Ingredients

Method

For the nasi impit:
• 600 g freshly cooked jasmine or sushi rice
• ½ quantity nasi impit
• 6–9 T vegetable oil, for frying
• flaky sea salt
• 200 g raw sashimi-grade tuna
• 10 g chives, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
• 1 T sriracha sauce
• 3 T Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie or Kenko)
• 1 t sesame oil
• ½ t fish sauce
• ½ t lime juice

Method

Ingredients

1. To make the nasi impit, line a deep rectangular baking dish, about 34 x 24 cm with a large piece of baking paper, enough to create a little overhang over the edges.

2. Place the hot cooked rice in the dish and firmly level it out with a spatula or rice paddle, pressing it down well.

3. Place another sheet of baking paper on top and weight it down with something heavy, such as food cans or a pestle and mortar. Leave to cool completely at room temperature, then chill overnight.

4. Lift the sides of the baking paper to release the rice block from the dish. Cut the compressed rice into about 15 squares or rectangles.

5. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add 3 T vegetable oil. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan, add the rice cakes to the pan and fry undisturbed for 5–7 minutes until golden brown. Flip and repeat on the other side. Add more oil between batches, as needed.

6. Remove the rice cakes from the pan, sprinkle them with a pinch of flaky salt and set aside.

7. Finely dice the tuna and place in a mixing bowl. Add the chives, sriracha, mayo, a pinch of salt, sesame oil, fish sauce and lime juice. Mix well.
8 Spoon a dollop on the tuna tartare top of each crispy rice cake and sprinkle with extra chives to garnish. Serve straight away.

Find more rice recipes here

Photographer: © Sam Folan 2026

Extracted with permission from Rice by Ping Coombes is published by Murdoch Books, and distributed by Jonathan Ball Publishers in South Africa.