Sushi Delights

Sushi making is not that hard a task after all. For a first timer, of course it is hard to roll the vinegar rice with the fillings in it but after few tries , the sushi turned out to be more presentable looking :) Practice makes perfect as the saying goes!

I had a wonderful time making these delicious sushi for the Piggies last Saturday. It was something I enjoyed doing all by myself and the joy derived from making them was unmeasurable. Pior to making them, I got some tips from Gertrude of MyKitchenSnippets when I met up with her in KL , on how to make the vinegar rice and what to add to the rice while cooking it. She took me around the supermart showing me the type of Japanese vinegar to buy and the most important tip, she told to add in the konbu ( a type of japanese kelp ) which gave out a nice fragrance to the rice. Thanks Gert , for taking me around and showing me those stuff for making sushi :)))

While the Piggies were having their afternoon nap, I quickly set out to prepare sushi for their afternoon tea treat. I meant to surprise them and I got them thrilled with these delicious and beautiful sushi . It took me 2.5 hours to get everything done :)

Making the omelette for Omelette Nigiri was fun alright. Patience testing all the way! While the rice was cooking, I set out to make the omelette with my crepe pan. I was pleased with the result coz I managed to make quite a presentable one :P

Sushi Rice ( adapted from Sushi Tales by Roger Wong )

250 gms short grain rice

500 ml water

1 piece 10cm x 10 cm konbu ( kelp) * optional

Seasonings:

20 g fine salt

75 g fine sugar

100 ml Japanese rice vinegar

Method:

1. Mix salt, sugar and vinegar in the pot and simmer over heat till mixture is dissolved. Set aside.

2. Using both hands, wash rice gently for a few times till rice water becomes perfectly clear then drain. Add some water and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain and add 500ml water. Cook for 15 minutes in a rice cooker. When the rice is cooked, let it stand in rice cooker with covered lid for 15 minutes before removing lid.

3. Transfer cooked rice into a wooden rice tub, pour prepared seasonings mixture evenly over sushi rice and stir well with wooden lade . Use a fan to cool the rice for 5 minutes. The rice is ready for use.

** ( I used only 3/4 of the vinegar mixture )

Omelette Nigiri ( adapted from Sushi Tales by Roger Wong)

Ingredients:
1 piece roasted seaweed sheet
400g sushi rice

Omelette

12 eggs
70g sugar
2 tsp salt
40 ml Japanese rice wine (sake)
180 ml fresh milk
1 tbsp cornstarch

Method:
1. Combine all omelette ingredients and bet evenly.

2. Heat up some oil in a square pan. Swirl the pan to ensure the whole pan is glazed with oil. Pour in about 90 ml of omelette mixture and cook over medium heat till 90% done. Fold it up to the side with a thickness of about 6cm using chopsticks.

3. Heat up some oil again on the empty part of the pan and add more omelette mixture. Lift up the omelette slightly at the side to allow the newly added omelette mixture to flow underneath. Cook till 90% done then fold it up again and set it on top of the previous omelette.

4. Repeat the steps until all omelette mixture is used up. Square omelette with a wooden block and remove. Leave to cool.

Cut omelette into 20 slices. Cut roasted seaweed sheet into 20 strips of size 10.25cm X 1 cm
Mould sushi rice into 20 rice balls. Place a sushi rice ball on top of each slice of omelette and press each rice ball into rectangular shape. Flip over and press a few more times till omelette is secured to the sushi rice. Wrap rice ball with a roasted seaweed strip and serve.

This Maki Zushi was quite difficult to roll for beginner

like me at first :)but after few tries it was not that hard to roll at all.

fillings : avocado, zuchinni and ready made seasoned octopus

These are the not so presentable Maki -Zushi :P

These are the futomaki-Zushi which did not turned out well..

my first sushi roll :(
fillings: squids and zuchinni and omelette

That is the Inari-Zushi ( Beancurd Bag Sushi) on the right

fillings: sushi rice and topped with seasoned octopus & chopped avocado

These are Octopus Gunkan-Zushi , finger pressed sushi

is the easiest to make and Oiishi no doubt!

My Piggies were thrilled to bits when they saw these on the table, all ready for them to devour when they woke up from their nap. Daddy prepared the wasabi for us. We had a wonderful homemade sushi treat for our afternoon tea! I was amazed that I could get all these done in 2.5 hours and to my utter disbelieve that we chomped down the lot in just 20 minutes!!! Dessert was Green Tea Ice Cream...huh I wished my mom had made all this for me when I was young and pampered me too like how I pampered my Piggies :P

To my Piggies : Remember to count your blessings always! :P :))))

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