When I was in Japan, I didn’t eat a lot of sushi because sushi wasn’t one of favorite foods. After I moved to the States, I started liking and eating more sushi. Funny! It’s still not my staple but I enjoy vegetable sushi.
There are a few vegetable sushi options in Japan. Cucumber roll is probably most common vegetable sushi roll in Japan. It’s called Kappa-maki. It’s hard to explain what “kappa” is. “Kappa” is some kind of an imaginary creature (monster) who likes cucumbers. Cucumber roll is call “kappa maki” because a monster called Kappa like cucumbers. It’s strange… “Maki” means “roll.” One of my favorite sushi rolls is avocado roll, which you don’t find in Japan. So “avocado roll” will be “avocado maki.”
Today, I’ll make four different kinds of vegetable sushi rolls.
The one on the left on the bottom tray is kappa maki (cucumber roll) with white rice.
The one in the middle on the bottom tray is avocado maki with semi-brown rice.
The one on the right on the bottom tray is ume-shiso maki. Ume is pickled plum. It’s sour and salty. Shiso is a Japanese herb, which goes very well with ume. I am using purple shiso today. They look like this (ume on the left and shiso on the right).
I’ll also make inside out avocado cucumber rolls. I’ve never had inside out sushi rolls until I came to the States. Now I like both regular and inside out rolls.
To be sushi, you need to use sushi rice. If you make a “sushi roll” with plain rice, it’s not sushi! It’s just a rice roll. What’s sushi rice? Basically, it’s rice mixed with sushi vinegar. Sushi vinegar is seasoned vinegar for sushi. I’ll post a recipe for sushi rice in the next blog.
Let’s make some veggie sushi rolls!
- Cut nori sheet into half. For skinner maki style of sushi (called hoso maki), you just need a half sheet of nori. When you fold a nori sheet into half, it will be cut.
2. Put nori sheet on a bamboo sushi rolling mat. A bamboo rolling mat is an inexpensive useful tool to make maki style sushi. It can be found at Asian markets or online.
When making regular rolls (as opposed to inside out rolls), place the shiny smooth side down. You can see nori sheet has a shiny smooth side and non-shiny side.
3. Scoop rice and place it on top of nori sheet. Spread rice on nori sheet with fingers. Leave about an half inch from the top.
4. Place your favorite filling in the middle. I am using thinly sliced cucumber here.
5. Start rolling the mat. Roll from the edge closer to you. Roll tightly.
6. When you finish rolling where rice is, open the rolling mat and check if all rice and the filling is tucked inside of nori. If some rice and filling are not inside of nori sheet, use fingers to push them in.
7. Wet your finger with water and line the top of nori sheet so the nori sheet will stick together. Finish rolling.
8. Use the rolling mat to shape sushi roll. I’m making round ones today. In Japan, these skinny rolls are often has a square shape.
9. To make a inside out roll, you want to cover the bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap so rice won’t stick..
10. Place nori sheet on the rolling mat and spread rice with fingers. Leave no space. Since nori will be inside, which side (shiny or non-shiny side) doesn’t matter.
11. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.
12. Flip over the nori sheet.
13. Place filling in the middle.
I am using cucumbers and avocado.
14. Roll it all the way.
The roll should be closed.
15. Cut a sushi roll into 6 pieces. When cutting, wet a knife so that rice won’t stick.
Sushi is typically eat it with soy sauce and wasabi. Veggie sushi rolls are light and yummy! You can eat a lot and don’t need to feel guilty.
- Sushi rice 1 cup
- ½ Japanese cucumber or ¼ regular cucumber
- ½ avocado
- ½ tablespoon chopped umeboshi
- 1 tablespoon chopped shiso leaves
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Spread rice onto a half sheet of nori
- Place filling in the middle
- Roll sushi
Leave a Reply