A TABLE FOR 1
by Lana Almulla
Hosomaki
GF DF V
Sushi (すし) is the Japanese preparation and serving of cooked vinegared rice (鮨飯 sushi-meshi) combined with varied ingredients chiefly seafood, vegetables, meat (usually fish), and occasionally tropical fruits. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the key ingredient in all cases is the rice, also referred to as shari (しゃり) or sumeshi (酢飯).
Sushi can be prepared with either brown or white rice. It is often prepared with raw seafood, but some common varieties of sushi use cooked ingredients, and many other sorts are vegetarian. Here I have chosen vegetables as a filling and brown rice for something a little more wholesome. Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate meaning it won't spike your blood sugar levels and instead will give you steady, slow releasing energy throughout the day. Brown rice is also a great source of fibre helping healthy bowel movements. Soaking your grains overnight with a tbsp of vinegar or lemon, helps to remove phytates - an anti nutrient commonly found in grains.
Sushi is often served with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. Daikon radish is popular as a garnish.
Sushi is often confused with sashimi, a related Japanese dish consisted of thinly sliced raw meat or fish and an optional serving of rice. Hosomaki (細巻, "thin rolls") is a small cylindrical piece, with nori on the outside. A typical hosomaki has a diameter of about two and a half centimeters (1 inch). They generally contain only one filling, often tuna, cucumber, kanpyō, thinly sliced carrots, or, more recently, avocado. Yum my favourite! Feel free to play around with whatever suits you.
Ingredients
Time: 2hrs
Serves: 2-4
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bamboo sushi rolling mat
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nori sheets
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wasabi for dipping
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tamari for dipping
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pickled ginger optional
For the sushi rice:
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2 cups of brown sushi rice
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5 cups of water
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1/4 cup of rice vinegar
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1tbsp coconut sugar
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1tsp sea salt
Fillings:
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anything you like, I used cucumber with furikake (a sesame seed mix), avocado, pickled plum, and marinated mushrooms which were raw mushrooms thinly slices marinated in tamari and garlic.
Directions
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Soak the rice overnight or for 5 hours with a tbsp of vinegar or lemon.
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After the rice has been soaked wash the rice with cold water several times until the water starts to look clear.
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Place the rice in a pot with the 5 cups of water and sea salt and bring to boil.
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Once the water starts boiling turn the heat to very low and cover with a lid until the rice has absorbed all the water (usually 45 minutes)
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Take the nori sheet and cut in half. Once the rice has cooked, let it cool down. Take a bowl of water, this will be to dip your hands and knife in to prevent the rice from sticking.
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Take the nori sheet and lay it horizontally.
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Wet your hands in the bowl of water, Grab a ball of rice and press it onto the nori sheet leaving about an inch free.
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Take the filling and add it to the middle of the rice laying it horizontally across.
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Grabbing the bamboo mat, gently lift it using your middle fingers to keep the filling in place and roll it over.
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Give it a gentle squeeze to help compress the sushi roll and roll the bamboo mat one more time to make sure everything is in place.
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It can be tricky the first few times so practice is everything. Watching videos on youtube really helps and this one is awesome: How to make Hosomaki