Sushi Recipes - Mixed Vegetables on Sushi Rice

Ingredients

• Kanpyo 30 g (1 oz) kanpyo (dried gourd strips)

• 250 ml (1 cup) Basic Dashi Stock or 1/2 teaspoon instant dashi granules dis­solved in 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon mirin

• Sushi

• 6 dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms

• 2 slices deep-fried tofu (abura-age)

• 1 section (125 g/4 oz)

• fresh lotus root, peeled

• 1 teaspoon vinegar

• 1 medium carrot

• 125 ml (1/2 cup) Basic Dashi Stock or 1/4 teaspoon instant dashi granules dis­solved in 125 ml (1/2 cup) boiling water

• 11 h tablespoons sugar

• I h teaspoon salt

• 11/2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon mirin

• 750 g (5 cups) cooked Sushi Rice

• Garnish

• 1 Sesame Omelet, cut in strips

• 60 g (2 oz) snow peas, thinly sliced

• 1 h sheet nori, toasted and shredded

• Pickled Ginger

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Method:

1. If using dried mushrooms, soften them in hot water, about 20 minutes. Rinse the dried gourd in cold water. Mix the gourd with a little salt and rub it between your hands to soften, and rinse in cold water again. Place the gourd in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes. Drain.

2. Place the dashi stock, soy sauce, sugar, mirin and the gourd into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium to high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook until the gourd is tender and slightly translucent, about 20 minutes. Most of the liquid will be absorbed. Drain and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut the gourd into 2-cm (3/4-in) pieces.

3. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze out excess mois­ture, reserving 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the liquid. Discard the stems and slice the mushroom caps thinly.

4. Rinse the tofu slices in boiling water in a colander to remove excess oil. Drain, then pat dry with paper tow­eling. Cut each piece lengthwise in half, then slice each half into thin strips.

5. Cut the lotus root into thin slices. If the root is large, cut the slices into 2-cm (3/4-in) strips. Soak strips in 1 cup of water mixed with the vinegar for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

6. Cut the carrot lengthwise into quarters. Cut each quarter into 2-cm (3/4-in) pieces. Turn the flat side of the carrot onto a board and cut into very thin slices.

7. Heat the reserved mushroom liquid with the dashi stock, sugar, salt, soy sauce and mirin. Add mushrooms, tofu, lotus root and carrot, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain.

8. To assemble and serve, carefully stir the gourd and vegetables with the Sushi Rice. Do not over mix. Place the rice mixture into individual serving bowls and arrange small amounts of each garnish on top.