Independence Day food doesn't have to necessarily be only desi fare. Why not go fancy and opt for the unusual -- like a tricolour meal for two of sushi?

Tricolour Sushi by Chef Naveen Joshi is festive, light and easy to digest. Sushi is meant to accompanied by tiny portions of pickled ginger, wasabi paste and soy sauce.

The rang comes from carrots=saffron, cucumber and avocado=green and sticky rice=white, to bring out the desh bhakt in you.

Chef Joshi worked as an executive chef under well-known television food guru Sanjeev Kapoor for seven years, before he embarked on his own culinary journey working with other restaurants.

Tricolour Sushi

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tbsp sushi rice, unboiled
• 100 gm avocado, peeled, de-seeded, cut into cubes
• 100 gm carrot, peeled, cut into thin, long slices
• 50 gm cucumber, cut into thin, long slices
• 3½ tbsp sushi vinegar, available online or in gourmet grocery stores
• ½ tbsp mirin or rice wine, available online or in gourmet stores
• ½ tbsp sugar
• ½ tbsp pickled ginger, available online or in gourmet grocery stores
• ½ tbsp wasabi paste, available online or in gourmet grocery stores
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tbsp kewpie or Japanese mayonnaise, available online or in gourmet grocery stores
• Til or sesame seeds, roasted, to sprinkle as garnish
• 1 nori sheet, available online or in gourmet grocery stores
• Sushi mat, available online or in gourmet grocery stores
• Water

Method

• Rinse the sushi rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
  Transfer the rice into a small saucepan and add in ½ cup water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
  Lower the heat and let the rice cook for a few minutes more.
  Once all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked, take off heat.
  If the rice is not cooked, add a little more water and cook till done and the water absorbed.
  Add the sushi vinegar, mirin, sugar and mix well.
  Cover and let the rice continue to cook in the steam.
• Cut a nori sheet into two and place it on the sushi mat.
  Spread out the sushi rice on the nori sheet.
  Place the avocado cubes over the sushi rice.
  Roll the nori sheet using the mat.
  Sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds.
  Cut the sushi roll into 6 pieces.
  Place single slices of the avocado on 3 of the sushi pieces and slices of the cucumber on the other three pieces.
  Add a drop of mayo on each of the pieces
  Arrange on a platter and serve the sushi with soy sauce, pickled ginger and the wasabi paste.

Chef Naveen Joshi is the head chef at Nouba, Jaipur.

• REDIFF FOOD