Homemade Sushi

Tags

avocado, Bell pepper, claras corner, holiday recipes, homemade sushi, naija blog, Nigerian food blog, Seaweed, Sushi

Hello my people!

Lol, what’s that right? I have no  clue too :-D.

Before typing this post, I made a quick dash to Oyingbo for some last minute Christmas shopping. Too early right? Well the truth is after this weekend prices of foods will start reflecting Christmas…funny how abroad prices crash, here in Niguria (according to Chigurl), prices tripple.

I planned to buy ingredients for Oha soup because this is its season but who was I kidding? I ended up buying ingredients for a soup I didn’t plan for..:-(, I couldn’t help my self! As I passed the women selling food stuffs, the minions in my brain were working overtime mixing and interpreting different dishes in my head! “That dry fish will be good for yam porridge”, “that bitter leaf is awfully fresh”, “it’s been a while since we ate okra…and they are so freshhhh…see the size of those periwinkles!” “But l’m not making Afang” I argued-“I bet fresh periwinkles in thier shells, fresh okra combined with Uziza leaf, Ugu and smoked fish will be an awesome dish” the minions said…. I gave up, made a U-turn and bought the ingredients.  How was I to win such an argument?  Strangely they all went silent as soon as my money was down to N500, naughty creatures Lol!….but what would I do without the voice in my head telling me how to combine ingredients and what best goes with what? Nothing I guess, so minions I thank you!

Moving on. 🙂

Todays recipe is one most of us are used to eating in restaurants, but you know Clara’s Corner is about adding variety to home cooking so here we go! Include this as a finger food the next time you have guests over.

This is a very simple Sushi and not too expensive because I used fish I had at home instead of smoked salmon. I found seaweed in a supermarket near my area and all I could think about was sushi :-). They sell mostly organic foods, great place to shop if you are on a special diet. They have quinoa, rice cakes, agave nectar, seaweed and almond milk amongst others in abundance.

Ideally, large seaweed sheets are used for sushi, I don’t know where else they are sold in Lagos so I made do with the mini sheets from the health shop.

Let’s dig in!

Ingredients : Serves 2

1/2 pack roasted seaweed

1 cup Jasmine rice

2 cups water

1 fish fillet (your choice)

1/4 ripe medium avocado

1/4 medium sized cucumber

4-5 sprigs spring onions

8 thin slices orange bell pepper *optional (used leftover ftom the Pizza recipe)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dipping sauce:

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

Method:

Wash rice under running water until water is clear. Boil with 2 cups of water.

Once rice is cooked scoop half of it into a wide bowl, save the other half for eating anothef time.

In a small saucepan  mix the rice vinegar,  sugar and half the salt over low heat. Keep stirring, once the sugar and salt melts, turn off heat.

Pour the vinegar mixture over the rice and mix gently using a fork.

Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Spice shrimps and fish with white pepper and salt, place in a small bowl over bowling water and steam for 5 minutes.

Wash and cut vegetables into thin strips.

On a clean dry surface place a long strip of cling film (or bamboo rolling mat if you have one).

Place double sheet of seaweed on it and with clean damp hands press rice on top of the seaweed.

Arrange in the centre a strip of each filling ingredient – fish, spring onions, avocado and orange bell pepper.

Roll away from you by lifting the cling film.

Take another double sheet of seaweed and wrap around it dipping your fingers in water and rubbing on the edges to seal it.

Alternatively place a double sheet of seaweed like the first one the place another set at the edge to elongate it.

Place the fillings like in the first one and roll.

Dip your forefinger in water and rub on the edge to seal it.

The sushi roll should look like this.

Slice the sushi in half careful not to spill the contents.

You can also turn the seaweed upside down after pasting the rice on it, then place the filling directly on the seaweed before rolling.

Sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on it after slicing.

You can make another variety by placing rice, avocado and shrimps on the seaweed without rolling.

I didn’t bother trimming the ends of the sushi since it’s homemade and perfection isn’t necessary.

Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce together.

Enjoy!

Azu :-).

Tips: water wasn’t used to dampen the  seaweed because it absorbs the moisture from the rice and goes soft on its own, the only time water is used on the seaweed is when the ends needs to be closed off.