Spicy Tuna Poke Rice Cakes

1 hours 0 mins Prep Time

15 mins Cook Time

Written By

Vicky Tran

In this simple but efficient twist on classic Hawaiian poke, seasoned and crispy fried rice cakes make for the perfect base to this tuna poke mix. Fresh and good quality fish make all the difference, so don’t skimp out on the good stuff; it should also be noted that if good quality tuna is not available to you, a good quality salmon will also do the trick. This recipe makes for a great lunch or appetizer; with a few components allowing for day advance prep, it actually comes together incredibly easily.

Ingredients

Sushi Rice

2 cups sushi rice
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
Vegetable oil, as needed for frying

Poke

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sriracha
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
10 ounces fresh sushi grade tuna
1/4 sweet onion, thinly sliced (approximately 1/2 cup)
1 avocado, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon furikake, for topping (optional)

Directions

Spicy Tuna Poke Rice Cakes

7 Steps

Step 1

Prepare the sushi rice cakes: rinse the sushi rice well and cook according to package directions. Once cooked and still warm, transfer to a mixing bowl and add in the rice wine vinegar, mirin, kosher salt as well as granulated sugar. Gently fold to combine and allow to cool to a comfortable handling temperature. In the meantime line, a baking tray with plastic wrap and lightly grease the sides of a 3 ¼ - 3 ½ inch ring mould as well as the bottom of a flat cup or bottle that can fit inside that ring mould.
Step 2

Place the greased ring mould onto the plastic-lined baking tray, scoop approximately 1/3 cup of the seasoned rice into the mould, then press down gently using the greased cup or bottle until an even patty has been formed. Remove the ring mould and continue doing this until all of the rice has been formed. Note: it may be necessary to re-grease both the mould as well as the cup or bottle if rice begins to stick. Allow all of the formed rice cakes to cool entirely before wrapping and placing them into the fridge for at least 2 hours; most ideal would be overnight.
Step 3

Make the spicy mayonnaise by combining the mayonnaise with sriracha and transferring it to a squeeze bottle.
Step 4

Make the poke dressing: combine the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and whisk to combine. Note: both the spicy mayonnaise and the poke dressing can be made a full day in advance and refrigerated.
Step 5

Cut the tuna into 1 cm cubes and mix with the sliced sweet onion as well as the poke dressing, cover and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
Step 6

While the poke mix is chilling, begin frying the rice cakes. Heat a non-stick pan or cast iron pan on medium to medium-high heat. Add enough canola oil so that it comes up about 3 mm high in the pan. Very carefully add 3-4 rice cakes at a time ensuring that none of them are touching and that there is at least 1 cm of space between each. Allow the cakes to fry undisturbed for 3-5 minutes until golden brown on the bottom side, be careful as they may splatter. Flip and continue cooking on the remaining side until deep golden brown, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat this process, adding more oil if necessary until all rice cakes have been fried.
Step 7

To assemble, top the crispy sushi rice cakes with the avocado slices, followed by the tune poke mix, then a drizzle of the spicy mayo, a few jalapeño slices, then the chopped macadamia nuts and a sprinkle of furikake.