Vegetable Maki with Quick Carrot-Daikon Pickles and Shiitakes
Vegetarian and fishy sushi rolls brim with quick carrot-daikon pickles, shiso, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, avocado, cucumber, shiso, and kaiware sprouts.
Prep Time: 40 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 10 minutesminutes
Total: 50 minutesminutes
Servings: 24
Ingredients
For the pickles (Makes 1 pint of pickles, enough for many rolls):
1large or 2 smaller yellow carrots
1large or 2 smaller orange carrots
1large watermelon daikon radish
1small purple (or white)daikon radish
3/4cuprice vinegar
3/4cupboiling water
1Tfine sea salt
1Tsugar
For the shiitake mushrooms:
8ouncesshiitake mushrooms
1-2tablespoonstoasted sesame oil
a splash of mirin (sweet cooking rice wine)
a big pinch of salt
Other fun things to put in vegetarian sushi:
tamago (sweet, cooked egg), sliced
scallion greens, slivered
ripe but firm avocado, sliced
cucumber, sliced
umeboshi (pickled plum) paste
kaiware (daikon radish)or pea sprouts
purple or green shiso leaves
seasoned sushi rice
toasted nori sheets
sesame seeds, for sprinkling
For serving:
wasabi
pickled ginger
tamari or soy sauce
Instructions
Make the pickles:
Peel the vegetables and slice them into thin matchsticks short enough to fit in a pint-sized canning jar. Pack them fairly tightly into the jar; you may not need them all. In a heat-proof measuring cup, stir the boiling water with the sugar and salt to until dissolved. Stir in the rice vinegar. Pour the brine over the vegetables in the jar; you may not need it all. Cover the jar and let the pickles sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to a few days in the refrigerator. To use, pull out a handful, dry on a paper towel, and roll!
Cook the mushrooms:
Place the mushrooms in a colander and rinse briefly under running water (really, it's ok!). Shake dry. Trim off any brown ends and slice them 1/4-inch thick. In a wide skillet, heat the sesame oil until it shimmers. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're soft and golden, adding more oil to the pan if it looks dry. Deglaze with the mirin and taste for seasoning. Let the mushrooms cool a bit before rolling.
Notes
Tamago (sweet omelette) can be found in Japanese markets, or make your own. This recipe makes more than enough pickles for a whole lotta rolls; extras will keep refrigerated for weeks and can be put in salads or sandwiches (I'm thinking bahn mi for the rest of mine!).We used a combination of yellow and orange carrots, purple and watermelon daikon, but feel free to play with any roots you like. They only need to sit for 30 minutes or so to become tangy, or you can make them a few days ahead and let them do their thing in the refrigerator. I've included my favorite sushi fixings below but feel free to mix and match as you like. Get the rice recipe, fish suggestions, and rolling technique over at Snixy Kitchen.Nutritional values are based on one of twenty four servings of pickles and mushroom.