furikake

Do you like to put furikake on your rice? I do.

Furikake is a combination of seasoned dried ingredients which you sprinkle onto your rice. I've had this book for awhile and with all the weird label switching on food items and betrayal of trust going on around here by some food companies and restaurants, I've gotten to the point where if I can make it, I'll try to instead of buying it pre-made.

Here are two furikake recipes I tried...

Matsu no mi to okaka furikake (pine nuts and bonito furikake) translated from "Furikake 101" by Hideo Makuuchi

100g pine nuts
1 pinch of katsuo bushi (shaved bonito)
2 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 sheet of yakinori (toasted laver)

1. Toast the laver slightly, then with your hands crumble it. Set aside.
2. In a pot, toast the pine nuts on low heat.
3. Add the pinch of katsuo bushi and toast until the katsuo is dry.
4. When the katsuo dries, add the shoyu and sugar, cook until everything is dried.
5. Add the laver, stir and turn off the heat.
6. Serve over rice.

NOTES: this furikake, turned out to be kind of sticky and didn't dry well. But, the saltiness and sweetness went really nicely with the toasted pine nuts.

Kare-ko to Almond slice furikake (Curry powder and Almond slice furikake) adapted from "Furikake 101"

15g sliced almonds
12g saki ika (cuttlefish)
5g sakura ebi (sergia lucens)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon kinako (soy bean flour)
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon shoyu (soy sauce)
1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley

1. Cut the cuttlefish to 5mm (about 0.19 inches/ 0.5 cm).
2. In a pan, roast the sakura ebi then grind with a mortar and pestle.
3. Roast the almonds, set aside.
4. In a small pot, add the shoyu, water and honey--heat on low.
5. Add the cuttlefish and sakura ebi.
6. When the cuttlefish and sakura ebi get dry, add the curry and kinako. Mixing well and making sure it doesn't burn.
7. Add the parsley and almonds, mix well and turn off the heat.
8. Serve over rice.

NOTES: this one was drier, I thought it would be a bit fishy-er, but it wasn't. The combination was delicious.

I hope to try more recipes in this book soon, they are quite easy and fast to make!