Quick and Easy Chirashi Sushi

Gather all the ingredients. If you start with freshly cooked rice, assembly takes only 20 minutes. Otherwise, be sure to include the rice cooking time above in your total prep time.Please note that I left some topping amounts open ended on purpose, since the quantity depends on whether you're making one large platter, individual servings, or sushi cups.

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 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.

Shredded egg crepe: While the rice is cooking, make shredded egg crepe (kinshi tamago) with 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) and some other ingredients. See How to Make Kinshi Tamago.

Snow peas: Remove the tough strings from 6 snow peas. Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Add ⅛ tsp salt and blanch the snow peas for 1 minute. Drain and cut diagonally in half or thirds.

Cucumber slices: Peel the skin alternatively to create stripes. Thinly slice diagonally, leaving about 2 inches of cucumber unsliced.

Minced cucumber: Thinly slice the remaining cucumber into slabs, cut into julienne strips, then finely mince.

Optional toppings: If using, cut the red radish into thin slices, cut shiso leaves in half, and thin lemon slices in wedges.

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 (Sushi Taro).

Gently “slice” the rice with the rice paddle at a 45-degree angle to incorporate the chirashi mix and separate the rice chunks. Do not stir or mix because that may break the grains and make it mushy. As you fold, fan the rice until it's cooled to body temperature. Use a paddle fan or an electric fan. Cover with a damp towel until ready to serve to prevent drying.Nami's Tip: Fanning helps remove excess moisture and gives the rice a beautiful shine.

You're now ready to serve and decorate your chirashi sushi. I'll show you two ways: On individual plates and in sushi cups.

Serve the sushi rice in an individual plate or bowl and top with shredded egg crepe and optional pickled lotus root (see how I make it in my from-scratch Chirashi Sushi recipe card.)

You can put any topping you like, such as ikura (salmon roe), cooked shrimp, or your favorite sashimi. Finally, add snow peas and sprinkle shredded nori seaweed on top.

Fill each clear cup (glass or plastic) halfway with chirashi sushi rice. Add a layer of shredded egg crepe, then top with more rice to create layers. Finish with another layer of shredded egg crepe. Leave about ½ inch (1 cm) of space at the top.Nami's Tip: This recipe yields about 10–12 sushi cups.

Form a salmon sashimi rose (or use your preferred main topping) and place it on top. Position a shrimp behind it to hold it upright.

Add cucumber slices, lotus root, snow peas, shiso, ikura, or other colorful toppings of your choice. Adjust and decorate to make each cup look festive and balanced.

Rice gets hard when refrigerated; therefore, it‘s best to cover it with plastic and a thick kitchen towel to store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.