Vegetarian California Rolls: The Recipe In Pictures

For sushi lovers and for those who don't like raw fish, for those who want to eat like in L.A. and for those who don't want to eat animal proteins anymore, here is an easy recipe for vegetarian california rolls. This specialty, which has become a staple in Japanese restaurants, is easier to prepare than you might think.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients needed to make vegetarian california rolls for 4 people:

240 g sushi or risotto rice
8 cl of rice vinegar
2 level teaspoons of salt
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
4 sheets of nori seaweed
sesame seeds
2 ripe avocados
1 carrot
1 cucumber
soy sauce for the side dish

Cooking rice

As with all homemade sushi recipes, the most delicate step in making vegetarian california rolls is cooking the rice.

1- Rinse the rice in a colander until the water runs clear.

2- Let it soak in cold water for 15 minutes.

3- Rinse the rice again then put it in a pot with water to the top and bring to a boil.

Copyright: Audrey Vautherot

4- When the water boils, leave the pan on medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes, then cover and cook on very low heat for 12 minutes.

Note:watch the cooking and stir the rice often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If your heat is too high, you may need to add a little more hot water as it cooks.

Preparation of the seasoning

Once the rice is cooked, it should be seasoned with a vinegar, salt and sugar based sauce before using it to assemble the vegetarian california rolls.

1- Heat the rice vinegar, then add the salt and sugar.

2- Mix well to dissolve them completely.

Copyright: Audrey Vautherot

3- Pour the still warm rice into a salad bowl and add the vinegar.

4- Mix with a wooden spoon and let it cool at room temperature. Do not put the rice in the refrigerator.

Preparation of the filling

While the rice cools to room temperature, prepare the filling for your vegetarian california rolls.

1- Peel the carrot and cut it into thin sticks.

2- Peel the cucumber and quarter it to remove the seeds. Cut the quarters into sticks about 0.5 cm wide.

3- Pit the avocados, carefully remove their skin and cut the avocado halves into strips.

Assembly of the california rolls

To prepare vegetarian california rolls, you need a special bamboo mat.

1- Cover the bamboo mat with cling film before starting to assemble the california rolls.

Copyright : Audrey Vautherot

2- On another clean surface like a cutting board, lay the nori seaweed with the rough side of the seaweed facing you.

3- Cover the seaweed with a layer of cooked rice and use the palm of your wet hands to even out the rice and make an even layer.

Copyright: Audrey Vautherot

4- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and then turn the nori seaweed over on your sushi mat, so that the rice is in contact with the cling film.

5- Leaving a margin of about 2.5 cm from the edge of the seaweed, arrange the vegetable filling along the length of the nori sheet. Start with the cucumber sticks, then the thin carrot sticks and finally the avocado slices.

Copyright: Audrey Vautherot

6- Using the mat and holding the filling on the sides with your hands, roll the california rolls: press the roll firmly with each turn, still using the mat and making sure to peel off the cling film as you go.

Copyright : Audrey Vautherot

7- Transfer the resulting roll to a cutting board and cut it into 8 equal slices using a wet, sharp knife.

Copyright: Audrey Vautherot

To note: this recipe makes 32 vegetarian california rolls, or 8 sushi per person.

8- Serve them with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.