Vegetable Sushi

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Vegetable Sushi

Ingredients

Rice Mixture

1 ½ cups sushi rice or brown rice
2 or 3 cups water, (depends on rice used)
4 tsp. rice vinegar
4 tsp. mirin
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 to 2 Tbs. wasabi powder
1 to 2 Tbs. water
½ carrot, peeled
¼ red bell pepper, seeded
2 scallions
2 to 3 oz tofu-kan or other seasoned tofu
6 sheets of nori

Dipping Sauce
2 tsp. wasabi powder,
2 tsp. water,
1 Tbs. lemon juice,
4 tsp. soy sauce

Directions

Combine either the sushi rice and 2 cups of water or the brown rice and 3 cups of water in a soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes for the sushi rice or 30 minutes for brown rice, until the rice is quite soft and has absorbed the water. Meanwhile, stir together the rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame seeds and set aside.

While the rice cooks, combine equal amounts of the wasabi powder and water to form a smooth paste and set it aside to allow the flavor to develop. Julienne the carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, scallions, and tofu-kan. Lightly steam the julienned carrots and bell peppers until crisp tender. If your nori is not pre-toasted, lightly toast it for about ½ minute over a very low open flame or bake it in a 300° oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

When the rice is ready, stir in the vinegar-mirin mixture and transfer it to a bowl to cool somewhat. In a separate bowl, mix together the dipping sauce ingredients.

Place a nori sheet on the sudore and align the bottom edges -- the ones nearest to you. Moisten your hands and evenly spread about 3/4 cup of the seasoned rice on the nori, beginning 1 1/2 inches from its top edge and ending 1/2 inch from its bottom edge. One third of the way up from the bottom, make a horizontal 1/2 inch wide depression in the rice and spread a small about of the wasabi paste in it. Artfully arrange a few of the julienned vegetables an/or tofu slices side by side in a single layer on top of the wasabi paste to fill in the 1/2 inch depression. Be careful not overdo the vegetables in the center or you’ll create a bulging, hard-to-eat roll -- a little Zen-like aesthetic comes in handy here.

Now you’re ready to roll. Take the bottom edge of the sudore and lift it up and over, as if beginning to form a jelly roll. Use the sudore to guide the nori wrapper until it contacts the rice (forming a circle). Lift the sudore out of the way and tuck in the bottom edge of the nori with your fingers to begin the roll. Once again, bring the sudore up and over the roll, but don’t tuck it in. Allow the bottom edge of the sudore to move gradually away from you toward its top edge as you continue rolling. Press evenly and steadily on the sudore with the palms of both hands while rolling to produce a well-shaped roll. Don’t worry if a bit of rice squeezes out the sides. Continue rolling until the sudore is completely turned over its original top edge is now at the bottom and closest to you and a firmly packed nori roll emerges from beneath it. If it hasn’t already sealed itself, seal the roll by spreading a little water along the uncovered top edge.

When you finish making all six rolls, use a sharp wet knife to trim the ends of the rolls and cut them into 1 1/4 inch slices. Arrange the pieces, cut side up, on a platter and serve with chopsticks and a shallow bowl of dipping sauce.

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