These rice balls are lightly seasoned, and filled with tofu and zucchini. Serve them with wasabi sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.
Makes 30 medium rice balls.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 c zucchini, finely chopped(unpeeled)
- 3/4 c extra firm tofu, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp stir fry sauce
- 2 c Calrose Shirakiku short grain white rice
- 3 c water
- 1/4 c seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Mirin rice wine
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-2 full sheets Nori seaweed
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the zucchini, tofu and stir fry sauce. Allow to stand while proceeding with recipe.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Drain and place in a 2 quart pot. Add water and place on medium heat.
- When pot begins to simmer, cover and reduce heat to lowest setting. Simmer 15 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat and allow to stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Add seasoned rice vinegar, Mirin, and salt. Fluff with a fork.
- Spread rice on a platter to cool for about 5 minutes, or until you can just handle it.
- Place a shallow bowl of water near your work station. Use kitchen shears to cut Nori into 3″ x 1/2″ strips.
- Dampen clean hands in the water. Take an egg-sized scoop of rice in your hands and form a rough ball shape. Poke a hole in one side and fill it with 4-5 pieces of the seasoned tofu and zucchini mixture.
- Repeat with remaining ingredients. When all rice balls are finished, sprinkle with the sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately or cover platter tightly and serve within a day. (The rice balls are good with wasabi sauce, sweet chili sauce, or just “as is”.)
Cover the hole with rice and compress the rice back into a smooth ball. Dip a strip of nori seaweed in the water and lay it over the rice ball. Place rice ball on a platter.