Make your own shiso furikake from scratch with just 5 ingredients. This Japanese-inspired condiment is delicious sprinkled on top of cooked white rice, tofu, or vegetables!
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Have you tried furikake yet?! If not, you are missing out on one of the tastiest topping for rice!
I recently bought a package of shiso furikake and ended up finishing the whole thing in no time. Since store-bought furikake is not cheap and not easy to find, I thought it would be cool to make my own. Let's do it!
📘 What is Furikake
Furikake (振り掛け) is a Japanese condiment that comes in flakes or powder and is used as a topping for cooked rice. It is also used to flavor onigiri or sprinkled on top of vegetables.
Furikake comes in a lot of different flavor and can be prepared with dried fish and/or dried egg yolks, seaweed, salt, sugar, and other seasonings.
🥣 How to Make Shiso Furikake
This vegan version requires just 5 plant-based ingredients and is much healthier than the store-bought versions that often contain additives and flavor enhancers.
Here is what you will need:
- Green shiso - Also known as perilla or beefsteak plant. You can find shiso leaves at almost any Asian grocery store.
- Sesame seeds - Use toasted sesame seeds, or toast them yourself until golden brown in a skillet. I went with a mix of white and black sesame seeds here.
- Salt - Use regular kosher salt. Fine salt works better here so I would advise against using sea salt.
- Sugar - To balance with the saltiness.
- Chili powder - Optional, for a hint of spiciness. I went with Gochugaru here for smokiness and a vibrant red color.
Start by placing the shiso leaves on a baking sheet. Try arranging them in an even layer, but it's okay if they overlap a little bit.
Next, dehydrate the leaves in the oven for about 40 minutes at 170°F (75°C).
Once the leaves are completely dried and very crumbly, transfer to a bowl and use your hands to crumble them into flakes.
Finally, combine with the toasted sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and chili powder if using. Mix using a spoon and transfer to a clean jar!
🍚 How to Use Furikake
Furikake is versatile and can be sprinkled on basically everything:
- On top of cooked rice: Sprinkle on top of warm cooked rice and give it a quick stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.
- In onigiri: Use about 1 and ½ teaspoon of furikake per cup of cooked rice.
- In inari sushi: You can sprinkle it on top of inari sushi, or mix it directly with the sushi rice.
- On top of pasta.
- On tofu, roasted vegetables, and more!
This rice seasoning has a nutty flavor with floral undertones and a subtle mint-basil flavor! It's delicious on top of rice, bringing saltiness and a hint of sweetness!
🇯🇵 More Japanese-Inspired Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
📖 Recipe
Shiso Furikake (Rice Seasoning)
Ingredients
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh perilla leaves I used green perilla here
- 1 and ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon gochugaru (Korean chili powder) optional
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the shiso leaves and arrange the leaves in an even layer on a baking sheet. Dry the leaves at 170°F (75°C) for about 40 minutes, or until the leaves are very dry.
- Remove from heat and transfer the leaves to a mixing bowl. Using your hands, crush the leaves into very small flakes. Do not overdo it otherwise you will end up with a powder.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds, salt, sugar, and gochugaru if using. Stir to combine and transfer to a small jar or container.
- Sprinkle of top of cooked white rice, tofu, or vegetables to add a subtle herbal and nutty flavor! Furikake will keep for up to 2 months stored in an airtight container, at room temperature.
Hi Thomas,
is there any way to substitute perilla leaves? There is no way I can find this ingredient here.
Thank you!
Probably have to resort to growing Perilla yourself indoors if, like me, your nearest well-stocked asian market isc4hrs away!
Hi Anna,
Unfortunately it's the main ingredient of this recipe. You could try looking for a different furikake recipe.
Wow, I assumed it was nori that made furikake green!
Glad to know.
Now I will hunt down some perilla.
There a hundreds of types of furikake, some include nori 😉
J'adore, mais les ingrédients de ceux du commerce, sont inacceptables en France !!! Donc mille mercis pour cette Belle recette, j'aime d'avance...
Aurais-tu la recette aux algues ?
Merci beaucoup ! Non désolé, je n'ai pas de recette aux algues.
Can you use red shiso?
Sure, it will work as well!