Easy Chirashizushi Recipe (Scattered Sushi): Hinamatsuri Sushi

What is Chirashizushi?

Chirashizushi (ちらし寿司), also known as Chirashi sushi, is a deconstructed sushi dish layered with a bed of vinegared sushi rice and various toppings, including fish, shrimp, eggs, salmon roe, and vegetables.

Some of the Chirashizushi recipes are purely sushi in the bowl style. But my favorite kind is the one with suhi rice loaded with seasoned vegetables! This style is called Gomoku Chirashi Sushi (五目ちらし寿司). Mushrooms and root vegetables are cooked in soy sauce until just tender. When mixed with sushi rice, it adds savory umami and crunchy texture, which well contrasts the texture of the rice and adds depth to the taste. Even without the toppings, Chirashizushi rice is addictingly delicious!

Why Chirashizushi Is Served for Hinamatsuri (Girls' Day)

Hinamatsuri, also known as Girls' Day, is celebrated in Japan on March 3rd. Families display decorative hina dolls (雛人形) and pray for the health, happiness, and future of their daughters. (Boys don't worry, there's Boys' Day, also known as Tango no Sekku (端午の節句) on May 5th!)

People eat colorful, symbolic foods on Hinamatsuri, including:

• Clam soup
• Hishi mochi (diamond-shaped mochi)
• Hina Arare (sweet rice snack)
• Shirosake
• Sakura mochi

And chirashizushi is one of the most beloved!

Chirashizushi is served because it is festive, colorful, and easy to share. The bright toppings arranged over sushi rice represent spring's arrival and anticipation of new beginnings. Pink, green, and yellow ingredients are especially popular, reflecting the fresh colors of the season.

Many of the traditional ingredients also carry meaning. Lotus root symbolizes a bright future (you can "see through" its holes), shrimp represents longevity, and Kinshi Tamago (錦糸卵, egg crape ribbons) reflects gold and silver.

More than anything, chirashizushi is an amazing recipe to share with family and a crowd. It's elegant enough for celebration, yet simple enough to prepare at home, making it the perfect dish for honoring Hinamatsuri.

But chirashizushi is not only for Hinamatsuri. You can make a deconstructed sushi bowl for dinner anytime a sushi craving hits, or make a big batch to serve at dinner parties.

Hinamatsuri celebrations often include traditional sweets and tea! If you enjoy Japanese seasonal traditions, you may also love Shiratama Dango and matcha desserts and drinks!

Ingredients for Chirashizushi

Sushi Rice

• Japanese short-grain rice: I used white rice in this recipe, but brown rice also makes delicious sushi. If you want to recreate authentic Japanese flavor in your home, I like the rice factory that has high-quality short-grain rice imported from Japan!
• Rice Vinegar: Must-have Japanese pantry item.
• Coconut Sugar or Regular Sugar: I like to use coconut sugar to naturally sweeten my sushi. But the downside of using coconut sugar

If you like festive sushi, also try the Ehomaki Sushi Roll recipe to enjoy on the Setsubun festival!

Simmered Vegetable Mix-in

• Shiitake Mushrooms: Use fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms. The dried shiitake mushrooms are a great source of umami! When using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in water overnight to fully rehydrate.
• Carrot: Adds sweetness and bright orange color.
• Lotus Root: Adds a satisfying crunch to the sushi rice! Scrub it very well before using. If dirt sticks inside the holes, soak them in water to loosen it, rinse well, then rub with a cotton swab to remove any remaining dirt.
• Aburaage: Fried tofu pouch adds so much richness.
• Sake: Sake adds umami and enhances the flavor.
• Soy Sauce and Mirin: Rich saltiness and sweetness.
• Maple Syrup: You can also use granulated sugar or coconut sugar.

Kinshi Tamago (Thin Egg Ribbons)

Kinshi Tamago (錦糸卵) is a simple, golden yellow egg crape cut into thin ribbons, commonly used for sushi and noodle toppings. This is a classic Japanese recipe!

• Eggs: For a single serving of chirashizushi, use about 1-2 eggs for making the kinshi tamago.
• Sugar: I'm all for using natural sweeteners in my cooking, but there are times when granulated sugar simply can't be replaced. Kinshi Tamago is one of them. I tried making it with coconut sugar, and it turned out so brown, losing its iconic yellow hue (still tastes great though!).
• Katakuriko (Potato Starch, 片栗粉): Flipping a paper-thin egg crape can be tricky. They tear so easily, I've torn so many that they ended up as a pile of omelette. Adding a small amount of potato starch makes crape significantly stronger and easier to handle.

Toppings

Here's where your creativity sparks! Chirashizushi is highly customizable! With a good sushi rice base, you can add your favorite toppings. Here's what I used, and you can find more ideas in the Variation section below.

