Sushi Inspired Nori Rolls With Black Rice
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I love black rice and I love sushi. Using black rice in these sushi inspired nori rolls just makes sense! Have you tried forbidden black rice? It is actually more purple than black. In addition to being a really healthy addition to these rolls (it is full of protein, fiber and antioxidants), it adds a nice burst of color to any meal.
Preparing The Rice:
I like to use a 1:1 ratio of forbidden black rice to regular sushi rice. The forbidden rice is less glutinous so the stickiness of the sushi rice helps to hold everything together. Combine the rice (measurements are included in the recipe below) with twice as much water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered for an additional 10 minutes before moving it to the fridge to cool before using.
Preparing the Nori Rolls:
This is not a traditional Sushi recipe by any means. Making Sushi is truly an art and these simple nori rolls don’t aim to compare to that. My goal here was to create something healthy, delicious and simple to make.
When it comes to vegetables to put in these rolls, the world truly is your oyster. You can use whatever you like and have on hand! You can use just about any raw, thinly sliced vegetables. This time, I chose to use cucumbers, beets and carrots. Avocado is always a great addition, as is air fried or baked tempeh strips, sweet potatoes or daikon radish.
I use a mandoline to thinly slice the vegetables (this is the one I have). You can also use a sharp knife.
Place the nori sheet on a flat surface, shiny side down. On the edge nearest to you, place approximately 1/3 cup of the cooked and cooled rice. Use a spoon or your hand to flatten the rice. In the center of the flattened rice, place some of the thinly sliced vegetables. The picture below will give you a clear idea of what this should look like.
Once you have the rice and veggies on the nori, you are ready to roll it up! Water is going to help with rolling. It makes the nori more flexible and helps to seal everything together. I keep a small bowl of water nearby when I’m making these. Using a brush or your hand, wet the exposed nori. You don’t want to soak it. Use just enough water to make it flexible. Then, starting with the edge closest to you (where the rice is), ROLL! When you are finished and have your roll, you may find that you need to put a little more water on to seal the edges.
Once you’ve made the rolls, slice them to your preferred size with a very sharp knife. For a dipping sauce, I like to mix coconut aminos with a little toasted sesame oil (recipe below). If you wish to avoid oil, coconut aminos alone are great. Feel free to top your rolls with pickled ginger and add in some wasabi for extra kick.
There is a lot of flexibility to make this recipe your own. I’d love to see what vegetable combinations you come up with for your rolls! Leave a comment here or tag me on Instagram @theveganicpanic
Sushi Inspired Nori Rolls with Forbidden Black Rice
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 1/2 cup sushi rice
- 1/2 cup forbidden black rice
- 2 cups water
For the dipping sauce:
- 3 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
For the nori rolls:
- 8 sheets nori
- 2 cups thinly chopped vegetables (cucumber, carrots, beets, etc)
Instructions
- Combine the rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and leave covered for an additional 10 minutes before moving it to the fridge to cool before using.
- Using a sharp knive or mandoline, slice the vegetables into thin slices.
- Place a nori sheet on a flat surface, shiny side down. On the edge nearest to you, place approximately 1/3 cup of the cooked and cooled rice. Use a spoon or your hand to flatten the rice. In the center of the flattened rice, place some of the thinly sliced vegetables.
- Using a brush or your hand, wet the exposed nori with water. You don't want to soak it. Use just enough water to make it flexible.
- Starting at the edge closest to you (where the rice and veggies are), roll! More detailed instructions and photos in the blog post will help with this process.
- After you have your roll, you may find that you need to add a little more water to seal the edges.
- Slice the rolls to your preferred thickness using a very sharp knife.
- For a dipping sauce, combine the coconut aminos and toasted sesame oil. For an oil free sauce, omit the sesame oil.