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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers/Sides

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls

    Last Modified: December 8, 2020 - Published by: christieathome

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls. Delicious, festive and fun Temari Sushi! Great for a holiday gathering, potluck or for yourself to celebrate the Christmas season! Serves well as an appetizer, side dish or snack!

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls

    I can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner! Although the holidays will be slightly different for many of us this year, it doesn't mean we can't celebrate! So that's why I'm sharing these really fun and unique Christmas Sushi Balls!

    I'm sharing three variations of my Temarizushi: tuna mayo rice, fried tofu with rice, and smoked salmon with rice, pomegranate and mayo. All three are so delicious especially the latter as the mayonnaise and pomegranate seeds really compliment the saltiness of the smoked salmon.

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls

    But my favourite is the tuna mayo with rice! I'm a big tuna fan and when it's mixed with mayonnaise and rice, it's very satisfying. The fried tofu ball is also very delicious and works well as a vegan temari sushi.

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls
    Kitchen Stuff Plus Holiday Serving Plate

    Where can I find some of these ingredients?

    Most of these ingredients for my Christmas temari sushi recipe can be found at Western grocers with the exception of the fried tofu pockets. Fried tofu pockets are usually found at a Korean grocer like H-Mart or a Japanese one.

    fried tofu pockets

    About Kitchen Stuff Plus

    For this Christmas temari sushi recipe, I've partnered with Kitchen Stuff Plus! They were kind enough to gift me with some incredible kitchen tools I could use for this recipe! I also used their amazing quick and easy Click & Collect service.

    Click & Collect is awesome because you can order your items online at your preferred store location. Then when your items have been gathered and are ready for pick up, you'll receive a confirmation via email. Then you can visit your store’s curbside pickup spot and provide your order details to pay for your items! It's that easy!

    pretzels
    Kitchen Stuff Plus Cereal Bowl

    It's a fantastic service especially for the upcoming holidays when you're looking for gifts and you want to save on time! Kitchen Stuff Plus is my go-to destination for Christmas presents, especially for those who spend more time in the kitchen.

    Throughout this blog post, you'll get to see all the amazing kitchen tools and utensils that I received for my collaboration with them!

    For more information, visit: Kitchen Stuff Plus!

    pomegranate
    Kitchen Stuff Plus Glass Mixing bowl

    Other recipes you may like!

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    For this recipe

    You will need the following ingredients for my Christmas temari sushi ball:

    Sushi Rice:

    • 320 ml uncooked sushi rice
    • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon sugar

    Tuna Mayo Sushi Ball (Snowman)

    • 160 grams canned tuna
    • 2 tablespoon Japanese mayo
    • ½ teaspoon sugar
    • ½ inch peeled carrot, sliced into tiny wedges for the nose
    • Black sesame seeds, as needed

    Smoked Salmon Sushi Ball (Christmas Ornament)

    • 150 grams Smoked salmon
    • Pomegranate seeds
    • Japanese mayo

    Tofu Rice Sushi Ball (Elf)

    • 4 pretzels, sliced in half
    • 4 fried tofu pockets
    • Black sesame seeds, as needed
    • ½ inch peeled carrot, sliced to create nose and mouth

    How to make Temari Sushi

    Cook your sushi rice according to package instructions or rice cooker settings.

    Once it is cooked, transfer rice to a mixing bowl. Season the rice with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly.

    sushi rice
    Tuna Mayo Sushi Ball (Snowman)

    In a small mixing bowl, mix canned tuna, Japanese mayo, and sugar.

    tuna mayo

    In another small bowl, place cling film over top. Scoop about 3 tablespoon of levelled sushi rice into it.

    rice

    Twist the ends of the cling film until it forms a ball. Flatten the ball into a pancake. Open your cling film, add about 1 teaspoon of the tuna mayo mixture into the middle. Add 1 tablespoon more of the sushi rice to cover the tuna mixture.

    tuna rice

    Twist the ends of the cling film and mold into a ball, ensuring the rice covers the tuna completely.

    rice ball

    Decorate the sushi ball with black sesame seeds for the eyes and mouth and a tiny carrot wedge for the nose.

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls

    Repeat this process until you have 3 more.

    Smoked Salmon Sushi Ball (Christmas Ornament)

    In a small bowl, place cling film over top. Then add 3 tablespoon of levelled sushi rice into the cling film. Twist up the ends of the cling film to mold into a ball. Remove the rice ball from the cling film and set aside.

    Into the same cling film, overlap two pieces of smoked salmon. Place your rice ball back into the smoked salmon.

    Twist the ends of the cling film upwards and mold the smoked salmon over the rice ball.

    Transfer the ball onto a plate with the smooth side facing up. Squeeze a dollop of Japanese mayo onto the middle of the ball. Decorate with pomegranate seeds.

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls

    Repeat this process until you have 3 more.

    Tofu Rice Sushi Ball (Elf)

    Lay cling film over your bowl. Add 3 tablespoon of levelled sushi rice. Twist the ends of the cling film up and mold it into a ball.

    Transfer the rice ball onto plate. Open the fried tofu pocket and place it over the rice ball like a hat. Decorate the ball with halved pretzels for big ears, two black sesame seeds for the eyes and a tiny carrot piece cut in the shape of a smiling mouth.

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls

    Repeat this process until you have 3 more.

    Give it a try!

    Well I hope you give my Christmas Temari Sushi Balls recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.

    Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed my Christmas temari style sushi, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!

    Made this recipe and loved it?

    If you could leave a star rating, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Take care,
    Christie

    *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    christmas temari sushi balls

    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls

    christieathome
    Christmas Temari Sushi Balls. Delicious, festive and fun Temari Sushi! Great for a holiday gathering, potluck or for yourself to celebrate the Christmas season! Serves well as an appetizer, side dish or snack!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 1 hr
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine holidays, Japanese
    Servings 12 balls
    Calories per serving 142 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Sushi Rice:

    • 320 ml uncooked sushi rice
    • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar

    Tuna Mayo Sushi Ball (Snowman)

    • 160 grams canned tuna
    • 2 tablespoon mayonnaise peeled
    • ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar
    • ½ inch carrot peeled and sliced into tiny wedges for the nose
    • Black sesame seeds as needed

    Smoked Salmon Sushi Ball (Christmas Ornament)

    • 150 grams Smoked salmon
    • Pomegranate seeds
    • mayonnaise Japanese

    Tofu Rice Sushi Ball (Elf)

    • 4 pretzels sliced in half
    • 4 fried tofu pockets
    • Black sesame seeds as needed
    • ½ inch peeled carrot sliced to create nose and mouth

    Instructions
     

    • Cook your sushi rice according to package instructions or rice cooker settings.
    • Once it is cooked, transfer rice to a mixing bowl. Season the rice with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly.

    Tuna Mayo Sushi Ball (Snowman)

    • In a small mixing bowl, mix canned tuna, Japanese mayo, and sugar.
    • In another small bowl, place cling film over top. Scoop about 3 tablespoon of levelled sushi rice into it.
    • Twist the ends of the cling film until it forms a ball. Flatten the ball into a pancake. Open your cling film, add about 1 teaspoon of the tuna mayo mixture into the middle. Add 1 tablespoon more of the sushi rice to cover the tuna mixture.
    • Twist the ends of the cling film and mold into a ball, ensuring the rice covers the tuna completely.
    • Decorate the sushi ball with black sesame seeds for the eyes and mouth and a tiny carrot wedge for the nose. Repeat this process until you have 3 more.

    Smoked Salmon Sushi Ball (Christmas Ornament)

    • In a small bowl, place cling film over top. Then add 3 tablespoon of levelled sushi rice into the cling film. Twist up the ends of the cling film to mold into a ball. Remove the rice ball from the cling film and set aside.
    • Into the same cling film, overlap two pieces of smoked salmon. Place your rice ball back into the smoked salmon.
    • Twist the ends of the cling film upwards and mold the smoked salmon over the rice ball.
    • Transfer the ball onto a plate with the smooth side facing up. Squeeze a dollop of Japanese mayo onto the middle of the ball. Decorate with pomegranate seeds. Repeat this process until you have 3 more.

    Tofu Rice Sushi Ball (Elf)

    • Lay cling film over your bowl. Add 3 tablespoon of levelled sushi rice. Twist the ends of the cling film up and mold it into a ball.
    • Transfer the rice ball onto plate. Open the fried tofu pocket and place it over the rice ball like a hat. Decorate the ball with halved pretzels for big ears, two black sesame seeds for the eyes and a tiny carrot piece cut in the shape of a smiling mouth. Repeat this process until you have 3 more.
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Rice Cooker
    Measuring Set
    Mixing bowl
    Cling film
    Nutrition
    Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine holidays, Japanese
    Keyword temari salmon sushi, temari style sushi, temari sushi how to make, temari sushi recipe, vegan temari sushi, vegetarian temari sushi

    Suggested Products

    More Appetizers/Sides

    • Chinese Garlic Green Beans
    • Gamja Jorim
    • Korean Tuna Pancakes (Chamchijeon)
    • Korean Zucchini Fritters

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sherri

      December 14, 2020 at 10:02 am

      5 stars
      What a creative idea for these sushi balls! Super cute, fun and festive and perfect for the whole family! I am so in love with the tofu elf...♥

      Reply
    2. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      December 14, 2020 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      Your sushi balls are so crazy adorable. This really is the perfect festive appetizer to share with family and friends at Christmas this year!

      Reply
    3. Rosemary

      December 16, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      These are sooo cute for the holidays! I made sushi today and I have to say, working with that sticky rice is a skill in its own!

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

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