Hi!
For today’s recipe, we made some KAZARI MAKI or Decorative Japanese Sushi rolls. I enjoyed making this since it’s the first time that I made a vegan version of it. 🥰 I actually attended a sushi school last year and learned the basic way of making these beautiful sushi. It takes a lot of patience and hard work to create a roll of this! Most people who enjoy making it are women. Not generally, but that’s what I observed during our class. That includes my brother whom I attended with, He’s not into this. Weighing and detailed stuffs 😅
For me, these sushi rolls are very enjoyable to make! Once you made it perfectly, you’ll never gonna stop! Especially if you are into arts and decorating.🌸 ✨
This recipe is a step by step process. I think it is more understandable if I explain it through photos. 🥰
Note: If some of the ingredients are not available in your country like the Yukari powder/Perilla seasoning or pickled plum, you can replace it with some beet juice or any other natural food coloring available. 😊
If you are planning to make one of these, please do take a photo of it and tag us on instagram! We are looking forward to see yours! 😍
Hope you’ll enjoy making it as I did! ☺️
First, we need to make a Sushi rice or ”Sumeshi’
VEGAN SUSHI RICE
Ingredients:
Japanese short grain rice- 5cups
Japanese rice vinegar- 125g
Brown sugar- 50g
Salt- 20g
Instructions:
- Cook the rice. Make sure not to put too much water. We put less water in cooking the rice. The water level should be a little bit underneath the line 5.
- In a bowl, mix the brown sugar and salt and add the rice vinegar. Mix with the whisk.
- Once the rice is cooked, put in a large container and add the mixture.
- Mix until well combined. Avoid over mixing or else the rice grains will be crushed resulting sushi rice to be sticky.
- Cover with damp towel.
Note: In this recipe, there might be some leftover rice. But no problem about that! You can keep it in the fridge or eat it while making these rolls like we did because we were too hungry! 😋
ORANGE FLOWER SUSHI ROLL
Ingredients:
Nori sheets- 2pcs
Fresh spinach- 1 pack/ 3-4sprigs
Fresh carrots- 20g
Takuwan/pickled daikon- 20-30g
Sushi Rice- 200g
Instructions:
- Blanch the spinach into salted water for 40seconds until the stems are no longer rigid.
- Ice bath to cool down.
- Squeeze out excess water completely and cut into 10cm.
4. Cut the Nori sheets. You’ll need 2 pieces of nori sheets. Cut 1pc of nori sheets into half. You will only need 1/2 and 1/6. Keep the remaining nori for other purposes. Cut the other piece into 6 equal cuts.
5. Grate the carrots and mix with the 100g of sushi rice. You can either wear a non-stick gloves or you can just use your hands.
6. Portion this into 5. 20g each
7. Now that you completed the petals, Make the center part by rolling the Takuwan or pickled daikon. Use another 1/6 of nori
8. To roll this maki, Attach the 1/2 size of nori and 1/6 nori using a grains of rice.
9. Put 80g of sushi rice spreading evenly without crushing the rice grains.
10. Put the rolled orange rice and also put the blanched spinach in between.
11. On the last part, cover the top part with the remaining 20g of sushi rice evenly and close carefully.
12. Use the bamboo mat to shape the roll evenly.
13. Set aside while preparing the other sushi rolls. It is actually way easier to cut the maki if you leave it aside for a few minutes 😊
14. Cut the roll into 5 pieces. Make sure to use a sharp knife. I used a Yanagiba knife or sushi knife. Also wipe every after cuts to have a clean slices of sushi. 😊
Enjoy! 🥰
PINK FLOWER SUSHI ROLL
Ingredients:
Sushi rice- 200g
Nori sheet- 2pcs
Nori powder- to add color ( 2tsp)
Pink pickled plum or umeboshi- 1pc
Yukari powder/ Perilla leaves powder- just to add color
Instructions:
- Cut the nori sheets. Keep the remaining 1/3 for other purposes.
2. Prepare 80g of sushi rice. Mix in with the pickles plum and Yukari powder. Disregard the seeds 😊
3. Divide this into four equal parts. 20g each.
4. For the leaves, prepare 30g of sushi rice
5. In a bowl, add the nori powder until nicely green in color about 2 tsp.
6. Divide this rice mixture into two parts. 15g each.
7. Using a 1/6 part of nori, roll one portion of pink rice.
8. Now, using a 1/3 part of nori, put the other two portion of pink rice
9. Lastly, put the rolled one on top of it.
10. For the leaves, use 2 pieces of 1/6 size nori
11. On the middle part rice, use a piece of 1/6 size nori and cut into half. Roll 5g of sushi rice in each. You might wonder is the rice really 5g? Yes! it is! 😊
12. Prepare the remaining nori sheets by attaching the 1/2 size and 1/6 together using a grains of rice.
13. Prepare 60g of sushi rice and put in the middle
14. Put the rolled pink flower in the center
15. Prepare the last portion of white rice (20g) for covering the last side
16. Set aside and leave for a few minutes before cutting
Are ready for the last part? Let’s make the Ohinasama sushi rolls. This is like a traditional sushi rolls sometimes made during ”Hinamatsuri” or Girl’s day festival here in Japan celebrating every 3rd of March. I just feel like making it to share with you guys how to make this beautiful sushi roll. It will need a lot of effort and patience. So let’s get started!
OHINASAMA SUSHI ROLL
Ingredients:
Sushi rice- total of 255g
Nori sheet- 2 1/2 pieces
Carrots- 1/2
Gobo/ Burdock root- 1/2 thin type
Boiled spinach- about 10-15g
Ground black sesame seeds- 2tsp (just to add color)
Nori powder- 2tsp ((just to add color)
Yukari powder/perilla powder- 2tsp (just to add color)
Cucumber-for garnish
black sesame seeds- for garnish
Instructions:
- Prepare the carrots by cutting 2x3x10cm.
2. Prepare the gobo or burdock root by peeling the skin. If your burdock is too large, just continue peeling. You can use the peeled gobo by adding it to your soups!
3. Cut the peeled burdock as same as the length of the carrots.
4. Boil the carrots and the burdock in salted water until soft.
5. Cut the nori sheets
6. Prepare the rice
7. Prepare 30g of sushi rice and mix with ground black sesame seeds
8. Prepare 40g of sushi rice and mix with the powdered perilla seasoning or Yukari powder.
9. Prepare another 40g of sushi rice and mix it with the nori powder.
10. Let’s roll the prepared ingredients by rolling with the nori sheets
11. Wrap the boiled carrots with a 1/4 pc of nori
12. Good job! Next, let’s wrap and roll the Perilla rice for the girl’s dress
13. For the boy’s clothes, wrap and roll the green rice with the remaining 1/4 pc of nori.
14. Next step, you’re almost done! Use the nori.3 for wrapping the 2 pieces of burdock and blanched spinach
15. Use the Nori no,2
16. Use the remaining nori attach it together using some grains of sushi rice
17. Let’s make it!
18. For cutting the Kazari maki, you’ll need a sharp knife, a clean damp towel and a mixture of vinegar and water. You can also just use water.
19. Plating and decorating
Hope you’ll try making these too! If you have some questions about this, just comment down below or in our youtube video tutorial! 💚 🥰 Thank you so much for your time!