How to Make Chirashi Sushi (Scattered Sushi)
Chirashi sushi consists of cooked rice mixed with vinegar and other seasonings, topped with ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, and sashimi. Depending on the region, the family, the ingredients used, and how it is arranged, chirashi sushi can be called Gomoku-chirashizushi, kaizen-chirashizushi, bara-sushi, and so on.
Chirashi sushi originated in the Edo period (1603-1867) but later became more popular after the Meiji period (1868-1912). The ingredients, preparation methods, and even cooking methods changed as this dish spread throughout Japan.
Nowadays, due to its gorgeous appearance, chirashi sushi is often eaten on festive occasions like Hinamatsuri (the Dolls' Festival) on March 3rd, entrance ceremonies, and birthdays.
The ingredients used for chirashi sushi have a celebratory meaning. For example, shrimp represents living a long life until your waist bends, lotus root represents being able to see the future well into the distance, and eggs represent gold, silver, and treasure.
Usually, chirashi sushi is served on a large plate or in a large wooden bowl called a sushi oke. It is then taken and eaten on individual plates using a rice scoop, or shomoji. Chirashi sushi is often served with soup, such as osuimono (clear broth soup) with clams.
Ideally, chirashi sushi should be eaten the same day it is made, but if not, it can be stored in the refrigerator. (However, the sashimi components should be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. They should also be consumed within a day. It is recommended to store the chirashi sushi in the vegetable compartment because the humidity and temperature settings are slightly higher than the other sections of the refrigerator. Sushi rice will harden and lose its flavor when chilled. Therefore, try to consume chirashi sushi as quickly as possible after making it.
Today we will share a simple and delicious recipe using a Chirashi Sushi Kit which is available on our website. We’ll also show you how you can beautifully garnish this dish. Let's get to the recipe!
Overview
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Total servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 500g Cooked Rice
- 1 bag Chirashi Sushi Seasoning Mix
- 150g Lotus Root
- 2 Eggs
- 5 Snap Peas
- Boiled Shrimp (as much as you like)
- Sashimi (as much as you like)
- 70ml Water
- 70g Rice Vinegar
- 30g Sugar
- 1 pinch of Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Shirodashi
- 1 Sheet of Nori Seaweed
Expert's Tip
This is a mix for making sushi rice easily. In addition to already containing the seasonings necessary for sushi rice, vegetables such as carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and lotus roots are also included, so you can make gorgeous sushi rice with just this one mix. It can be used for chirashizushi and inarizushi etc.
Instructions
1) Gathering the Ingredients
Gather the ingredients together.
.jpg?v=1677832325048&transform=inside=600x600)
.jpg?v=1677832336287&transform=inside=600x600)
2) Preparing Surenkon (Lotus Root Pickles)
Peel the lotus root. Cut a slit lengthwise between the holes and hollow it out. (If the lotus root is too long to work with, cut it shorter.) After hollowing out the entire surface, place it on a cutting board and cut at roughly 3mm intervals all the way around. Be sure not to slice through the holes!
.jpg?v=1677832520928&transform=inside=600x600)
3) Cooking the Lotus Root
Put 500ml of water into a pot and bring it to a boil, then add 1 teaspoon of vinegar (not included in the recipe) and then place the lotus root pieces into the pot. Boil the lotus roots for 3 minutes.
Add the additional seasonings and boiled lotus root to the same bowl. Mix thoroughly and let it cool.
4) Making Kinshi Tamago (Shredded Egg)
Crack the eggs into the bowl and beat them well with a pinch of salt. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with plenty of oil. You want to make sure that the pan’s surface is evenly coated with oil. Once the pan is thoroughly heated, place it over a wet cloth and let it sizzle. (This is to even out the temperature of the pan. You can skip this step if you’re in a hurry.) Pour the beaten eggs into the pan in batches and spread the mixture over the pan, turning off the heat after about 1 minute to allow the eggs to cook through. Lift the eggs up from the edge, and flip them over with your hands or a spatula. Allow the other side to cook with the residual heat.
.jpg?v=1677832852029&transform=inside=600x600)
5) Shredding the Eggs
Transfer to a cutting board and cut in half first. Roll up the egg and cut it into thin strips about 1~2mm apart from the edges. Finally, break the strips into pieces by hand.
.jpg?v=1677833002388&transform=inside=600x600)
6) Cooking the Snap Peas
Remove the strings of the snap peas to make them easier to eat. Place about 250ml of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add in a pinch of salt and then the snap peas and blanch them for 30 seconds. Drain the snap peas into a colander and cool them in cold water. Finally, cut them diagonally into halves or thirds.
7) Making Kizami Nori (Shredded Seaweed) and Preping the Sashimi
Cut 1 sheet of nori seaweed lengthwise into quarters with scissors. Stack them and cut them into tiny strips.
Cut the sashimi into bite-sized pieces. In our case, we chose salmon, tuna, and yellowtail for our chirashi sushi, but use your favorite types of sashimi or whatever is available.
.jpg?v=1678059747600&transform=inside=600x600)
-(1).jpg?v=1678059751543&transform=inside=600x600)
.jpg?v=1678059754212&transform=inside=600x600)
.jpg?v=1678059757944&transform=inside=600x600)
.jpg?v=1678059762967&transform=inside=600x600)
.jpg?v=1678059764931&transform=inside=600x600)
.jpg?v=1678059767364&transform=inside=600x600)
.jpg?v=1678059800933&transform=inside=600x600)
.jpg?v=1678059805464&transform=inside=600x600)
8) Preparing the Rice and Putting Together the Chirashi Sushi
Mix warm rice and sushi rice mix together in a bowl. Mixing the rice with a fan will quickly release the moisture and prevent it from becoming overly sticky.
In a large bowl or container, place the sushi rice in first and pack it down tightly using a rice paddle. Top it with the shredded nori, eggs, and other ingredients we prepared earlier. It is very beautiful when arranged the colors are scattered throughout the dish. It’s also nice to garnish chirashi sushi with some sesame seeds if you have them! Enjoy!
Note: If you don't have the chirashi sushi seasoning mix, you can use regular sushi rice instead. If you want to learn how to make sushi rice, then refer to our recipe here.
0 comments