Makes 4 rolls
These sweet potato shiitake sushi rolls are the kind of combo that makes you keep popping roll after roll into your mouth. The sweet potato gets mashed with sesame oil into something creamy and subtly sweet, and the shiitake mushrooms are simmered in soy sauce and mirin until savory and tender, with that perfumed, wine-like quality that mirin brings. Ethereal is the only word for it. The creamy yam against the meaty shiitake is what makes this roll stand out from a basic sweet potato roll. These vegan sushi rolls will definitely impress anyone.
There are a few steps to making nori rolls and the rolling itself has a small learning curve. Your first roll might not be perfect. It will still taste great. By roll number four you’ll feel like a pro.
Making a sushi spread? These rolls are great alongside the Spicy Tempeh Sushi Rolls and the Avocado Peanut Sushi Rolls — all three use the same rice recipe.
Photo by Kate Lewis
What You Need to Roll Vegan Sushi
A bamboo sushi rolling mat is the one non-negotiable. You can find one at Asian grocery stores, kitchen stores, or online for just a few dollars. Everything else you probably already have:
A large glass or ceramic bowl for the rice. Metal can react with the vinegar.
A wooden spoon or rice paddle for folding the rice.
A very sharp serrated knife for slicing. A dull knife will smash the rolls instead of cutting them cleanly.
A small shallow cup for the vinegar water you’ll keep at your workstation.
Plastic wrap if you want to make inside-out rolls.
That’s it. Now let’s make rice.
Perfect Sushi Rice And You
The rice is the foundation of everything, so let’s get this right. Use sushi rice, not regular white rice. It has the right starch content to hold together when rolled. The vinegar seasoning is what gives sushi rice its characteristic flavor. Use brown rice vinegar for the perfect flavor, and season the rice while it’s still hot so it absorbs properly.
The rice should be slightly warm when you work with it, never cold. Cold rice is stiff and hard to spread and will crack when you roll. Make the rice right before you roll. Sushi rice waits for no one.
This is How We Roll Vegan Sushi
Moisten your hands with the vinegar water before handling the rice so it doesn’t stick. Scoop a scant 1 cup of rice, pat it gently together, and spread it onto the bottom two thirds of the nori sheet in a layer less than a third of an inch thick, all the way to the edges. Less filling is easier to roll than more. You’ll figure out your sweet spot.
Roll from the rice end, keeping your grip firm. When you reach the bare nori at the top, pat it with a little vinegar water to seal. Press the roll gently to seal it all up, then slice with a very sharp serrated knife into 1-inch pieces. You’ve got this.
If you want to roast the nori first for extra flavor, hold each sheet with tongs over a gas flame for 2 to 3 seconds. Not essential but very good.
How to Make Inside-Out Sushi Rolls (And Brag About It)
Impress your friends with rice on the outside! Spread the rice as usual on the nori. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Now we are going to flip it. Slide your hand underneath the bamboo mat, rest your other hand on top of the plastic wrap, and in one quick motion flip everything upside down. Remove the mat from underneath and place it on your counter. Put the nori and rice plastic wrap side down on the mat. Add your fillings on the nori side, roll using the mat to press firmly, peeling away the plastic wrap as you go. Once rolled, coat the outside of the inside-out roll by rolling it in sesame seeds for the full effect.
Where to Find Sushi Ingredients
Brown rice vinegar, sushi rice, nori, and black sesame seeds are available at Japanese or Asian grocery stores or in the ethnic foods aisle of most larger grocery stores. If you can find Japanese or Korean Sweet Potatoes, grab them! But really, any sweet potato will do. Make sure your shiitakes are nice and big for this, or grab a few extra.
This recipe originally appeared in Veganomicon. They were called Yamroom Rolls 🙂
Make It A Sushi Party!
Sweet Potato Shiitake Sushi Rolls
Ingredients
For the sushi rice:
- 1 cup sushi rice
- 2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar plus 1 tablespoon for rolling
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Generous pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 1 small Japanese or Korean yam or sweet potato peeled, chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 4 to 5 large shiitake mushrooms stems removed
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For assembly:
- 4 sheets nori
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
To serve:
- Soy sauce
- Wasabi
- Pickled ginger
Instructions
- Combine the rice with 1 1/4 cups cold water in a heavy-bottomed pot with a lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir once, then lower heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 to 22 minutes until the rice is completely tender and all the liquid is absorbed.
- Empty the hot rice into a large glass or ceramic bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, the sugar, and salt. Fold gently with a wooden spoon or rice paddle until the vinegar is absorbed. Taste. It should have a mild, seasoned vinegar flavor with a hint of sweetness. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside. Rice should still be slightly warm when you use it.
- While the rice cooks, place the chopped yam in a small pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes until completely tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Mash with the sesame oil until smooth but still a little textured. Set aside.
- Place the shiitake mushrooms in a small saucepan with the 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, and mirin. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and have absorbed most of the liquid. Let cool slightly then slice into strips.
- In a small shallow cup, combine 1/3 cup water and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Keep near your workstation.
- Place a nori sheet on the bamboo mat. Moisten your hands with the vinegar water, scoop a scant 1 cup of rice, pat it gently together, and spread it onto the bottom two thirds of the nori sheet in a layer less than a third of an inch thick, all the way to the edges. Spread about 2 tablespoons of mashed yam across the center of the rice and layer the mushroom strips on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Roll from the rice end, keeping a firm grip. When you reach the bare nori, pat with a little vinegar water to seal. Press gently to seal the whole roll. Slice into 1-inch pieces with a very sharp serrated knife.
typo: Sprinkle with about rice vinegar and 1 sugar.
That sounds amazing! Do you have any suggestions for what to substitute for the mushrooms? I’d like to try this recipe with her, but my daughter won’t eat mushrooms.
How about crushed Chick-o-Sticks or crystallized ginger for something sweet and crunchy? For savory, blanched green beans tossed in a little tamari.
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