Here's three exotic sushi recipes by Chef Amit Patra with a kick of pickled ginger, wasabi and soy.

The Avocado and Mango Uramaki, Asparagus and Tempura Gari Rolls and Philadelphia Rolls make for refreshingly light party bites for a weekend brunch.

Once your sushi rice is ready and your veggies are cut, all you require is a bamboo rolling mat to assemble.

Most of the rarer ingredients for sushi making can be found online or in gourmet food shops.

 

Avocado and Mango Uramaki

Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the sushi rice

• ½ cup Japanese sushi rice, available online
• 1/5 cup rice vinegar, available online
• 1/5 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt

For the sushi rolling

• 1 bowl avocado, cut lengthwise
• 1 bowl alphonso mango, cut lengthwise
• 1 sheet of dried nori seaweed, available online
• ½ tsp black sesame seeds, for the garnish
• ½ tsp white sesame seeds, for the garnish
• 1 tsp gari or pickled ginger, available online, to serve
• 2 tsp soy, to serve
• 1 tsp wasabi paste, available online, to serve

Method

For cooking the rice

• Wash and rinse the rice in a colander or channi placed under running water to wash out the excess starch.
• Place a saucepan with water over medium heat to cook the rice.
  Add the rice. The rice to water ratio should be 1:1¼.
  When the water begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
  Once the rice is soft and all the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat. Keep aside to cool.
• In a bowl combine the vinegar, sugar and salt to make sushi vinegar.
  Mix well.
  Add the cooked rice to the sushi vinegar and gently mix.
  Keep the bowl covered with a moist cloth until you need to use the rice.

For rolling the sushi

• Place a nori sheet on a sushi mat and uniformly spread a handful of rice on the sheet.
  Sprinkle a mix of white and black sesame seeds on the rice.
  Flip the nori sheet in such a manner that the rice faces the sushi mat.
  Place the cut alphonso mango and avocado on the nori sheet.
  Gently roll the sushi, applying even pressure throughout the roll.
  Cut the roll into 8 equal pieces with a sharp knife.
  Serve it with gari, wasabi and soy.

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Asparagus and Gari Tempura Rolls

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• Sushi rice (follow the recipe given above)
• 6 stems of asparagus, cut in small spears
• 1 tsp sichimi or seven spice powder, available online
• ½ sheet of dried nori seaweed
• 3 tsp gari or pickled ginger
• 7 tsp tempura flour, available online
• ½ cup oil
• 1 tsp cream cheese
• 1 tsp wasabi paste, to serve
• 2 tsp soy, to serve

Method

• Cook the rice following the recipe given above. Keep aside.
• In a bowl combine the tempura flour and gari.
• In a heavy-bottomed frying pan heat the oil over medium heat.
  Fry the tempura coated gari until it turns crispy.
• Place the nori sheet on the sushi mat and uniformly spread a handful of rice on the sheet.
  Sprinkle the sichimi powder evenly on the rice.
  Flip the nori sheet in such a manner that the rice is facing the sushi mat.
  Spread the cream cheese in a line on the nori sheet and place the cut asparagus and gari tempura.
  Gently roll the sushi, applying even pressure throughout the roll, and cut it into 8 equal pieces with a sharp knife.
  Serve with wasabi and soy.

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Philadelphia Rolls

Servings: 8 

Ingredients

• Sushi rice (follow the recipe given above)
• ½ cup smoked salmon, sliced lengthwise, found in gourmet shops, optional
• ½ cup spring onion greens, cut into long strips
• 1 sheet of dried nori seaweed
• 1 tsp cream cheese
• 1 tsp finely chopped spring onion greens
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds, for the garnish
• 1 tsp white sesame seeds, for the garnish
• 1 English cucumber ie a dark green cucumber, cut lengthwise
• 1 tsp wasabi, to serve
• 2 tsp soy, to serve
• 1 tsp gari or pickled ginger, to serve

Method

• Cook the rice following the recipe given above. Keep aside.
• Place the nori sheet on the sushi mat and uniformly spread a handful of rice on the sheet.
  Sprinkle a mix of the white and black sesame seeds on the rice.
  Flip the nori sheet in such a manner that the rice is facing the sushi mat.
  Spread the cream cheese in a line on the nori sheet and place the neatly cut spring onion greens, English cucumber and smoked salmon.
  Gently roll the sushi applying even pressure throughout the roll and cut it into 8 equal pieces.
  Serve it with gari, wasabi and soy.

Amit Patra is the Master Chef at Edo restaurant, ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru.

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