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A baked casserole dish topped with chopped green onions, sauce, and mayonnaise, with a serving spoon and a square piece removed. Bowls of sauce, cucumber, and seaweed are nearby.
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Spicy Sushi "Tuna" Bake (With Chickpeas!)

Author: Sarah Bond

Ingredients

Sushi Rice

  • 2 cups uncooked sushi rice
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp Furikake rice seasoning

Spicy "Tuna" Chickpeas

  • 2 15-oz cans chickpeas drained
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sriracha
  • ½ cup finely diced red onion
  • ½ cup finely diced celery
  • 2 tsp finely chopped capers
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • Drizzle: Kewpie mayo, sriracha
  • To serve: snack-size nori, sliced cucumbers and avocado

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
  • Rice: Cook 2 cups uncooked sushi rice with 2 ½ cups water according to package instructions. While rice cooks, heat ¼ cup rice vinegar until warm in the microwave. Stir in 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 tsp salt until dissolved.
    When rice is finished, gently fold vinegar mixture into the rice and set aside.
    A pot of cooked white rice with a wooden spoon resting inside, placed on a yellow surface.
  • Mash: In a large bowl, use a potato masher or fork to roughly mash 2 15-oz cans chickpeas. They should be mostly broken down with a few larger pieces remaining.
    Stir in ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sriracha, ½ cup finely diced red onion, ½ cup finely diced celery, 2 tsp finely chopped capers, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, and 1 Tbsp soy sauce.
    Bowl containing mashed chickpeas, chopped celery, red onion, capers, mayonnaise, and ketchup, with a spoon on the side, on a yellow background.
  • Assemble: Lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Spoon in the cooked sushi rice, pressing it firmly into an even layer. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp Furikake rice seasoning over the rice.
    Spoon the spicy tuna on top, spreading it into an even layer.
    Drizzle Kewpie mayo and sriracha in a crisscross pattern on top (amount to your liking; I like to do more mayonnaise than sriracha, but if you like it spicy, add more sriracha).
    Baked casserole topped with white and red sauces drizzled in a crisscross pattern inside a rectangular baking dish on a yellow surface.
  • Bake: Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chickpea mixture is hot and the top looks set and slightly dried.
    A baked casserole topped with zigzag lines of white and red sauces, chopped green onions, and crumbled seaweed in a rectangular dish.
  • Serve warm on its own or spooned into snack-sized nori with slices of cucumber and avocado.
    A slice of baked sushi casserole topped with sauces, nori, and sesame seeds sits on a speckled plate, surrounded by small bowls and chopsticks.

Notes

Can I make this vegan? Yes. The only non-vegan ingredient is the regular mayonnaise in the chickpea mixture. Swap it for any vegan mayo. Keep the kewpie for the drizzle if you want the best flavor; there are now vegan kewpie options available, or just use your preferred vegan mayo.
Can I make the rice ahead? Yes. Cook the sushi rice and fold in the vinegar mixture up to one day ahead. Store covered in the fridge. The rice will firm up slightly in the cold, which actually helps it press into a more cohesive layer in the casserole dish. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before assembling so it spreads without tearing.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The rice continues to firm up as it sits, which makes cold leftovers almost better than the fresh-baked version since the layers hold together more cleanly. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or in the microwave in 60-second intervals. Not suitable for freezing since both the rice and the mayo-based chickpea layer degrade significantly after thawing.
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