Octopus-Shaped Inari Sushi
Octopus-Shaped Inari Sushi
Spring Outing Lunchbox: Making Octopus Inari Sushi
As the cherry blossoms bloom and spring breezes arrive, it’s the perfect season for outdoor excursions. Sadly, due to COVID-19, enjoying the beauty of nature has become challenging. We can only catch glimpses of beauty near our homes or in local parks. With spring in the air, I’m looking forward to the day when we can freely enjoy picnics with loved ones amidst lush greenery. Today, I’m sharing a fun recipe for ‘Octopus-Shaped Inari Sushi,’ perfect for a special occasion and an activity to enjoy with children. Let’s prepare a healthy and delicious lunchbox, ideal for those cherished moments in nature. Even a simple outing to the neighborhood playground can be delightful with these adorable sushi rolls! We hope for a healthy Korea and look forward to meeting everyone in the parks soon, having overcome COVID-19! ^^
Ingredients- Inari sushi kit (rice seasoning, sesame seeds, etc.)
- Vienna sausages (linked type), as needed
- Black sesame seeds, a pinch
- Scallions or baby greens, for garnish
- Sliced cheese, a little
Seasoning & Others- Cooking oil, a little (for frying sausages)
- Fine salt, a pinch (optional, for seasoning rice)
- Inari sushi kit
- Cooking oil, a little (for frying sausages)
- Fine salt, a pinch (optional, for seasoning rice)
- Inari sushi kit
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the linked Vienna sausages. Lightly grease a frying pan with cooking oil. Make cross-shaped cuts on the sausages and fry them until golden brown. The cuts will help them open up beautifully as they cook, resembling octopus tentacles. Once cooked, remove the sausages from the pan immediately.
Step 2
Let the cooked Vienna sausages cool slightly, then shape them. Gently spread the cuts to make them look like octopus legs. Preparing the octopus-shaped elements beforehand makes it easier to assemble them onto the inari sushi later.
Step 3
Now, let’s make the inari sushi! Prepare the sushi rice according to the instructions in your store-bought inari sushi kit, using the included seasoning, sesame seeds, etc. You can adjust the taste with a little vinegar or salt if desired. It’s important that the sushi rice is not too sticky but nicely separated. Lightly drain the prepared inari pockets on a sieve.
Step 4
It’s time to give our octopus-shaped sausages cute eyes! Use black sesame seeds to press into the ‘head’ of the sausage. This is a simple yet adorable way to create octopus eyes. You can vary the placement and size of the seeds to give the octopuses different expressions.
Step 5
To create the octopus’s prominent nose, we’ll use sliced cheese. Use a small round cutter or the rim of a bottle cap to cut out circles from the cheese. Attach these cheese circles to the sausage ‘head’ to form a cute octopus nose. This detail is sure to delight children.
Step 6
In this recipe, spinach was used instead of scallions as it was available at home. The spinach was lightly blanched, rinsed in cold water, and squeezed dry. This prepared vegetable can be used to tie the sushi and octopus together, or served alongside the sushi for color and added nutrition. If using scallions, chop them finely.
Step 7
Final step! Place the cute octopus sausages you’ve prepared onto the formed inari sushi rice. Gently wrap and tie the spinach or chopped scallions around the inari sushi and the octopus’s body to secure them. Your delicious Octopus-Shaped Inari Sushi is now complete! My two daughters and I had so much fun making these, and they ate them up with extra enthusiasm because they made them themselves. These beautifully crafted sushi rolls are perfect for picnic lunches! ^^
