Here's my latest inside out California sushi roll dish. This time, I've made Natto California rolls - so, natto and cucumber with some black sesame sprinkled on the rice.
Preparation to make this California sushi roll is minimal - just chop up your natto and cut some cucumber ribbons and you're ready to go. I know natto isn't everyone's proverbial cup of green tea but I think this is the ideal way to introduce it to people who haven't tried it or tasted it before - it's chopped up and wrapped with sushi rice - I tend to get people complimenting the interesting flavour when they try these so I think I'm on the right track anyway!
At the risk of sounding preachy - I'm going to repeat again how good natto is for you. It's high in fibre, contains high levels of vitamins C and K, it's protein rich and contains micronutrients such as manganese, iron thiamin and riboflavin. It really should be in everyone's diet even if only occasionally. (OK - the preaching is now over.)
If you want to try your hand at Natto California rolls, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Natto California rolls or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below. As always with sushi rolls, I recommend you take a look at the Youtube tutorial, if you are a first timer as it will give you a good visual idea of how it's done.
You can buy natto at Japanese and asian food stores and online. Or, if you want to go the whole hog and make natto from scratch yourself, why not check out my youtube tutorial Make your own Natto or scroll to the bottom of the page? The written recipe for making your own natto is here.
Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX.
Natto California rolls
ingredients:
(makes 2 rolls / 14 - 16 pieces)
220g natto
a few long cucumber matchsticks
1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp toasted black sesame seeds
220g cooked sushi rice
1 spring onion, finely chopped
1 sheet of nori, halved longways
1 sushi mat
some clingfilm
how to:
first, unroll your mat and wrap it tightly in 2 - 3 layers of clingfilm (this will prevent the rice sticking to the mat)
wet your hands or a spatula & spread 1/2 the sushi rice over one of the 1/2 nori sheets in a thin layer, try to fill in any gaps so you finish with a uniform covering of rice but do it gently so that the nori doesn't tear
next, sprinkle 1 tsp of sesame seeds over the rice
now, take the nori sheet by the bottom edge and turn it over on the mat so that the sesame and rice are downward facing and the nori upward facing.
place 2 strips of cucumber lengthways across the nori sheet about 1.5cm (1/2 inch) from the bottom edge.
next, spoon the natto over the cucumber
now to roll your uramaki sushi roll:
hold the lower edge of the sushi mat with your thumbs and raise and roll the lower edge of the mat over the contents to form the sushi roll
give the roll a little, light squeeze with your fingers to make sure it is well formed, then unroll the mat revealing your uramaki sushi roll
cut the sushi into 6 - 7 pieces, wiping & wetting your knife between cuts to stop the knife sticking
repeat again for the second roll
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