These little cute guys are delicious and you don’t even feel there are not made from rice! You can have them as much as you want to satisfy your sushi craving during your diet. Carbs-free, Guilt-free.

Inarizushi, a.k.a Yubuchobap in Korean, is sweet, slightly salty and savoury at the same time. It’s very addictive and delicious. Classic Inarizushi is filled with seasoned rice with a variety of toppings. This can add up your calories fast if you don’t watch out. But you don’t have to worry about adding a few pounds with this recipe.

I was going on a diet when I came out with the idea of replacing rice with tofu. I was craving sushi but I tried to control my carbs intake at night time since I already had most of my carbs intake during the day.

Disclaimer: Don’t get me wrong, carbs are not bad! It’s just that it will increase your insulin level fast and makes weight loss a bit slower. There’s nothing wrong with carbs and I don’t skip carbs at all. I’m just controlling the intake at night.

Aburaage pouch: This is the main ingredient in this recipe – the sushi pouch. Aburaage is Japanese deep-fried tofu pouches made from soybeans. You can use it to make Inarizushi, or add it to miso soup and hot pot. They can be purchased online and in some Asian food stores. The aburaage comes in vacuum-sealed bags or frozen. You might also find canned cooked aburaage pouches in some stores.

Ingredients of your choice: You can easily add any of your choice of vegetables and/or meat to it. I’m adding carrot to give it a nice colour and carrot is cheap and healthy. I’m trying to control my food expenses too (inflation’s problem)!

Topping: For the topping, I’m using vegan tuna that I made previously and you definitely can add any kind of topping you want.

Here are some topping ideas you can add to this recipe:

-Wakame

-Avocado

-Vegan minced meat

-Corn salad

-Edamame

-Cucumber salad

-Vegan sausages

-Mango (if you like your sushi to be sweeter)

-Stir-fried mushroom

-Potato salad

-Natto

Vegan tuna recipe:

https://searchlifestyles.com/2022/05/29/vegan-tuna/

Ingredients:

• 360g extra firm tofu
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• Salt and pepper
• ½ cup carrot, shredded and cut into small pieces
• 8 aburaage pouches
• Vegan tuna (recipe: link)

Instructions:

1. In a frying pan, crumble tofu into small pieces and cook till slightly yellowish.
2. Add carrot and continue cooking till the carrot softened. Add sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer into a bowl and let it cool down.
3. Lightly squeeze the aburaage pouch to remove excess seasoning sauce.
4. Open it up with your hands and fill in the inner with seasoned tofu using a tea spoon. Repeat with the remaining pouches.
5. Using an eating spoon, place 1 tablespoon of vegan tuna (or as much as you want) on top of the seasoned tofu.
6. Serve warm or cold.
7. To store: Keep in a sealed storage container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.