Chirashi Sushi is a festive “scattered“ sushi rice prepared by Japanese home cooks with a beautiful medley of colorful toppings. In this recipe for my quick and easy version, you can use a store-bought seasoning mix to enjoy this dish any day of the week.
For detailed, step-by-step instructions with photos, please see my post How to Make Sushi Rice. Rinse and wash 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (3 rice cooker cups) 3 times and drain well.
Transfer the rice to the inner pot of a rice cooker and add 2¼ cups water. Soak the rice and kombu for 20 minutes, then start cooking. You have about 1 hour to prepare the remaining ingredients while the rice cooks.Nami's Tip: For easy measuring, you can use your rice cooker's White Rice mode and add water to the line for the number of rice cups you're cooking. If you don‘t have a rice cooker, see how to cook short-grain rice using a pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
Transfer the hot cooked rice to a sushi oke or baking sheet (lightly moisten it with water to prevent sticking). While the rice is still hot, add 1 packet chirashi sushi mix.
Gently fold everything with a rice paddle using a slicing motion. Avoid stirring, as it can crush the rice grains. As you fold, fan the rice to cool it to about body temperature. Use a paddle fan or an electric fan. Fanning helps remove excess moisture and gives the rice a beautiful shine.
Serve in a bowl or plate and top with kinshi tamago (shredded egg crepe), ikura (salmon roe), and snow peas. You can put any topping you like, such as your favorite sashimi or boiled shrimp. Sprinkle on top with shredded nori seaweed.
To Store
Rice gets hard when refrigerated; therefore, it‘s best to cover it with plastic and a thick kitchen towel to store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice: ml; yields cups or g of cooked rice