Forbidden Rice Sushi
I ADORE sushis!! However, what I’m less in love with is all the white rice that typically comes with them, as it is not a whole food.
It is full of empty calories and has no real nutritional value. This means that it would take quite a lot of sushis before you feel full, and so we end up eating more than we should… and we get hungry faster afterwards, which is far from ideal.
I know that brown rice sushis are not very popular due to the pronounced taste of brown rice, as it hides the other subtle taste of the sushi fillings. Also, brown rice is not sticky and makes it quite hard to make sushi that holds together if you are not an expert in the field.
I discovered the existence of forbidden sushi only a short while ago. It also goes under the names purple rice and black rice. In Québec, we have another type of black rice which is wild rice, but it is very different from the one I am writing about. Wild rice is very hard and not sticky at all. Purple rice is an ancient asian whole grain that is naturally EXTREMELY sticky and that tastes very subtle, and also a little sweet :). It is truly delicious.
I therefore present you a WFPB solution to all your sushi cravings :)! No compromise (neither taste-wise nor texture-wise). I would even venture and say it is actually better than sushi rice !!
HOW TO PREPARE WFPB SUSHI
1- SUSHI RICE
You simply need to cook rice while respecting the following proportions:
On a stovetop, 1 rice: 2 water.
In an Instant Pot, 1 rice: 1 water.
For the Instant Pot version, pressure cook on high for 18 minutes.
Then, for every cup or rice (before cooking), add 2 tbsp or rice vinegar (or more to taste).
Let it cool before prepping the sushi. Rice is easier to spread on the nori when cold, but do not worry if it is not completely cool when you spread it, as your fruit and vegetables do not need to stay as cool as fish. It won’t go bad :). I like to speed up the cooling process by putting thin layers of cooked rice on several plates and popping them in the freezer (or outside if you are in the winter time in a colder climate).
2- FILLINGS
Prepare fillings while rice is cooking.
In the picture I took, I had prepared:
Spring onions, julienned
carrots, julienned
cucumber, julienned
mango, julienned
avocado, julienned
Cilantro, finely chopped
Your only limit is your imagination!
3- FORM ROLLS
Then, all that’s left is assembling the sushi rolls :).
1- Prepare a bowl of water to dip your hands into so that the rice does not stick to them (or sticks less).
2- Preparer nori sheets.
3- On a sushi rolling mat, put a nori sheet.
4- Spread 1/2- 1 cup rice on it. Leave about 3 cm (1 1/2”) free at the top and the bottom of the nori sheet. Press on the rice well.
5- Put in desired quantity of fillings.
6- Roll up the sushi by spreading a little bit of water on both ends of the nori sheet you left empty. Start by rolling the end of the nori sheet of your choice into the center of the sushi roll. The other end of the nori sheet should form the outer layer of the sushi and the water you put on it should suffice to seal the roll. Roll the sushi mat around your sushi and tighten it as mush as you can by squishing it gently.
7- Release and store the sushi roll in a fridge until ready to cut sushi pieces. It is easier to cut when cold.
4- CUT SUSHI PIECES
Use a sharp knife. Dunk it in a glass of water between each cut (keeps things from sticking). Begin by cutting in the middle on the roll, then, cut the in the center of each half, and cut in half one last time. Each roll should give out 8 sushi pieces. 😃
And voilà!
I wish you all the happiness in the world,
Marie-Chose