Tofu katsu onigirazu

Ingredients

• •14 oz firm tofu, pressed
• •soy sauce
• •1 egg, lightly beaten
• •1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• •all purpose flour
• •canola oil
• •4 nori sheets
• •4 cup cooked sushi rice
• •1 avocado, sliced
• •1 oz baby spinach
• •mayonnaise
• •Sriracha

Steps

1. 1Cook rice:
2. 2However much cooked rice you need, start with half that of dry rice.
3. 3Rinse rice to remove starchy coating.
4. 4Mix with ~1.7x water and a heavy pinch of salt.
5. 5Boil until done, 20ish minutes.
6. 6For the tofu:
7. 7Set the oven to 400° F and line a baking tray with baking paper.
8. 8Toast panko breadcrumbs in a small pan until golden (they will gain more colour in the oven).
9. 9Cut tofu into thin blocks; ideally equal to # of servings, but if the tofu blocks are narrow, twice that. Sprinkle tofu with some soy sauce or you can season the flour with plenty of salt instead.
10. 10Drag tofu in flour making sure that the entire surface area has been coated. Dip the tofu in the egg and finally drag it in the pre-toasted breadcrumbs.
11. 11Brush a bit of oil on the baking paper underneath the tofu and bake for about 10 minutes per side, flipping halfway thru.
12. 12To assemble:
13. 13Cut a square of cling film slightly larger than your nori sheet. Place it on the table, place the nori sheet on top with the shiny side down and rotated 45° in relation to the cling film.
14. 14Wet your hands (keep a small bowl of water handy to wet your hands) and grab a handful of rice. Place it in the middle of the sheet and using your hands form it into a compacted square (about 9 cm / 3.5 ” by 9 cm / 3.5 “). Try to make that layer as even and compacted as possible. Season well with salt. (Ideally, use an onigirazu mold.)
15. 15Top with tofu, mayo, then veggies, and finally a second layer of rice.
16. 16Fold the nori corners over the stack, using the cling film to help keep it together without tearing, until you get a small packet.
17. 17Finally gather all the cling film over the stack and tie on the top. Put something moderately heavy (like a breadboard) on the onigirazu and set it aside to let the seaweed soften a little. Cut in half with a sharp knife.