The BEST Vegan Rice Balls

If you've never made Vegan Rice Balls before, then this is your sign to make this simple and tasty dinner that takes less than 20 minutes! These rice balls are flavoured with chili and basil stir-fried tofu and are totally vegan.

If you're like me and you love rice dishes, then I think you'll love my Korean Rice Balls (Jumeokbap), Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice, One Pot Chicken Biryani, and Vegan Onigiri.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Takes less than 20 minutes - so it's perfect for a weeknight dinner. If you want to skip the ball-rolling part and just mash it all up in a bowl, you can, but I love turning them into rice balls for a bit of fun and extra texture!
• Only uses a handful of ingredients - you only need several staple ingredients for the sauce, and then all you need to get is tofu and rice! It's a very simple recipe that I think you'll find yourself making on repeat! I know I do hehe.
• It's vegan! - if you're plant-based, then this one's for you. If you're not vegan (like me), then it's also for you!

Ingredients

• Extra Firm Tofu - there are dozens of types of tofu out there. From silken tofu to smoked, sometimes it's difficult to know which one to buy. For this recipe, you'll need Extra Firm Tofu. I tend to buy Tofoo Extra Firm Organic Tofu, but any kind you like works...as long as it says firm.
• Light soy sauce - this adds a lovely saltiness to the sauce. Make sure to use light soy sauce, not dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce has more sodium in it, making it much saltier, and also has a darker colour.
• Fresh basil - chilli and basil combination is one of my favourite flavour partners at the moment. You'll need fresh basil for this recipe, not dried! I love buying a basil plant and keeping it in my kitchen. Make sure to water it every day and keep it out of direct sunlight, and it will stay alive for (potentially) weeks.
• Chilli flakes - I've used gochugaru flakes (Korean red pepper flakes), as they're sweet, smoky, and not too spicy. If you're going to use your average supermarket chilli flakes, then use ¼ of my gochugaru suggestion.
• Lime juice - real lime juice adds a wonderful acidity to this dish. You could use lemon if you don't have a lime.
• Sugar - to balance out all of these incredible flavours, you'll need a bit of sugar.
• Garlic - you can use garlic granules if you'd prefer, but I like using fresh garlic, and finely chopping it to release the aromas.
• Sesame oil - the nuttiness adds a lovely element to the sauce.
• Sushi rice - short-grain/sushi rice is essential for this dish. If you use any other grain (long-grain like basmati), the rice balls will not stick together.
• Furikake seasoning - this is a Japanese seasoning that's made up of an array of ingredients including sesame seeds, salt, spices, sugar, and nori. If you don't have access to it, feel free to just coat your vegan rice balls in sesame seeds.
• Vegan mayonnaise - for garnish

How to make these Vegan Rice Balls: Step by Step

Step 1: Cook Your Rice

• Place 1 cup of rice into a saucepan and rinse under cold water. Drain the rice and repeat this 3 times. Pour the rinsed rice back into the saucepan and then add 1 cup of water.

• Place the saucepan on low/medium heat and once it starts boiling, turn down the heat to low and add on your saucepan lid. Simmer for 10 minutes and then turn off the heat and set the rice aside.

Step 2: Grate & Fry Your Tofu

• Grate your extra firm block of tofu with a cheese grater.
• Add your grated tofu to a frying pan with a drizzle of oil. Place on medium heat and stir fry for a few minutes.

Step 3: Make Your Sauce and Combine

• In a small bowl, combine your light soy sauce, basil, gochugaru flakes, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and sesame oil. Give it a mix.
• Pour your sauce into your frying pan, and fry for a few more minutes until your tofu turns a lovely golden brown.

Step 4: Combine Your Rice & Tofu

• Remove your tofu from the heat and place into a large bowl with your rice.
• Once it's cooled down enough for you to be able to handle it, begin forming balls of rice with your hands. Grab a handful of the rice/tofu mixture and form it into a ball by squishing it with your hands.
• Next up, toss your rice balls in your furikake seasoning. If you don't have furikake, just toss them in some sesame seeds, or leave them as they are!
• Set the vegan rice balls aside (you can always reheat them if they're not warm enough).

Step 5: Serve Up and Enjoy!

• Place your balls of rice onto a plate and drizzle with vegan mayonnaise and sprinkle on some optional garnishes like spring onion and sesame seeds.
• Enjoy!

Answering Your Questions

More quick & easy dinner recipes that you might enjoy:

• Chinese Steamed Aubergine - one of my all-time favourite ways to cook eggplant!
• Avocado & Chilli Oil Linguine - this pasta dish takes less than 15 minutes to make and is super creamy.
• Korean-Style Butter Beans - there's nothing better than a bowl of comfortingly spicy beans, why not give them a go?
• Sticky Ginger Aubergine - I'm slightly addicted to this dish haha.