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Furikake rice flavouring sprinkles magically give you a feeling of fun - I almost take a guilty pleasure in them. Like
creating an ice cream sundae and indulging in your dessert before your main.
Typically Japanese Furikake is a dried mix of fish, sesame seeds, seaweed, sugar
and salt and there are thousands of different combinations and colourful packets you can purchase at Asian
supermarkets.
However nothing beats home made and as we like to avoid certain ingredients such as Monosodium Glutamate (MSG/E621) and
deciphering the packaging can difficult for this Kiwi girl, home made is certainly my preferred choice.
Here are some of my ideas, please feel free to share any of your own ideas in the comments, I'd love to hear
them!
- Toast a cup of sunflower seeds with a couple of tablespoons of sesame seeds in a hot skillet, stirring
continuously.
- When golden and fragrantly nutty remove from the heat and immediately stir through 1 to 2 tablespoons of Teriyaki Sauce or Tamari / Soy Sauce / Worcestershire Sauce.
- Keep stirring until they are well coated and fairly dry.
- Pour out on a flat sheet to dry completely and use straight away or store in an airtight container.
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- While Furikake is normally a dry mix - when you're making your own to use immediately it doesn't have to
be. Try chopping some fresh herbs such as parsley, chives and basil with grated lemon zest, a little minced garlic and
sea salt and pepper to make a "Gremolata" inspired Furikake flavouring.
- Or try some Tapenade
- Dry your own cooked and marinated fish flakes, or drained canned fish in a very low oven (or use it in it's
wet state) and mix with your favourite herbs and spices. I love garlic, salt, paprika and cayenne pepper to create
a kind of Cajun mix.
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- Try Dukkah - a mixture of toasted nuts and
spices. Pistachio and almonds with cumin is a favoured combination of ours.
- Crumble your favourite crunchy snack - Wasabi peas, flavoured potato crisps, Bhuja mix, pretzels, even toasted
muesli / Granola and breakfast cereals make great sprinkles.
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- Don't forget crispy bacon bits, the ultimate salty flavour enhancer! Or try other cured meats chopped finely,
salami, breasola, chorizo...
- Finally be sure to check out Just Bento, Maki has
many more wonderfully inspired Furikake ideas.
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Remember you aren't limited to flavouring Gohan or steamed rice or only Japanese meals with your Furikake. Try sprinkling them on omelettes / Okonomiyaki, sautéed greens, salads, mashed
potato and other vegetable dishes.
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