Homemade furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning that is not just for rice. Sprinkle it on ramen noodles, veggie sushi, poke bowls, and even popcorn to easily add flavor to almost any dish!
This looks like a lot of steps, but it really isn’t difficult. We’ve broken it down to simplify it so you will flow through the process easily and quickly.
To begin, you will need to soak the kombu in warm water for 2-3 hours to rehydrate it. See our notes below about how we speed this process up.
I like to spread the rehydrated kombu out on paper towels and allow it to air dry for about 5-10 minutes to make it easier to work with. After that, cut the kombu into long thin slices and then dice the strips into small pieces. You can see from my photos how I do it. Once it’s in the frying pan it will shrink and become dry and flaky.
While you are prepping the kombu, go ahead and gather and prepare all of your other ingredients to have them ready, and preheat your oven to 400°F.
Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium-high and add the chopped kombu. Stirring frequently, cook uncovered for approximately five minutes. When the flakes become dark and crispy-looking, they are ready for you to add the other ingredients.
Add the sweetener, salt, sesame seeds, and dulse to the pan and toast the mixture together with the kombu until the white sesame seeds are light brown and fragrant. This doesn’t take long so watch carefully and stir.
Turn off the burner heat and immediately add your soy sauce and mirin to the mixture and whisk it all together. Don’t be afraid here, yes, it’s supposed to look like that.
Continue to stir until the liquid mixture has thoroughly coated all of the dry ingredients. This blending process allows the flavor to be absorbed into the furikake rice seasoning instead of just falling to the bottom of the container.
Next, transfer the mixture to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to make for easy cleanup. Allow it to cool for a few minutes. Once it is cool enough to touch, break apart any big clumps. I use my hands, but you can also use the back of a flat spatula.
When you’re happy with the consistency, bake for 4-6 minutes. I have also used my air fryer (using a bed of foil if yours doesn’t have a tray) with great results. Baking aids in removing some of the moisture.
Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. Once it has completely cooled, break apart any remaining clumps. You can use your hands, a potato masher, the back of your spatula, a mortar and pestle, or whatever method works best for your preferred granule size.
Now, it’s time to add the last two ingredients–nori/seaweed and the rice crackers.
Add the arare rice crackers to a bowl and break/grind the crackers into small crumbles. I use a mortar & pestle to do this, but again, you can use whatever you have on hand that gets the job done.
They need to be broken into small pieces but not ground to powder. We want them as small crumbles large enough so that we can still enjoy that great umami crunch.
Next is the nori/seaweed sheet(s). Use your hands, a sharp knife, or kitchen scissors to crumble or cut the nori sheets into small, thin strips or pieces. You can fold the sheet into rectangles or squares before cutting them to speed up the process.
Once it’s broken down into small flakes, add the cooled mixture from the baking sheet to the bowl and blend together well. When your nori furikake has cooled completely, you’re done. Serve and enjoy!
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Notes
Our furikake recipe is considered Nori Komi Furikake. It is vegan, gluten-free, and is the most popular and basic furikake flavor. KombuKombu is a type of edible seaweed that is commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It can be found in dried form and is rehydrated before use. Once rehydrated, it will regain its wet sticky texture. It can be found in Asian markets or online.A great thing about kombu is that you can use it to make other recipes like kombu dashi Japanese soup broth. If you want to give this broth a try, the spent kombu can always be frozen and then used in recipes like this furikake rather than thrown away. We’re all about recycling, especially when it comes to food!The dulse granules and nori sheets used in this recipe are also types of seaweed.
Arare Japenese crackers
Arare senbei crackers are a traditional Japanese snack food. They are small crackers made from glutinous sticky rice and are baked with soy sauce or Tamari and other seasonings. You can usually find them inexpensively at most Asian grocers and they are also available online. Be sure to read the labels well because many brands do contain fish flavorings, but this one does not.About the ChefDrenda Michell Brennan lived in Japan in the 1990s and learned many traditional Asian cooking methods. She is the mother of 3 Japanese-American grown children and grandmother (HuneyGram) to 8 grandchildren. She also happens to be the sister of Terri Edwards, of EatPlant-Based. Read more about her story in this article, From Veggie Hater to Plant-Based.