Inarizushi (Sushi Rice)

Ingredients:

• *For sushi rice:
• 1 1/2 cup Japanese rice
• 1 2/3 cup water
• 3 Tbsp vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp white sesame seeds
• *For cooking aburaage
• 6 abura-age (deep fried tofu)
• 1 cup dashi soup stock
• 2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

Preparation:

Start cooking rice. Put aburaage into boiling water for a moment to remove the excess oil. Drain and dry with paper towels. Cut the aburaage in halves so that each piece has an open end. Put dashi soup stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce in a pan and bring to a boil. Add aburaage in the pan and lower the heat. Put a lid and simmer until the liquid is alomost gone. Stop the heat and let them cool for a while. Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan. Put the pan on low heat and heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool the vinegar mixture. Spread the hot steamed rice into a large plate or a large bowl. Sprinkle vinegar mixture over the rice and fold the rice by shamoji (rice spatula) quickly. Mix sesame seeds in the sushi rice. Wet your hands and make small mounds of sushi rice. Take a piece of aburaage and lightly press to remove the excess liquid. Open the pouch and stuff a mound of sushi rice inside. Fold in the open side to close the pouch.