California Sushi Rolls

D loves sushi. I don't mind California rolls once in a while. So, we end up making a few for him with seafood, and a few for me and Ana with avocado, cucumber, and carrots.

The process is really simple, but takes a bit of practice. Five years ago, a library book I borrowed helped me learn the technique, but, there are quite a few good websites with pictures and videos that show the process nowadays.

Urumaki is a reverse sushi roll where the rice is on the outside and Nori on the inside. I like Hosomaki, which is a thin roll of just a few ingredients, with Nori on the outside. And, since I am not really a seafood fan, I skip all the traditional fillings and go with a few trusted veggies like cucumber, avocado, carrot, red bell pepper, daikon radish, small round red radish and such.

Uwajimaya is one of my favorite stores from where we get nori, sushi rice, wasabi and other Asian ingredients when possible. But, most Asian stores these days seem to carry the basic sushi necessities like bamboo sushi mat, nori, sushi rice, sushi vinegar etc.



Ingredients
2 cups sushi rice cooked per directions
2-4 Nori (seaweed) sheets
sushi vinegar
lemon juice
soy sauce
pickled ginger
wasabi (optional)
salt to taste
toasted sesame seeds for garnish
bamboo sushi mat
some plastic wrap

filling:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced thin
1 medium carrot cut into thin sticks
pickled ginger (optional)
imitation crab, if using

Preparation

1. Mix just enough sushi vinegar to cooked sushi rice, hot off the stove, till just wet but not soggy; then lay the rice out on a cookie sheet or large plate to cool; this helps develop a nice sheen on the rice as well; keep it covered till ready to use
2. Drizzle some lemon juice and sprinkle some salt on the veggies and have them handy before starting to roll
3. Many websites show clearly how to roll sushi, so, am deferring to them for good pictures and explanation
4. Lay the bamboo sushi mat on a flat surface, lay a plastic wrap on the mat, then a sheet of Nori, then spread some sushi rice, arrange the veggies at the end closest to you, taking care not to pile on too much
5. Start rolling it tight into a log, pulling the mat towards you as you roll away
6. Take it out of the mat, keep the rolled sushi log in the plastic wrap till ready to cut and serve
7. sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds before serving the sushi

Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, Tsukuri Jyouyu - soy sauce with mirin and kombu, or other dipping sauces to suit your taste.

Nigiri-zushi: Sushi mini logs

Not liking raw fish or much of sea food, I feel constantly challenged about making Sushi. I guess I love the combination of rice and vinegar, and the whole idea of putting together a quick and filling meal, with fresh ingredients for the toppings.


Ingredients
for the rice balls/logs:
1 cup raw sushi rice
1-2 Tbsp sushi vinegar

for the marinated toppings
1/2 medium cucumber seeded and diced
1 medium firm tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 medium red onion diced finely
1 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp sushi vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil

for garnish:
1-2 cups pan-fried tofu cubes, the more the better:-)

Preparation

1. cook the sushi rice per package directions, remove from heat, stir in the sushi vinegar and spread it out on a flat plate or cookie sheet to cool, preferably in front of a fan
2. marinate the diced vegetables in the mirin+sushi vinegar+sesame oil 'vinaigrette' for about 5 to 10 mins ;dicing and marinating the veggies can be done right after starting to cook the rice; you can add tomatoes, yellow bell peppers or any other veggies you like for the topping
   
3. to pan fry the tofu: dice the required amount of tofu into smallish cubes; heat about 1 Tbsp oil in a non-stick pan, add the tofu cubes and let them sit on medium heat; add some flavoring like black bean and garlic paste, or just soy sauce to the pan and toss the tofu cubes well; keep turning the tofu cubes till all sides seem coated with flavoring condiments and fried
   
4. when sushi rice is cool enough to handle, hand shape them into oblong clumps (nigiri-zushi) or use a mold for the same
5. lay the nigiri-zushi on a serving platter, top with marinated vegetables, and garnish with pan-fried tofu cubes
6. serve warm or cold; i usually like hot miso soup as a starter when serving this dish warm
7. if you have avacado handy, sushi tower should be fun to do as well :-)