Ingredients
Ingredients for 5-6 nori rolls
(Rice and rolls keep up to 2 days kept cool but not refrigerated)
Sushi rice
500 g white sushi rice
550 ml water for cooking
Yellow Rice
1/8 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon coarse rock salt
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar (or 1/2 teaspoon normal sugar)
1 teaspoon hot water
1/4 part of the cooked rice, about 400 ml (210 g)
Pink Rice
3 tablespoons finely grated red cabbage
Juice of 1/4 lemon
1/4 teaspoon fine seasalt
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar (or 1/2 teaspoon normal sugar)
1/4 part of the cooked rice, about 400 ml (210 g)
Blue rice
2 tablespoons finely grated red cabbage
1/4 teaspoon fine seasalt
A couple of pinches of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1/4 part of the cooked rice, about 400 ml (210 g)
Green rice
1/2 teaspoon matcha powder (ceremonial grade)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar (or 1/2 teaspoon normal sugar)
1/2 teaspoon rice or apple cider vinegar
1/4 part of the cooked rice, about 400 ml (210 g)
Nori Rolls
5-6 sheets of sushi nori
Fruit of your choice, cut in long thin strips
Raw or blanched vegetables, cut in long thin strips
Optional: Pomegranate seeds and dried edible flower petals to decorate
Optional: Speciality salt to finish – I used Icelandic blueberry salt
Optional: Make a simple dipping sauce from freshly pressed orange, a little agave or maple syrup and soy sauce.
Ingredients for one small dinner party, or a gift for 2-3 people, for matcha white chocolate bark
170 g white chocolate
30 g (3 tablespoons) coconut oil, melted (odourless if desired)
1 tsp matcha powder (ceremonial grade)
Optional: Edible gold or silver
Instructions
SUSHI RICE
Place the rice in the pot you will cook it in. Wash the starch off the rice by giving it a good massage in cold water. Drain the water and repeat three times. Drain completely.?
Add water for cooking and soak the rice for a minimum of 20 minutes. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Leave the rice to rest in the pot, lid on, for 10 minutes.
Divide the rice in 4 parts and place each part in a small mixing bowl. Each part will be about 400 ml (210 g).
RICE COLOURINGS
While the rice is cooking, prepare the colourings. You can keep one part white if you like.
Yellow rice:
Grind the saffron, salt and sugar to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar, or use a big wooden spoon on a chopping board if you don’t have a pestle and mortar.?
Add hot water to the powder and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.?
Mix the colouring thoroughly with the rice, taking care not to crush the rice grains too much.?
Pink rice:
Combine the cabbage, lemon and salt.?
Mix the colouring thoroughly with the rice, taking care not to crush the rice grains too much.?
If you want a light pink colour, use half of the cabbage and lemon.
Blue rice:
Combine the cabbage and salt. Mix in the bicarbonate and watch the cabbage turn blue! ?
Mix the colouring thoroughly with the rice, taking care not to crush the rice grains too much.
Since the blue rice has no vinegar to preserve it, I recommend eating it the same day it was made.
Green rice:
Whisk together the matcha, sea salt, sugar and vinegar to a smooth paste.?
Mix the colouring thoroughly with the rice, taking care not to crush the rice grains too much.?
If you want a deeper green, use double the amount of matcha.
NORI ROLLS
If you are new to rolling nori rolls there are plenty of good videos online.
Use a sushi rolling mat or alternatively plastic kitchen wrap or a clean kitchen towel as your work base. Place a nori sheet, glossier side down and neatly aligned on your mat. ?
Use a wet spatula or spoon to cover the bottom half of the nori sheet with an even, thin layer of mixed colour rice. You can try all kinds of things out here to combine the different colours. Use the wet spatula to gently smooth and compact the rice, without pressing down too much.?
Place the fruit / veg strips in the middle.?
Grab your mat, holding onto the nori/rice to stop it sliding. Firmly roll, tucking the rice in while rolling.?
Use wet fingers to dampen, stretch and ‘glue’ the leftover nori flap to the roll.?
Leave the rolls wrapped in greaseproof paper until you are ready to cut / serve.?
To cut, use your sharpest knife. Dip the tip of the knife in water, and the point the knife up, letting a drop of water run along the knife edge.?
Cut the roll with quick saw movements.?
Serve sprinkled with decorations, salt or dipping sauce if desired. ?
MATCHA WHITE CHOCOLATE BARK
Place a small heat-proof bowl inside a small pot filled with a few centimetres of boiling water. Keep the water hot.
Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil in the small bowl.
Place a big greaseproof paper on a flat surface.
When the chocolate is liquid, use about 2/3 to drizzle a square shape on the paper.
Whisk in just a little matcha powder in the remaining chocolate and drizzle some more in the square. Save some.
Whisk in a little more matcha in the last chocolate and drizzle and drop to finish.
Use chopsticks or a toothpick to place the gold or silver.
Allow to harden completely (you can place it in the freezer to set) before smashing in pieces and either treat your guests or take as a gift.
Shiso Delicious
