Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls – it isn’t as hard as I thought!

Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls

Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls

~ page 47 of Veganomicon – The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

For the sushi rice:

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (do not use regular white vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Spicy Tempeh filling:

• 1/2 (4 ounce) package of tempeh
• 2 tablespoons prepared vegan mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoon hot chile-sesame oil
• 4 sheets of nori seaweed
• 1 scallion, white part discarded, sliced lengthwise into narrow strips
• 1 ripe avocado peeled, seeded, and sliced into 1/4 inch wide strips
• 1 tablespoon toasted or black sesame seeds if used inside the roll, or 1/4 cup if used as a coating for inside-out rolls

In a heavy-bottomed, 2 quart pot or saucepan with a a cover, combine the rice plus 1 1/4 cups cold water.  Turn the heat to high, bring the water to a boil, and stir the rice just once.  Lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and steam the rice for 20-22 minutes until it is tender and the excess liquid has been absorbed.  Or, prepare the rice according to the package instructions.  Cook until the rice is tender but slightly firm, and remove from the heat.

Empty the hot rice into a large glass or plastic bowl.  Sprinkle with the rice vinegar and sugar, folding in the rice gently with a large spoon or rice paddle to mix thoroughly.  The rice should be moist and have a very mild vinegar flavor.  Cover with plastic wrap and let cool for 10-15 minutes.  When the rice is slightly warmer than room temperature (but not completely cold), it is ready to work with.

While the rice is cooling, prepare the filling by steaming the tempeh.  Allow tempeh to cool for 10 minutes, chop into small cubes, and place in a medium-sized bowl.  Add the mayonnaise and chile sesame oil and mash until chunky; taste and add more chile sesame oil if desired.

To assemble:

Fill a shallow cup with about 1/3 cup of water and a tablespoon of rice vinegar, and keep near your sushi workstation.  Follow these steps to the perfect nori roll:

• Place the nori sheet on the bamboo mat.  With wet hands, take a snowball shaped handful of rice, about a cup’s worth.  Gently pat onto the bottom two-thirds or so of your nori sheet.  The layer of rice should be less than 1/3 inch thick.
• Place a small amount of the fillings across the center of your rice.  Lay or spread them horizontally to each side of the nori to create a straight line of filling-the less filling, the easier the sushi will be to roll.  Aim for about 1 1/2 tablespoon of spicy tempeh, three strips of avocado, and some scallion strips.  You’ll figure it out.
• Using the mat, gently roll up that sushi starting from the rice-topped end; try to keep your grip relatively tight, for a firm roll.  When you’ve reached the seaweed-only end, pat gently with a little bit of vinegar to seal the roll.
• Slice your roll into 1 inch pieces with a sharp, serrated knife.  That’s it! Make a hundred of ’em.

Now, y’all, I made these on a work night. It took me 30 minutes, tops, to get them done and about 5 minutes to eat them.  I ended up adding too much of the vegan mayonnaise so I think I’ll cut down on that the next time.  I served mine with sliced ginger and shoyu sauce.  They were spicy without being too spicy and really gave me the taste of spicy crab nori rolls without the cruelty.  Simply superb!