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Ingredients
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Crispy Rice Cakes
Spicy Tuna Topping
Garnish & Sauce
Method
Crispy Rice Cakes
- 1
Cook rice
Rinse the short-grain rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear (3–4 rinses). Drain. Combine rinsed rice and 360 ml water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to the lowest heat, cover, and simmer 12 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
- 2
Season rice
While rice rests, mix rice vinegar, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt until sugar dissolves. Transfer rice to a wide shallow bowl, gently fold in vinegar mixture with a wooden spoon or rice paddle until evenly combined. Spread rice into an even 1/2-inch (about 1.2 cm) layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or rectangular container. Press lightly to compress. Refrigerate uncovered or loosely covered for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight) to dry and firm — this helps crisping.
- 3
Cut and dust
Remove chilled rice slab and turn onto a cutting board. Cut into 12 equal rectangles or rounds (about 2–2.5 inch pieces). If the rice is sticky, lightly dust your knife and the pieces with 1 tsp cornstarch to keep them from sticking.
- 4
Pan-fry to crisp
Heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, place rice pieces in the pan, flat side down, without crowding. Press gently with a spatula and cook 3–4 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown and crisp. Flip and cook the other side 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray and lightly season the fried surfaces with a pinch of salt.
- 5
Spicy Tuna Topping
- 6
Prepare tuna
Keep tuna cold until assembling. Trim any sinew and finely dice the sushi-grade tuna into small uniform pieces (about 3–4 mm). Place into a chilled bowl.
- 7
Mix sauce
In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon tobanjan, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon light soy, 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon sriracha (if using). Stir until smooth and evenly mixed.
- 8
Combine
Add the sauce to the diced tuna. Fold gently to coat without mashing the pieces. Stir in 3 tablespoons finely sliced scallion/chive and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds. Taste and adjust salt (use up to 1/4 tsp kosher salt) and spiciness, adding extra tobanjan or sriracha if desired. Keep chilled until assembly.
Garnish & Assemble
- 9
- 10
Assemble
Place crispy rice pieces on a serving platter. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of the spicy tuna mixture onto each crispy rice piece, pressing lightly so the tuna adheres. For neat presentation, use a small scoop or two spoons to shape the tuna.
- 11
Finish & garnish
Top each piece with a few extra chive snips and a tiny dot of extra tobanjan (about a 1/8 tsp) for visual heat. Drizzle or serve soy-sesame dipping sauce alongside. Garnish with microgreens if using, and sprinkle any remaining toasted sesame seeds over the assembled pieces.
- 12
Serve
Serve immediately to preserve crispness. Provide small plates and chopsticks or forks. Leftover spicy tuna should be kept chilled and consumed within 24 hours; crisped rice is best eaten the same day.