• Nori Sheet: Cut into matchstick-sized thin strips or torn into small pieces, and arrange the layer between the rice and egg layers to secretly boost umami in Chirashizushi.
• Frozen Sushi Ebi (Shrimp for Sushi): This is my favorite item when making sushi. Flattened, pre-cooked, frozen shrimp are ready to use by just thawing. You can also use regular cooked or boiled shrimp.
• Snow Peas: Lightly blanched and cut diagonally in half. Green elements make Chirashizushi really lovely. Other than snow peas, snap peas, nanohana, and asparagus work beautifully.
• Quick Pickled Watermelon Radish: Watermelon radish is beatiful radish with vibrant magenta inside. When pickled with acids, the color brightens up to a gorgeous pink/red hue.
• Ikura (salmon roe): Ikura is commonly used in Chirashizushi! Ikura looks really pretty, and a lot of kids love it (including me!). For the extra festivity, caviar is also delicious for adult plates.

Instructions

Cook the Rice

1. Cook the rice in a rice cooker or pot according to the package instructions.

Prepare the Simmered Vegetable Mix-in

1. While rice is cooking, prepare the vegetable mix-in. In a pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and sake. Spread each layer of shiitake mushrooms, carrots, lotus root, and aburaage. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender.
2. Uncover and stir in soy sauce, mirin, and maple syrup. Cook until the most liquid has absorbed.

Assemble Sushi Rice

1. In a small bowl, whisk together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
2. While the rice is still hot, gently mix in the vinegar mixture with a rice paddle.
3. Add the simmered vegetables to the sushi rice and gently fold in. 
4. Let cool while preparing the other ingredients.

Make the Kinshi Tamago

1. In a small bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, and salt until completely smooth. If you want to make it extra silky, strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
2. In a small bowl, mix katakuriko and 4 teaspoons of water. Then add it to the egg mixture and whisk until fully combined.
3. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat and grease it well with oil. Remove the pan from the heat and place it on a damp cloth for a few seconds to cool slightly.
4. Return the pan to the heat. Add ¼ of the egg mixture and tilt the pan quickly to spread it into an even, thin layer. 
5. After about 30 seconds, the edges start to lift up, and the surface looks dry. Gently flip using tongs or chopsticks and cook the other side until cooked through. Remove from the heat and let cool. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture.
6. Gently roll the egg crepe and slice into very thin ribbons.

Assembly

1. Spread the seasoned sushi rice into a serving bowl.
2. Spread a layer of nori sheet and arrange a layer of kinshi tamago on top.
3. Arrange sushi ebi, snow peas, quick-pickled watermelon radish, and ikura/caviar.  

Variations

Here's sushi filling ideas for Chirashi Sushi! Mix and match for your liking to create yours.

Seafood Chirashizushi

The seafood items below are classic sushi flavors.

• Sashimi-Grade Fish: Salmon, tuna, and hamachi (yellowtail).
• Scallops: Use sashimi-grade.
• Eel: You can get frozen unagi (eel) as a sweet and savory addition.
• Smoked salmon: great choice if sashimi-grade fish is not available.
• Crab meat: Prepared canned crab is an easy and affordable choice compared to the boiled crab.
• Canned tuna: Chirashizushi doesn't need to be fancy. Canned tuna delicious filling for sushi.
• Cooked Shrimp: Precooked shrimp at the grocery store are an easy topping item.
• Sakura Denbu: Pink fish flakes commonly used in sushi recipes.

Vegan Chirashizushi

Base sushi rice is completely vegan, so making this recipe vegan is very easy with a swap of toppings.

• Tofu scrambled egg: Drain tofu well and crumble into a hot, greased pan. Add a dash of turmeric and season with salt. Stir to cook until the liquid is cooked off and the tofu is bright yellow.
• Quick Pickled Vegetables: While pickled kazarigiri flowers are lovely and fun, pickled lotus root is also commonly used. Crunchy texture contrasts with the sahimi fish. Use the same brine of pickled kazarigiri flowers, quick-pickle sliced and cooked lotus root for garnish.
• Sushi Ginger: No time for pickling? No problem! Sushi Ginger adds nice crunch, spicy kick, and sweetness.
• Avocado: Adds creaminess.
• Colorful Vegetables: radishes, beets, edamame, cucumbers, nanohana.

If you want to elevate vegan Chirashi sushi, add a splash of Shio Koji to the tofu scrambled egg to make it even more flavorful!

Make Ahead Chirashizushi

Refrigerating assembled Chirashizushi will harden the rice and make it less enjoyable. Instead, prepare each component separately in advance and assemble just before serving.

• Rice: Cook the rice ahead, let it cool, then refrigerate or freeze it to store. When making chirashizushi, warm it in the microwave until steaming before adding vinegar.
• Sushi Vinegar: Premix and store in the refrigerator.
• Simmered vegetables: Cook the vegetables and refrigerate or freeze. Defrost it in the microwave until warm, then add it to the sushi rice.
• Kinshi Tamago: Store it in the freezer and defrost overnight or in the microwave.

Making these items ahead really expedites the process of making Chirashizushi on the day of festivity!