Description
This vibrant Tuna Poke Bowl features perfectly cooked sushi rice, sashimi-grade tuna marinated in a flavorful ginger soy dressing, and an array of fresh vegetables like carrot, cucumber, radish, avocado, and edamame. Topped with black sesame seeds and green onions, this dish is a refreshing, nutritious, and easy-to-make meal that's perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Sushi Rice
- 2 cups sushi rice, rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups water
Sushi Rice Seasoning
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Ginger Marinade Dressing
- 1 1/2 tbsp light or all purpose soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 1/2 tsp chili paste or Sriracha
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
Poke Bowl
- 350 g sashimi grade tuna, diced into 0.7 cm (1/4 inch) pieces
- 1 small carrot, finely julienned
- 1 cucumber, deseeded and finely diced
- 1 small avocado, peeled and cut into 8 wedges (or diced)
- 6 red radish, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shelled edamame, boiled or steamed
- 1 green onion, finely sliced on the diagonal
- Black sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Cook Sushi Rice: Place rinsed sushi rice and water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat without a lid. When it reaches boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 20 minutes without stirring or lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let it steam undisturbed for 15 minutes with the lid on.
- Prepare Sushi Rice Seasoning: In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Season the Rice: Spread the cooked rice in a large shallow pan (9 x 13 inches). Drizzle half of the seasoning evenly over the rice. Using a rice paddle or rubber spatula, gently cut and fold the rice to mix the seasoning without mashing the grains. After 1 minute, drizzle the remaining seasoning and fold again for another minute. Let the rice cool to warm or room temperature, about 20 minutes. For best results, place it in front of a fan to cool faster.
- Make Ginger Marinade Dressing: In a bowl, combine light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, mirin, rice vinegar, chili paste, and grated fresh ginger. Stir well to combine.
- Prepare Poke Bowl Ingredients: Julienne the carrot, dice the deseeded cucumber, slice the radishes thinly, cut avocado into wedges or dice, and boil or steam shelled edamame if frozen. Slice green onion diagonally.
- Assemble the Poke Bowl: Divide the seasoned sushi rice evenly between four bowls. Top each bowl with radish slices, julienned carrot, edamame, and avocado wedges.
- Dress and Add Tuna: Toss the diced sashimi-grade tuna immediately in the ginger marinade dressing to coat well, but do not marinate. Transfer the coated tuna on top of the rice bowls.
- Finish Toppings: Sprinkle the diced cucumber mainly over the tuna, then add green onion slices and a generous scattering of black sesame seeds.
- Serve: Drizzle any remaining dressing over the bowls and serve immediately for the freshest flavors.
Notes
- Use sushi rice for best texture; rinsing rice removes excess starch to prevent it becoming mushy.
- If sushi rice is unavailable, short-grain white rice is a good substitute; avoid basmati and wild rice for authentic flavor and texture.
- Dark soy sauce colors the tuna and adds depth; substitute with additional light soy sauce if unavailable, but avoid swapping dark soy for light soy in the recipe.
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine; substitute with Chinese Shaoxing wine plus sugar, or honey and unsweetened grape/apple juice if avoiding alcohol.
- Sashimi-grade fish is essential for safety and flavor; use fresh, high-quality tuna or alternatives like salmon or kingfish.
- Removing cucumber seeds prevents excess wateriness and keeps the bowl fresh.
- Frozen shelled edamame is convenient and nutritious; boil or steam per package instructions.
- The recipe makes extra rice; store leftovers properly or use additional rice for another meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 591 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 905 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
