Sometimes my friends are adorable.
When I told Sophie that I was being made redundant from my internship here in Exeter (can an intern become redundant? Just go with it), she invited me over for dinner.
Specifically, she wanted to make some homemade sushi.
Now, do not get me wrong, I love a bit of sushi. In fact, sushi is one of the few food 'genres' that both vegans (me) and diabetics (Joah) can enjoy together; a nice change from constantly analyzing the nutritional content from the menu or creating Frankensteinian dishes whenever we go out.
Homemade sushi, however, seemed to be head and shoulders above my capabilities surely? This is the kind of past time you tend to see on Made in Chelsea or perhaps referenced in a Stephen Fry memoir, not whipped up on a Friday evening after a couple glasses of white wine.
Yet, as I rocked up my usual 15 minutes late with a carrier bag full of rice and avocado, Sophie and her boyfriend Alex took control whipping up dozens of sushi rolls within the hour! Credit where it is due, Alex rolled all the sushi. It is one of those skills that looks extremely easy but probably requires a bit of a knack.
Vegan sushi has this wonderful quality of being widely versatile; you can fill the rolls with varying textures, colours and flavours with ease and never have to worry. I decided to fill my version with avocado, cucumber, and mangos which were delicious, although next time I think I will try and make a vegan sriracha mayonnaise to add a little bit of a zing.
Ingredients:
This makes literally dozens of sushi rolls for three people.
- 500g of Sticky Rice
- 2x Avocados
- 1x Large Cucumber
- 1x Large Mango / 500g of Mango Fingers
- 1x Pack of Nori (10 sheets p/ pack)
- 3tbsp Rice wine (plus a little to spare)
Additionals:
- Bamboo Sushi Mat/tea towel
- Optional: Wasabi, Soy Sauce, 1x Lime, Pickled Ginger
Method:
1. Rinse the sticky rice in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
2. Once the water runs clear, allow the water to sit in a bowl of cool, lightly salted water for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the rice to a medium saucepan of boiling water on a low heat, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed. This usually takes another 10-15 minutes.
4. Once all the water is gone, mix in the rice wine ensuring it is well distributed, before allowing the rice to cool. Make sure that the rice is noticeably sticky, yet completely dry before moving onto the next step.
5. Meanwhile, chop up your ingredients into thin strips.
6. Once the rice is dry, take a sheet of nori and place on top of the bamboo mat. Spoon a thin layer of rice over the nori like a blanket, leaving the last inch and a half clean. Make sure that you are not over-zealous at this point otherwise it will be very difficult to roll. Arrange a small handful of your vegetables and arrange them in a line at the bottom 3/4 closest to you.
7. Take the short edge of the mat (the side closest to you) and roll over the vegetables. Dip your finger in some rice wine or water and lightly coat the edge of the nori so that it is able to tuck under and is able to roll. Continue to roll the mat forward, using one hand to guide the shape.
8. Once again coat the clean edge of the nori in either water or rice wine using your fingers, sticking the nori together and completing the roll.
9. Repeat until you have more than you can physically eat in one sitting, before slicing the rolls on a chopping board with a sharp knife. You can divide them in any way you see fit.
10. Put on a fancy looking plate, and serve immediately with wasabi, soy sauce, pickled ginger and a slice of lime.
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