari Sushi (稲荷寿司, いなり寿司) is made of sushi rice wrapped inside the seasoned deep-fried tofu pockets called “Inari Age” (pronounce it like E-nari-Ah-geh). Both my mother and grandmother made that way and that’s how I used to make.
Last year I discovered another way to make Inari Sushi. Since I love shiso (perilla) as an ingredient, I wrapped sushi rice with shiso leaf and seasoned nori (seaweed) before putting into inari-age. It was really, really good! Since then, my go-to Inari Sushi always includes shiso leaf and seasoned nori.
If you want to make your Inari Sushi prettier, flip upside down and show the rice. Tuck in the edge of inari-age inside the bag, so it will have round smooth edge. You can decorate the top with Kinshi Tamago (shredded egg crepe garnish) or any toppings you like.
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I hope you try adding shiso and nori next time when you prepare Inari Sushi. I usually make sushi rice from scratch, but keeping a bottle of Sushi Seasoning in the refrigerator can be very convenient when you just need a small amount of sushi rice. Enjoy!
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- 3 cup cooked sushi rice (1 cup for approx 4 Inari Sushi)
- 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds (roasted/toasted)
- 12 Inariage (seasoned fried tofu pouch) (See Notes for homemade recipe)
- The cooking liquid from Inari Age
- 12 Shiso leaves (Ooba)
- 12 nori (seaweed) (I used seasoned nori)
- Pickled red ginger (to garnish)
Gather all the ingredients.
- Prepare sushi rice.
- Add sesame seeds and mix together.
- Open the Inari-Age pocket so you can put rice all the way in.
- Moisten hands with the liquid from Inari-Age. Take a small handful of rice and make a small rice ball. Do not make it too big otherwise it won't fit in Inari-Age.
- Wrap each rice ball with shiso and a piece of nori and stuff the rice ball into the Inari-Age. Close the Inari-Age and place open-end down on a plate
- Another method is to keep the bag open on top. Wrap each rice ball with a piece of nori and stuff the rice ball into the Inari-Age. Then place shiso on top.
- Tuck in the edge of Inari-Age inside the pocket so you will have nice smooth round edge. You can decorate the top as you like.
- Serve with sushi ginger.
Inariage: Homemade recipe, click here.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
Editor’s Note: The recipe and photographs updated in February, 2013.
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Lyn
I love this with egg mayo and surimi mayo where else my hubby prefers the plain ones.. 🙂
Nami
Hi Lyn! Egg mayo and Surimi mayo? Mayo as in Mayonnaise? Are those in the Inarizushi?? Interesting! I have never seen or heard about it. Now you got me very curious… I’ve put Chirashizushi in there, but not egg or surimi WITH mayo…. very interesting!
Lyn
Hi Nami, yes and yes… mayonnaise and all those are in Inarizushi. They’re sold at the sushi counters and reasturants here in SG. I think maybe these are created to suit our likings here.. 🙂
Maybe you can try them some days, they are very nice! 😀
Is Chirashizushi mixed ingredients sushi? I only know how to eat and a few types of sushi names… LOL 😛
Nami
It’s fun to know how Inarizushi being adapted to different countries and become a popular meal in that country. 🙂 Yes, Chirashizushi is the mixed one (not necessarily use raw fish, so kids can eat).
Chuck
Yup, leave it to Americans to mess it all up.
Sook
I love those skins! I’ve always been a fan of those. Mmmm
Nami
Thanks Sook! This is cheating version as I didn’t make the Inari skin pouch from scratch. =P Me too, I love Inari skins!
Vicki Bensinger
I’ve never tried to make this, it sounds wonderful.
Kim N.
I love the added shiso. Inarizushi was the first food my Japanese oka-san taught me to make way back in 1983 when I first went to Japan. Later we made chirashizushi together. I was so thankful when she invited me onto the other side of the kitchen table and let me help with the cooking and cleaning up. I knew I was no longer a guest but a member of the family! And now my family here in Southern California is so thankful for your website because we are eating Japanese food again almost every night!
Vivalabbird
Hi Nami,
I just made this.
The flavour is soooo amazing with shisho leaves and seaweed. It really took one of my favourite comfort foods to the next level!
Nami
Hi Vivi! So happy to hear you liked it. The combination of shiso and nori is pretty amazing, isn’t it? 🙂
twobacas
Hi;
I was going to ask you if you had any tsukemono recipes, but after
making this, is this basically takuwan. I got another day to wait to
taste. Tks
Nami
Yes, takuan is a kind of tsukemono and made from daikon. Thank you for trying Pickled Daikon recipe! 🙂
twobacas
Sorry wrong dish, i thought i was in the pickled daikon recipe.
Nami
No problem, my answer is above. 🙂
twobacas
Hi Nami, I was wondering what do you put first the nori then the shiso or the other way
around. Your instructions shows it both ways. We made it using your first recipe,
but I can not remember. It was delicious…….Thanks…..Twobacas
Nami
Hi Twobacas! Are you referring to step #5 and #6? When you show the bottom of Inari Sushi (step #6 method), it looks prettier with shiso showing rather than black nori showing… that’s why I switched the two. 🙂 You can do the same way for regular Inari Sushi, but I find it easier to wrap shiso then nori over the rice when you need to squeeze it into Inari Age pocket… It doesn’t matter either way as it tastes the same. 🙂 Thank you for writing! I’m glad to hear you liked it!
