by Shannon Lintott

This Vegan Asparagus Tempura Sushi recipe is quite quick and easier than it sounds. I watched this amazing YouTube video by the Vegan Black Metal Chef (yes, he’s a real thing) so I could get an idea of how to roll asparagus tempura sushi properly and to get some tips on how to make the rolls taste like restaurant quality.

It worked! This asparagus sushi is delicious! This vegan asparagus tempura sushi recipe makes approximately 5-6 large rolls.

Vegan Asparagus Tempura Sushi Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tablespoons Rice vinegar
• 5-6 Nori (seaweed) sheets
• 1 cup Jasmine Rice
• 1-2 cups Vegetable oil
• Approx. 6 Asparagus stems
• ½ Red pepper
• 1 Carrot
• ½ Cucumber
• 1 Avocado
• Vegan cream cheese/mayonnaise
• Panko crumbs
• 1 cup Flour
• Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Sugar
• Sushi mat
• Wasabi
• Soy Sauce

Method:

1.  Start by making the rice. Jasmine rice tastes the best in sushi. 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice, as the water comes to a boil add in a dash of salt and approx. 2 tablespoons of sugar along with the required amount of rice vinegar. Once water is bowling and the sugar has dissolved, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Take off of the heat, wait for the water to be absorbed and leave the lid off so the rice can begin to cool.

2.  As the rice is cooking, mix together approx. 1 cup of flour, a bit of garlic powder and a dash of salt in a small bowl. Add water to the mix until it becomes a smooth mixture. Cut the asparagus in half or in 3rds (I prefer 3rds as it makes the rolling easier) and place in the flour mixture. Finely slice carrots, cucumber, red pepper and avocado into thin strips (you can really add whatever veggies you like, making them into stripes allows for easier rolling later on).  Set aside.

3.  Begin to heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized pan (enough oil so the asparagus will float easily). Make sure to not overheat the oil. I tossed in a couple of panko crumbs until they began to turn golden brown and then lowered the heat and prepared to deep fry (obviously if you have a deep fryer you can use that but I suspect that most people will not own one). Sprinkle a layer of panko crumbs over a large plate. Cover the asparagus with the flour mixture and place the pieces onto the panko plate, adding more crumbs to the top so they are covered in panko crumbs. Deep fry until golden brown, remove carefully and place on a paper towel to cool.

4.  Place a nori sheet over a sushi mat (they are really cheap, you can usually get them at grocery stores) and wet your fingers enough to dampen the seaweed sheet (you don’t need very much water, just enough so that it rolls easily). Add a thin layer of rice to the sheet – make sure to not overdo it with the rice. Place asparagus, peppers, carrots, avocado, etc. along the side of the nori sheet that is closest to you. Add in vegan cream cheese/mayo to taste (I also like hot sauce and dijon mustard).

5.  Let the rolling begin! Fold the stuffed side over onto itself and then follow through with the rest of the roll, constantly pushing down on it so that it rolls tightly. Once the roll is complete do one final squeeze along with the entire roll before placing it on a plate or cutting board for cutting. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Repeat.

Tips:

Take the rolling part slowly. The tighter the roll, the easier it will be to cut into pieces and consume later!

This sounds difficult, I know.  The best thing about sushi is that everything should be made to taste so get creative and experiment! There are a couple of steps that might be difficult but for me I found the deep frying to be the hardest part as you have to be quick so you don’t burn the panko crumbs. The rolling will take practice and might not work so well the first time but it won’t ruin the amazing deliciousness of the sushi!

Don’t be afraid to be creative and just have fun with it. You can also watch some YouTube how-to videos on rolling sushi beforehand if you’re nervous.

Secrets:

Don’t buy the cheap soy sauce, get the sushi specific kind for the best flavour. Also, the powdered wasabi is far better than the tube kind.

Enjoy!

 

Shannon Lintott works in production at a professional theatre company in Toronto. A recent graduate of the Ryerson Performance Production BFA program, she spends her free time exploring the internet, taking photographs, reading or writing on one of her numerous and addictive websites. The majority of her time is spent watching movies and reviewing them on her movie review blog I Like (good) Movies. Follow Shannon on Twitter.