Go Back

SOY-GLAZED TOFU MUSUBI.

Soy-glazed tofu musubi, adapted from Alana Kysar's book Aloha Kitchen: Recipes from Hawai'i, copyright 2019 Ten Speed Press. Published with permission of the author.
Print Recipe
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (shoyu)
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon mirin (optional)
  • 1-2 teaspoons neutral oil
  • ~14 ounces tofu, drained and cut horizontally into 8 slices
  • sea salt to taste
  • 3 sheets roasted sushi nori, cut into thirds crosswise
  • 2 teaspoons furikake
  • 5-6 cups cooked short-grain white rice
  • fresh cilantro (optional) to garnish
  • pickled mango or daikon (optional) to garnish, recipes in Aloha Kitchen

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, brown sugar, and mirin (if using) together. Set aside.
  • Lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with the oil and heat over medium heat. Sprinkle each tofu slice with a bit of sea salt, and fry the tofu slices until evenly browned and crispy, 3-5 minutes on each side. Turn the heat to low for the last minute of cooking, then turn off the heat. Pour in the soy mixture and quickly turn the tofu slices to evenly coat them. The mixture will cook down in less than a minute, so don't walk away for this part or your glaze may burn. Immediately transfer the tofu slices, with glaze, to a plate.
  • Place a strip of nori, rough side up, on a cutting board or clean work surface. Place the musubi maker mold over it, in the middle, then place a slice of tofu in the mold. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon furikake over the tofu, then fill the mold with a generous mound of rice. Press the rice firmly with the musubi maker press until it is 3/4 to 1 inch thick, adding more rice as necessary. Use the press to hold the rice down with one hand and pull the mold upward to unmold the musubi with your other hand. Wrap the nori and the tofu-rice stack, bringing both ends of the strip to the middle, folding one over the other, and flipping it over so the seam is down and the tofu is facing up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, with an extra sprinkle of furikake, cilantro, and pickle as desired, or wrap with plastic wrap to take with you on the go.