… many many moons ago when I was just a teenage food-lover starting out in my life I decided to take a course on ‘cooking for cash’. This was really a beginners course on how to earn a living by doing what you love, not only did it cover how to cook certain foods such as canapes and cupcakes but it also taught us how to budget for selling food in different arenas such as markets, cocktail parties or setting up your own food business… I loved the course and gained a lot from it, in particular I learnt how to make sushi rolls, something which I thought would be really tricky to do as it always seemed so exotic to me but which is, in fact actually very easy, takes very very little time, some delicious fresh ingredients and a steady hand…
avocado and radish sushi rolls
to make everything even easier I was recently sent a special sushi kit for 2 produced by Yutaka… they were marketing the kit as perfect for Valentines Day but to be honest I think sushi should be loved all year round and with its easy to follow instructions and a natty boil-in-the-bag rice you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy…
here’s my recipe for a simple vegetarian sushi roll for beginners to both sushi eating and sushi making… i’ve used mayonnaise to mellow the wasabi paste but feel free to eliminate this or reduce the mayo to increase the intensity of taste. The recipe calls for sushi rice or shari rice but as an alternative you could use any short-grain Japanese or Chinese rice.
enough to cover 3 sheets of nori seaweed
250g sushi rice
330ml water
3 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar (again you could substitute for white vine vinegar)
2 tablespoons sugar
a large pinch of salt
2 x sheets nori seaweed
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 x avocado – halved, peeled and thickly sliced
4 or 5 raw radish sliced lengthways into matchsticks
you will need a sushi rolling mat but sushi can be rolled very easily using foil and a tea towel, so don’t worry too much about equipment
start with the rice by placing it in a saucepan and rinsing 4 times in cold water until the water runs clear, then cover with 330ml water, place a lid on the pan and bring to boil for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave with the lid on for 20 mins
combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt and stir till the sugar dissolves, then when the rice has cooled, pour this over the rice and set aside.
in a small bowl stir the wasabi into the mayo and prepare your avocado and radish
wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge until ready to serve
to serve, simply slice into mouth-sized portions and dip into soy sauce with a slither of pickled ginger on top
The Yutaka Sushi Kit for 2 retails at £4.99 from Sainsbury’s or various on-line stores.
eat and of course, enjoy!
Oh Dom, I must so absolutely visit you. I adore sushi, but it's hard to get good vegetarian ones. CT has made it on occasion – twice in the near 18 yrs we've been together! It's very very good, but I've not managed to get a 3rd occasion yet. You've made them look quite beautiful and I do love avocado.
Oh, I love this post, Dom! This is such a different tack for you! I fell in love with Sushi when our eldest daughter took us to an excellent sushi bar in NYC's Chelsea neighborhood … OMG, what a revelation. Making it has always seemed so intimidating! Perhaps I should 'get over it' and give it a try!
Love the idea of the sushi kit. It would hopefully take away the drama of me trying to make sushi from scratch *shudder*. I'd definitely give it a try now, thank you!
My kids are obsessed with sushi and spend a fortune going to restaurants and take out. I have always wanted to try it but was afraid it wouldn't taste like what my kids were use to. I think yours looks excellent and just like the take out I've seen the kids eat.
you have mad skills, these looks so good
I adore sushi but for some reason thought it would be difficult to do – thanks for making it look so darn easy! I bought my first sushi rice and nori last week, so you have now inspired me to actually do something with them! Thanks Dom! x
I am not a great fan of sushi, I enjoy it when offered, but I don't go out of my way to buy it. However homemade party nibbles makes an interesting offering and is always colourful with that nori jacket. Great “how to” pics.
these look so good love sushi
wow! i love sushi!
http://duecuoriinpadella.blogspot.it/
I very well remember the first time I made sushi rolls at home. I was very very generous with the wasabi …
Your vegetarian sushi rolls look great.
I LOVE sushi and it is so romantic, your are right! I also LOVE your step-by-step photos! Karen
Absolutely wonderful Dom! I love sushi and sushi rolls. Love the beautiful presentation too. Have a nice day!
Sushi is my absolute favorite thing in the whole world!! 🙂 And at this point, with my pregnancy, the vegetarian kind is all I can actually eat (no raw fish for me for at least another 6 weeks). Love any roll with avocado in it…… and thank you, as this makes me crave sushi even more now!!! It looks perfect!
I like sushi, avocado is so nice in it with mayo. I am thinking to use pickled radish and add some sesame. But when take out from fridge, the rice always become hard, I don’t like it. Not sure will it be better if I leave it until back to room temperature. 🙂
This is my kind of sushi! Not one for raw fish! Thanks for the tips on making it at home!
Wouldn't have thought to have mixed these but they sound great, going to have to give them a try