Kabocha Squash Vegan Tempura Sushi Roll
Crispy, rich, fried squash is the star of this vegan tempura sushi roll, topped with creamy avocado, and contrasted nicely with a crunchy, sour, bright pickled radish. If avocado rolls and cucumber rolls just aren’t doing it for you, it’s time to kick up your vegan sushi game with this homemade, so much better than cucumber, kabocha squash roll. If you’ve never made your own sushi, it’s time to get started! It’s a great way to get creative in the kitchen, a fun way to cook with your family, and a delicious way to incorporated vegetables into your meals.
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How to Make Your Own Sushi
Making great sushi is an art form, but making good sushi is surprisingly easy! It all starts with the rice. Use a short-grained rice- I used Calrose Rice because that was what I had around. Rinse the rice well to remove the excess starch, until the water running off is completely clear. For 1 cup of rice, use 1 1/4 cups of water. Bring the water with the rice to a boil, and cover it and reduce it to a simmer. Once the rice has cooked, transfer it to a mixing bowl and season it. I used seasoned rice vinegar, which is basically rice vinegar with the addition of sugar and salt. You can also use regular rice vinegar, and add about 2 tsp. of sugar and a pinch of salt. 1 cup of dried rice cooks up to be enough for 3 sushi rolls. Let your rice cool completely before using it.
Next, get your hands on some nori. Nori is a type of seaweed- just make sure the nori you buy is advertised as being good for sushi. Nori is also sold as a powder, flakes, or thinner, snacking sheets, none of which will give you a nice roll. You can add any fillings or toppings to your roll, so let’s cover assembly!
On a clean counter or cutting board, but a sheet of nori down so you see it as being in landscape position. Nori often has light lines on it, to tell you where to cut once it’s rolled- you want those lines to be up and down, not side to side. Get your fingers a little wet to prevent the rice from sticking, and then make a thin but even layer of rice on the nori, starting at the bottom and going 2/3-3/4 of the way up. Leave a small strip of nori at the top uncovered. Lay your fillings in the center of the rice, in a line going side to side. Take the nori, and gently but firmly roll the edge closest to you away from you, folding it in on itself. When you get to the end, use a little water on the bare part of nori to close the roll. Place it to the side and repeat, until all your rolls are ready. Use a sharp knife- I usually use a serrated knife, but not everyone agrees on that- to cut your roll into even pieces. Enjoy right away- sushi is best fresh!
Looking for Vegan Japanese-Inspired Recipes? Try one of these!
- Vegan Lion’s Mane Mushroom Sushi
- Swiss Chard Recipe: Ohitashi & Japanese Pickled Stems
- No Rice Sushi with Sweet Potato and Jicama
- Vegan Eddo Recipe- Lemon Thyme Taro Root
- Vegan Daylily Recipe: Simply Sautéed Daylily Shoots
Making Tempura Sushi Roll
I’ve been making sushi for a while now, and it’s pretty darn fun! When you make the sushi rice, you want it to cool down completely before using it (because of that, I’ll often make it a few hours before I plan on eating). The pickled radishes can also be made ahead of time, if you wish, just make them up and stick them in the fridge. You’ll want the tempura to be done as soon as possible before you eat though, because they loose their crispy texture the longer you wait. You’ll also want to wait until the end to cut your avocado, because as we’ve all experienced they can brown pretty fast. So once you’re almost ready to eat, start with the getting the oil up to temperature and get your tempura batter ready. This recipe makes more tempura than you need for the sushi, mostly because I feel like if you’re going to go through the effort of frying you might as well get your times worth. And the extra tempura squash always disappears pretty quickly. Make sure you keep your oil around 325°F, and fry your battered squash for 3-4 minutes. While the kabocha squash is cooking, you can thinly slice the avocado for the tops of the sushi rolls. To assemble the rolls, start by using your fingers to gently spread rice over about 3/4 of a sheet of nori. Make sure your fingers are a little wet to prevent the rice sticking. On the rice make a row of tempura squash and a second of the pickled radish. Keeping it nice and tight, roll it up and use a little water to gently seal it. Top it with the prepared avocado, cut into slices, garish with sprouts and sesame seeds if you like, and eat right away!
Kabocha Squash Vegan Tempura Sushi Roll
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup cold carbonated water
- ¼ medium-sized kabocha squash
- Oil, for frying
- 1 cup short grain sushi rice
- 2 tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar
- 5 small red radishes
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 ½ ripe avocados
- 3 sheets of nori
- Sprouts, for garnish
Instructions
- First prepare the sushi rice. Rinse the rice under cool water, swishing it around, until the water that runs off is clear. Place the rice in a pot with 1 ¼ cups of water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer until fully cooked. Once cooked, mix in the seasoned vinegar, stir to distribute, and set aside to cool fully.
- Next make the radish pickle. Slice the radishes into small batons and mince your garlic. In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup water with the vinegar, sugar, salt, and garlic. Heat gently, until the sugar is dissolved and remove from the heat. Place your chopped radishes in a small jar, and pour the pickling brine over them. Let sit for 30 minutes or longer.
- Next work on your tempura. Peel the skin of the quarter of a kabocha squash, and cut it into sticks about the size of your pointer finger. Heat your oil until it reaches 325°F (160°C). To make your batter, combine the flour, salt, cornstarch, and baking soda. Whisk, and add the carbonated water. Once your oil is at the right temperature, fry your squash in batches. Submerge the squash slices in the batter, and shake off the extra batter before placing in the hot oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes, until crispy and golden. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with the remaining squash.
- To create the avocado topper, cut a ripe avocado in half and gently remove the half from the peel. Thinly slice the avocado the short way across, all the way down the length. Place the avocado on a piece of plastic wrap, and gently push the slices down and apart, so they create a long row with slices that overlap. You will need one half avocado for each of the three rolls. Sprinkle a little lemon juice on them to avoid browning.
- Assemble your sushi by spreading about 1/3 of the prepared rice in a thin layer on a piece of nori- you should cover 2/3-3/4 of the sheet, leaving a small piece of nori uncovered at the end. To the middle of the rice, add a row of the tempered squash. Next to it add a row of the pickled radishes, about as thick as the squash. Roll the sushi away from you, closing the tempura and pickle in the rice. Brush a little water on the end of the nori without rice, and gently but firmly press it to seal the roll closed. Use the plastic wrap to transfer the avocado on top of the roll, gently patting it in place. Cut the sushi roll into pieces, repeat with the two remaining rolls, garnish with sprouts, and serve immediately.
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