Crispy Rice Stacks with Spicy Tuna and Avocado
If you have never had a mouthful of crispy rice, you are in for a treat. These little finger foods are the perfect light dinner or appetizer! You can shape the rice cake by hand or by pressing it into a flat plate or tray, refrigerating it and then cutting the pressed rice cake into smaller pieces. Either way, it is best to start out with warm rice. Make sure you press it firmly so that it holds together. Using a non-stick fry pan is best.
Crispy Rice Stacks with Spicy Tuna and Avocado
If you have never had a mouthful of crispy rice, you are in for a treat. These little finger foods are the perfect light dinner or appetizer!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups COOKED sushi rice*
- ¼ tsp sea salt for the rice
- 2-3 tbsp neutral oil (sunflower, grapeseed, avocado, canola)
- ½ jalapeño, sliced in thin rounds, core sliced out
For the Spicy Mayo
- 2 tbsp kewpie mayo or regular mayo
- 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp mirin
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½-1 tsp togarashi spice or sriracha
For the Tuna
- 113-170 g/4-6 oz sushi grade tuna**
- 2 tsp black and white sesame seeds, more for garnish
- 1 large or 2 small green onion, minced
For the Avocado
- 1 ripe avocado, flesh mashed
- Big squeeze of lime, optional
- Big pinch of salt
Instructions
- While the rice is warm, sprinkle with salt and stir in. Scoop 11⁄2 tbsp balls and squeeze tightly so that it sticks together. Shape into a round or rectangle so that it is about 1⁄2-1 inch thick.
- Heat a nonstick fry pan over medium heat. Add oil. Fry rice patties for 2-4 minutes on each side until they are golden brown, let cool.
- For the Spicy Mayo: Mix all the ingredients together.
- For the Tuna: Chop the tuna into tiny squares. Add the Spicy Mayo, sesame seeds and chopped green onion. Mix. Feel free to refrigerate at this point until you are ready to stack and eat.
- For the Avocado: Mash the avocado with lime and salt.
- Spread a layer of avocado onto each rice patty. Top with about 1 tsp of tuna mix. Top with a jalapeño slice and sprinkle with additional sesame seeds.
Notes
*It is best to cook sushi rice in a rice cooker but it can be done on the stovetop. Cook 1-2 cups sushi rice and use 11⁄2 cups of cooked rice for this recipe and freeze the rest in 11⁄2 cup packages for next time. When you need to use it, warm the rice in the microwave so it gets sticky again.
**When buying tuna, be sure to tell the fish person that you are using it for sushi or eating it raw. Have all tendinous parts and fat removed; it should weigh 113 grams or so after all unusable parts are removed.