Vegetarian Sushi

Wasabi is the best thing ever. The burn that runs up your nose, the tingle that continues up into your eyes, the tears that form against your will, flowing down your cheeks in the fit of emotion that comes only from tasting the most delicious flavor in the world. I want to eat wasabi every day, but the only thing that deserves to be anointed by its special spice is sushi.

Like many white girls who wear glasses, sushi is one of my favorite foods. Like many people who only work a part-time job, sushi does not fit in my budget. After a trip to a fancy market that has those wooden sushi mats, I knew it was time to make my own. After this experience, I highly recommend you make your own as well. There are endless combinations to try, vegetables to hide under layers of sweet and sticky rice. Don’t be intimidated by the process. Your sushi might not turn out beautiful, but it will taste awesome.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Seaweed (nori)
• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Carrots
• Red pepper
• Soy sauce
• Wasabi

This is the rice I bought at a fancy market for $8.00. Can anyone confirm that they are taking me for all I’ve got? Next time I’ll order from Amazon.

I followed the directions on the package. I brought 1 cup of rice with 1.25 cups of water to a boil, then put the lid on. I turned the heat down to low and cooked it for 20 minutes. After that, I took the rice off the heat but left the lid on for another 10 minutes.

And it came out well! The rice just flopped out when I turned the pot over.

To season the rice aka make it delicious, heat up the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar either on the stove or in the microwave. I’ve tried both and they work equally well, you just need them to combine.

Stir that mixture into the rice, and let the it cool at room temperature.

Slice up your veg in preparation. I chose these mostly for their color. Obvs av (obviously avocado) needs to be in every roll.

Alright, time to make some sushi. Put a layer of plastic wrap on the roller thing.

Put a large amount of rice on the plastic in the approximate shape of the seaweed.

Press the seaweed into the rice. Add your vegetables in the center.

And roll it up. This is really hard to explain via writing, but you just want to gently form a roll, making sure there isn’t too much excess space in the middle.

And here is the massive sushi roll. Cutting this was challenging. I recommend using a serrated knife and being as gentle as possible.

Pretty!

On my second try I used half of the sheet of seaweed, which is actually what you’re supposed to do. Rolling this was easier; i actually took the mat in both hands and forced the two ends together.

A normal sized roll! Try sprinkling some sesame seeds on there, it’s super delicious.

Enjoy!

P.S.

I was scrambling to finish these sushi rolls in time to take pictures. This is how dark it was when I finished, but luckily I had just enough natural light.

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