Why This Recipe Works?
By using a base of ground oats and whole sesame seeds, this Furikake has a splendidly crisp texture. Soy sauce, shiitake powder, and konbu cha contain compounds that create the umami taste. By adding these ingredients, we can make a flavorful furikake without any fish. Stirring in some matcha and aonori at the end gives the Furikake a vibrant green color and fresh flavor while imparting vitamins and antioxidants.
Ingredients for Vegan Furikake
Dried shiitake mushrooms - Mushrooms contain a compound called GMP which synergize with amino acids in food to boost the taste of umami. Dried shiitakes are particularly rich in GMP, making it a great way to add umami to our Furikake. Rolled oats - Rolled oats, or oatmeal, provide this furikake’s substance. To keep it from looking like granola, I like to grind it up into a coarse meal with a food processor or using a mortar and pestle. Toasted sesame seeds - Sesame seeds add a nice texture to the Furikake while lending a nutty flavor and loads of nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron and vitamin B6. I used gold sesame seeds for this, but black or white sesame seeds will work as well. Soy sauce - Soy sauce is the primary seasoning for furikake, providing salt and umami. Salt - Furikake needs to be quite salty to make it effective as a seasoning for other foods. Seasoning it with only soy sauce would make it too wet, which is why I supplement it with salt. Brown sugar - Balancing savory and sweet tastes is a key component of Japanese cuisine, and for this Furikake, I’m using some Kokuto (black sugar). It’s a minimally processed sugar similar to Muscavado, Sucanat or coconut sugar. Konbu cha - Konbu cha literally means “kelp tea” in Japanese, and it’s a savory kelp stock that usually comes in powder or granules. Since kelp has a naturally high glutamate concentration, it’s a great way to add umami to our vegan Furikake. Oil - The oil helps get the oats crisp. Aonori - Aonori literally means “green nori,” and as the name implies, it’s a type of seaweed that has a vibrant green color. It comes in flakes and is more aromatic than regular nori, but if you can’t find it, you can shred nori sheets into thin strips using scissors. Matcha - Matcha is made by grinding green tea leaves into a very fine powder. It’s loaded with antioxidants, and it has a vibrant green color and fresh flavor that’s a nice contrast to the earthy oats and sesame seeds.
How to Make Vegan Furikake
Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 300° F (150° C). The first thing you need to do is grind the dried shiitake and oatmeal into a coarse meal. You can do this by crushing the oats between your fingers and then grating the shiitake with a Microplane, or you can do this in a food processor. Transfer the ground oats and mushrooms into a bowl and stir in the sesame seeds. To make the seasoning, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, salt, konbu cha, and oil to a separate bowl and whisk the ingredients together until evenly mixed. Now you want to pour this mixture over the ground oats and stir everything until the ingredients are well combined. Spread the Furikake mixture onto your prepared baking sheet and bake it for fifteen minutes. You’ll want to remove the sheet from the oven midway through and stir the Furikake to ensure it browns evenly. Once the oats have crisped up, remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature. I like to use a rolling pin to break the clusters up into smaller pieces, making it easier to sprinkle. Mixed the cooled Furikake with the aonori and matcha to finish it off. The furikake will keep in a cool, dry place for a few weeks. I recommend storing it in an airtight, opaque container to protect it from light and humidity.
Other Vegan Japanese Recipes
Kitsune Udon Kenchinjiru (vegetable soup) Tofu Karaage Vegan Nikujaga (“meat” and potatoes)
📖 Recipe
