PLANT-BASED EASTER

PLANT-BASED EASTER

Pink, Green and White Sushi Rice Balls

By Shisodelicious

I’m yet to find someone who doesn’t love rice balls! Colouring the rice in soft spring colours and serving them with flavourful dipping sauces make these even more fun and a perfect addition to a festive spread. If you prefer, you can leave out the vinegar and sugar - which give these a sushi flavour - and just use the colouring part with a few drops of water to mix with the rice.

Ingredients

  • Rice

    - 320g (1 ½ cup) white sushi rice

    - 460ml (just under 2 cups) water, to cook

  • Coloured sushi seasoning

    - Per ⅓ part rice:

    - 1 tbsp apple cider or rice vinegar

    - ½ tsp caster sugar

    - A generous pinch of fine sea salt

    Per each ⅓ part rice, either of:

    - 1/4 tsp beetroot juice (from fresh, grated beetroot)

    - 1/4 tsp matcha tea powder*

    *option to use a little spirulina, wheatgrass or other green powder, but the green colour will differ and may add a different flavour.

Method

Start by cooking the rice:

Wash the grains with cold water directly in your cooking pot. Use your fingers to rub off as much of the cloudy starch as possible.

Discard the water and repeat twice.

Drain completely then add the measured water for cooking.

Cover with a lid and bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and, without removing the lid, leave to rest for 5 minutes.

While the rice cooks, prepare your coloured sushi seasoning:

Use 3 bowls, each one roomy enough to mix the rice in later.

In each bowl, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, ½ teaspoon sugar and a generous pinch of sea salt, whisk to mix.

In each bowl, add either one of the colourings. Leave one bowl plain for white rice.

To make beet juice, finely grate a small piece of beetroot and squeeze it to extract a few drops of juice. You don’t need much - the more juice, the deeper the pink.

For the matcha, press the powder through a tea strainer/sieve then whisk it into the vinegar mixture.

Mix and shape the sushi rice:

While the rice is still steaming hot, part it in 3 and add each part to one each of the bowls with the coloured sushi seasoning. Mix gently but thoroughly, folding and lifting the rice to incorporate all the coloured seasoning, while letting the hot rice evaporate the vinegar. Try not to mash the rice too much.

Once the rice has cooled, dampen your clean hands with a little water to stop the rice from sticking then shape a generous spoonful at a time into a ball. Press to make it firm enough to hold when picked up.

Arrange on a platter and serve with dipping sauce.

  • Dipping Sauces

    Vegan Sriracha mayo is delicious for dipping these sushi balls in, or here are some sauce ideas.

  • Wasabi Mayo

    2 tbsp vegan mayo

    1 tsp wasabi paste

    1/4 tsp matcha powder

     

    Mix the matcha powder with a tiny  amount of mayo, pressing it with the back of a teaspoon until you have an uniform vibrant green paste. Mix this paste with the rest of the mayo and the wasabi.

  • Miso Sauce

    1 tbsp miso paste

    1 tsp toasted sesame oil

    1/2 tsp agave or maple syrup

    1 tsp warm water

    ½ tsp finely grated ginger (optional)

    Gently stir all of the ingredients together, adding the warm water last in increments, adding more if needed to loosen.