tofu katsu onigirazu

To make the sushi rice, add rinsed rice, sea salt and water to a medium saucepan with a lid, and heat over medium-high. Once it starts to boil, about 6 to 7 minutes, lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 14 minutes. Stir in seasoned rice vinegar and let the rice cool to room temperature until you can handle it with your hands, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

To make the tofu katsu, slice your tofu so they’re about 3.75 x 1.75-inches and about 1/2-inch thick. Pat dry with a paper towel and then set these aside.

Prep your breading station. In a shallow dish that can hold your tofu cutlets, combine the dijon, sriracha and nondairy milk and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, add panko, BBQ chips, sea salt, onion powder, chili powder, smoked paprika and old bay seasoning.

Add the tofu cutlets to the dijon sriracha mixture and coat evenly – with a brush or your hand. Then take the coated tofu cutlet and place it in the breadcrumbs and cover all sides evenly. Repeat with the remaining tofu cutlets.

Place the tofu cutlets on the baking sheet and spray the tofu with vegetable oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through the bake time and spraying with more vegetable oil.

To make the pickled vegetables, toss together shredded cabbage, carrot and green onion into a bowl. Add minced garlic, cumin seeds, ground mustard, sea salt, ground black pepper, rice vinegar and hot water and combine until well mixed and the vegetables are submerged. Refrigerate until ready to assemble sandwiches.

To make the sriracha mayo, add vegan mayonnaise, sriracha and lime juice into a bowl and mix until combined. Set this aside.

To make the sweet tonkatsu sauce, combine ketchup, soy sauce/tamari, rice vinegar, ume plum vinegar, brown sugar and garlic powder until well combined. Set aside.

To assemble the tofu katsu sandwich, use the clean plastic tofu container or a square container to mold your sandwiches. Line the container with plastic wrap and make sure there’s some overhang. Use a ¼ C measure to scoop some rice. Wet your fingers so the rice doesn’t stick to you, and pack the cooked sushi rice tightly and evenly into the container, so it’s just less than a 1/2-inch thick.  Then top with some sriracha mayo, the tofu katsu, the pickled vegetables and the sweet tonkatsu sauce. Top with more rice and fold the extra plastic wrap on top. Now gently press the rice down into the mold to shape your sandwich.

Place the sheet of nori, smooth side down onto a bamboo mat that’s been lined with plastic wrap.

Use the plastic wrap, to lift the tofu katsu sandwich out of the tofu container and place it  in the center of the nori. Slightly wet your fingers and fold the nori over the katsu sando. Tuck and fold in the sides of the nori like you’re wrapping a present. Roll again until the tofu sandwich is completely wrapped in nori. Now use the bamboo mat to shape it into a rectangle. Slice the sandwich in half.

Serve the tofu katsu sandwich cut side up, drizzled with more tonkatsu sauce on top. Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds.