Poke Bowl recipe
I may be a true-blue Aussie, but the Japanese blood in my veins demands that Poke Bowls be more than just another trendy “healthy” recipe that tastes just okay….. So here are the 3 things that will make you fall in love with this Poke Bowl even if you’ve had meh Poke Bowl experiences in the past!! It’s pronounced “poke-ay” bowls, it rhymes with “okay”. But I always mispronounce it “poke”, as in rhymes with “bloke”!
What goes in poke bowls
This is what Poke Bowls have in them: There are no rules about what vegetables to use, and you can also use any type of fish you want – more on this below.
Best fish for poke bowls
Just like other raw fish dishes such as Ceviche and fish tartare, Poke bowls can be made with any fish suitable for eating raw in sashimi form. Tuna is the classic for Poke Bowls, and salmon is also very popular. Other fish suitable for poke bowls include: kingfish, ocean trout, swordfish, yellow tail, trevally and bonito. These are all fish that the Japanese use for sashimi because they have soft flesh that are relatively mild flavoured. In comparison, fish like snapper and cod have chewy, sinewy flesh when raw which is why it’s not used for sashimi. Fish suitable for eating raw is sold labelled as “sashimi-grade fish”. It’s higher quality and fresher than fish sold for cooking – and usually more expensive. But you don’t need much per serving – only about 80g / 2.5 oz!
Poke bowl dressing / marinade
I call this a marinade but it’s barely one because I don’t do anything more than toss the fish in for a mere second before piling it onto the rice. Fish chopped this small is very delicate, so it doesn’t need marinating time – the dressing that coats the fish pieces will penetrate into the small pieces while you’re plating up and eating it. You’ll find that the tuna is soaked with plenty of flavour so once it’s all mixed up with the rice, it doesn’t need much more dressing. But it does need some, so this recipe makes enough marinade/dressing so you’re left with some to drizzle over everything.
How to make poke bowls
I keep reading everywhere about how quick ‘n easy Poke Bowls are to make. And the veggies and fish are – but if you want to make a tasty sushi rice for the poke bowls, it does take a good 45 minutes or so!
Cook sushi rice – rice cooked the normal way which is then gently mixed with a sweet-salty vinegar mixture, then left to cool to absorb the flavour. See below for step photos.Dressing/marinade – Quick mix jobSashimi fish – dice it up like you’re chopping an onion! (OK, I lie – use a more gentle touch 😂)Slice / dice / shred veggies into eating-friendly size, pile onto rice in bowls.Toss fish into Dressing then immediately transfer onto rice. DO NOT leave to marinate – will make fish too salty and also “cure” it slightly, alternating the texture.Drizzle remaining Dressing over the bowls then serve immediately!
How to make Sushi Rice for Poke Bowls
While many Poke Bowls are made with plain rice, I like to use flavoured sushi rice, the same rice used to make Sushi Rolls and Sashimi. It’s a particular type of white rice sold labelled as “Sushi Rice” on the packets. It’s a short grain white rice that is kind of sticky which makes it suitable for forming into little mounds to make sashimi and into rolls to make sushi rolls. For Poke Bowls, it makes it easy(ier!) to pick the rice up with chopsticks. To make sushi rice, a vinegar + sugar + salt Sushi Rice Seasoning is poured over the rice while hot so it absorbs the flavour as it cools. It seems wet and sticky at first, but as it cools, the rice absorbs the flavour and dries out to the perfect sticky sushi rice texture! The traditional way to make sushi rice (ie the way it is made by the Japanese) involves a rice cooker and large wooden sushi rice mixing bowl. The Nagi way to make sushi rice to a Japanese standard involves a saucepan and glass 9 x 13″ pan!
Great hot weather food – and “trendy” to impress!
Poke Bowls are a terrific hot weather food, given they’re intended to be eaten at room temperature. Plus, there’s the added bonus of being so “on trend”, right? 😂 Being all the rage that Poke Bowls currently are! And though today I’ve shared a Poke Bowl recipe made with raw tuna, in fact, you could make this with cooked fish, shellfish or shrimp/prawns. Just cook, then chop or flake, then follow the same steps to toss in Dressing and pile onto rice. I know using cooked salmon and even canned tuna for Poke Bowls is a bit of a favourite amongst some of my friends! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
More things to make with sparkling fresh fish!
More great hot weather meals
Prawn/Shrimp Mango Orzo SaladAnything you can throw on a BBQMarinated Vegetable Pasta SaladChicken Pasta SaladPeanut Noodle Salad
Life of Dozer
Currently in VIETNAM making the first RecipeTin Eats foodie travel video!!! This fur ball is the reason I no longer travel overseas as much as I used to. I just love him so damn much, and I hate leaving him behind – even though I know perfectly well he’s at a 24-7 party with his best friends at the Golden Retriever Boarders’ house!!