Vicki Bensinger
I don’t know how I missed these photos of you filling these.
Sook
Hey Nami! I love these! So in San Francisco, where would you recommend for us to go shopping for great Japanese groceries? And maybe get these skins. Because it’s one of my favorites! I used to eat them in Korea all the time!
Nami
Hi Sook! Go to Japantown, and there is a supermarket there called Nijiya. They have premade skins as well as tofu pouches that you can make from scratch. How to make Inari Age is here:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/inari-age/
Hope that helps! 🙂
Ray
Hello!
I am so pleased to find your lovely website. Your writing, pictures, explanations, all so lovely, thoughtful and peaceful, just like tofu pocket sushi. I found your site looking for an inari recipe. I wanted to know if I could make the tofu pockets – or whether I had to buy them. I can do both, per you! I want so badly to make these and make them good and I thing your website is just the place to start. I love these tofu pocket sushi and I want to share them with my family and guests. So thank you for your work and lovely website. It is like a walk in a cool, flowering garden.
Ray
Nami
Hi Ray! I’m really happy to hear you liked my site. It’s always nice to know how readers found my site to. I hope you find some food you enjoy on my blog. Welcome, and thank you for your kind feedback! 🙂
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Inari sushi is one of my fave things to order! I would love to try your DIY homemade version one day!
A_Boleyn
I hadn’t made inari sushi in ages but I had some somen noodles in my pantry so, today, I decided to fill the pockets with noodle salad instead. 🙂 I did a quick check to see when you had made inari sushi and see that it was way back before I discovered your blog. And even that far back, your pictures were stunning. I always find flaws when I go back through my pictures for posting.
Romy
I loved these when I was studying abroad in Japan and was thrilled to find a recipe here upon my return.
But I must be missing something…in which step do you use the saved cooking liquid from the inari age?
Thanks!
Nami
Hi Romy! Hope you had a wonderful time in Japan during your study abroad.
Sorry my English wasn’t probably clear, but in Step 4, it says “Moisten hands with the liquid from Inari-Age.” Instead of tezu (vinegar hand dipping water) we normally use for making sushi, we use leftover liquid so the rice will have some flavor. Hope this helps. 🙂
Dalila
Hi there!
Can I prepare these a day ahead and refrigerate? Trying to save time for a party.
Thanks!
Dalila
Nami
Hi Dalia! Sure, you can! This is totally preference, but I don’t like the rice gets a little harder after refrigeration. So what I do is to wrap the inari sushi (or any rice dish) with kitchen towel over the plastic wrap to create more mild (or should I say “less cold”) temperature. Hope this helps! 🙂
Nolwenn
Nami, you use the inari-age straight from the package ? Don’t you put them in a mixture that is like mentsuyu first ?
Nami
Hi Nolwenn! Yes, you do need to season. I have a recipe link next to the ingredient “Inari Age”. You buy “aburaage” to make “Inari Age”. Inari Age means seasoned pouch. You can buy pre-seasoned kind or make your own. 🙂
Kimmi
I love your suggestion of flipping the traditional presentation around. They look like little boats—so adorable!
Nami
Thank you Kimmi! 🙂
Anna S.
I am so pleased to find your lovely website. Your writing, pictures, explanations, all so lovely, thoughtful and peaceful, just like tofu pocket sushi. I found your site looking for an inari recipe. I wanted to know if I could make the tofu pockets – or whether I had to buy them. I can do both, per you! I want so badly to make these and make them good and I thing your website is just the place to start. I love these tofu pocket sushi and I want to share them with my family and guests. So thank you for your work and lovely website.
Nami
Hi Anna! I’m so glad you found my website too! Welcome! I’m glad to hear my Inari recipe brought you to my site. 🙂 I love this homemade inarizushi. Hope you enjoy!
Anna S.
Thank You
Michael
If the inariage is ready made how do you get the liquid?
Nami
Hi Michael, Inari Age package comes in liquid so you can use it to moisten your hands. Now I don’t know about the liquid from the inari age can (I’ve never used it before). If there is no liquid, don’t worry. It’s just additional use of the liquid instead of throwing away (and adds more flavor to the rice). You can just use water to moisten your hands. The ready made inariage tends to be sweeter and has more flavor in that sense that you’re not missing out much. 🙂
Michael
Thanks for the reply. Mine came in a plastic package with no liquid and is made by Misuzu. I live in Japan now so I am trying different recipes. Unfortunately, I do not speak Japanese (yet) and rely on Google Translator to make sure I am buying what I think I am. 🙂
Nami
Hi Michael! I see! You have more selections of Inari Age than ones we can get in the U.S. (imported or made locally). You have everything and all the ingredients that I use for my recipes! Awesome. Don’t worry about the liquid, as the ingari age has flavors already.