Classic sushi involves the use of algae, rice and fish, but vegetarian variations of this oriental dish also exist. Rolls with takuan or cucumber are the most common. How to cook a roll with a cucumber? A recipe with a photo of this light Japanese snack is presented in our article. What is the sequence of actions?
Rice preparation
Often, rice takes up to 80% of all ingredients in sushi. That is why its proper preparation is one of the most important elements for the successful preparation of sushi at home. How to cook it correctly?
First, you need special rice for sushi. It is necessary to rinse it with cold water several times - until the water used becomes clear.
Secondly, rice for sushi should be cooked under a closed lid over low heat without stirring. The amount of water should exceed the number of grains one and a half times.
Thirdly, it is necessary to use a special seasoning for sushi, which is made on the basis of rice vinegar. As soon as the rice is ready, you can start making the roll directly with the cucumber.
Ingredients
To do this, you will need:
- 2 sheets of nori;
- ¼ a long cucumber thinly sliced along;
- wasabi;
- pickled ginger for sushi;
- light soy sauce;
- salmon caviar (optional).
For rice:
- 100 g of rice for sushi;
- 2 teaspoons sake or mirin;
- 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar (not needed when using mirin);
- 25 ml of rice vinegar.
Cucumber roll: recipe
At home, cooking it is simple. Rinse the rice in a colander, fingering it with your hands until running water is clear. Leave to drain for 15 minutes. Put rice in a pot with 200 ml of water and sake or mirin if you use them. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Set aside and cover, leave for 15-20 minutes.
Then transfer the cooked rice into a large bowl. Dissolve powdered sugar (if used) in rice vinegar, pour rice with this mixture and mix. Cover with a damp towel and leave at room temperature until use.
Put 1 sheet of nori on the mat and cover half of its surface with slightly chilled rice. Put a strip of salmon and slices of cucumber in one line in the middle of the rice layer. Add a drop of wasabi along the edge of the filling with your finger. Roll the cucumber roll and squeeze it tightly so that the nori ends stick together. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Cut each roll into 6 parts and serve with an additional portion of wasabi, ginger, soy sauce and salmon caviar (for decoration, if desired). In addition, you can cook a roll with cucumber and salmon, whose name sounds like "shake maki." To do this, you will need an additional 100 grams of red fish fillet, peeled from skin and bones. A classic Japanese recipe involves the use of raw salmon. If you intend to follow it, the fish should be fresh.
Right cut
Cucumber should be peeled and cut lengthwise. The core with seeds is removed, and the cucumber is cut into thin longitudinal slices. If desired, you can use it not only as a filling, but also as a wrapper for the roll. Cutting a cucumber into thin plates for the top layer of rolls may seem like a daunting task, but don't be alarmed - it just takes a little experience and practice.
Peel the cucumber and cut it horizontally to make two cylindrical halves. In order to cut a thin sheet (like nori), make a spiral cut with a very sharp thin knife. For an illustrative example, imagine that you are trying to clean the skin of an apple from top to bottom to remove it intact.
How to roll a roll
If you want to make a roll with a cucumber not only inside, but also outside, place the spiral-cut pulp on a bamboo mat (makisu). The shell should form a large square sheet with a relatively flat shape. Cover the cucumber with a thin, even layer of rice. About 2 tablespoons is the optimal amount. Put a little wasabi and Japanese mayonnaise to taste, you can sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Place the longitudinal slices of the cucumber and / or the remaining selected ingredients in the center of the rice layer. Use the maxis to roll the cucumber until its edges overlap significantly. Cut the resulting roll with the cucumber in half, and then again divide the resulting halves into 2 equal parts.