Sushi

Sushi is generally characterized by slightly sweet, sticky rice marinated in sweet vinegar, usually lined with seaweed or kelp, called nori, and with various stuffing which include seafood such as crab meat, vegetables such as cucumber, and fruits such as mangoes. All the ingredients and stuffing are placed in the middle of the rice lined with nori. And the rice and seaweed are then wrapped around the ingredients into a cylindrical roll. Once the sushi is rolled, it can be cut into the familiar circles served in famous restaurants and stores.

Numerous varieties of sushi with just as many different names were part of meal times in Asia. It is generally a healthy dish because it contains almost all the primary sources of nutrients. Rice is a source of carbohydrates, seafood is a source of protein and fats, and fruits and vegetables are sources of vitamins and minerals. Sushi is also a very versatile dish which can be experimented on. We can always add more stuffing as we want to. The possibilities are endless! 

As more and more sushi restaurants and stores pop up all over the country and the world, we will be seeing further combinations and additional recipes about sushi. Eventually people will start preparing their own sushi and it will be on dinner tables regularly and not just when we can make an occasional jaunt to a Japanese restaurant. Here's how you can make your own!

Ingredients:

220g Japanese rice

375g Water

15g Dashi

30g Rice vinegar

15g Sugar

1.25g Salt

3 pcs. Nori sheets

300g cucumber

60g sesame seeds

Procedure:

Rice:

1.) Place rice in a fine colander and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Place rice, water and dashi (or konbu) in a heavy bottomed saucepan mix to dissolve and distribute dashi. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. (Remove konbu)

2.) Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Do not lift lid while rice cooks.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered for 10 minutes.

3.) In a small glass or ceramic bowl, combine vinegar sugar and salt stir until dissolved

4.) Place hot cooked rice large shallow nonmetallic bowl (or food pan covered with plastic wrap) Using a wooden spoon, spread rice evenly in tub. Fold rice, using a cutting rather than stirring motion to separate rice grains.

5.) Make a shallow well in the center of rice. While continuing to fold rice, sprinkle with sushi vinegar.

Continuing to fold rice with cutting action, fan it with a hand held or electric fan until rice cools to room temperature. Cover with a clean damp kitchen towel, then a lid. Do not refrigerate.

Rolls:

1.) Place 1 half sheet of nori, shiny side down, horizontally on a bamboo rolling mat. Wet your hands and pick up a ball of rice slightly smaller than a golf ball. Gently squeeze rice into an oblong shape and put in center of nori sheet. Spread rice evenly over nori, leaving a ¾ inch strip along edge farthest from you.

2.) Sprinkle 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds into rice and arrange 2 cucumber strips along center of rice, lining them up together without leaving any gaps. Set your fingers to hold them in place, lift up edge of mat closest to you and roll mat away from you, evenly and gently pressing on cucumber to keep roll firm.

3.) Continue to roll mat forward and arrange roll seam side down, applying gently pressure. Moisture of sticky rice will seal roll. Use mat to shape roll into a round or square log (a square shape is traditional). 

4.) Remove mat. Cut roll in half crosswise, then cut into 3 equal pieces. Repeat with remaining ingredients

-Emee Chiong