For those of you who love sushi and spicy food, and follow a plant-based diet, this recipe is a nice twist on the regular white or brown rice veggie rolls that we are used to getting or making. Black rice is an amazingly nutritious food, which even beats brown rice by far… It contains loads of antioxidants and fiber as well as powerful flavonoids called anthocyanins. Add some good raw veggies in the middle and the rolls look so freakin’ cool as well! I love the colors mixed together! And because I can’t resist spicy, I added a little hotness to the rolls by including some spicy vegan mayo to the mix. Try them, they are really not difficult to make and they will certainly impress people around you, but most of all, they will please your palate like there is no tomorrow!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of black rice ( I buy mine at Sprouts)
• 2 and 1/4 cups of water
• 2 Tbsp of rice vinegar
• 1 tsp of honey or agave syrup
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 Tbsp of water
• Red bell pepper cut in julienne (long and fine strips)
• Purple cabbage finely sliced
• Avocado cut in julienne
• Cucumbers cut in julienne
• Carrots cut in julienne
• Wasabi seaweed (I find mine in Asian markets)
• Spicy vegan mayo (I just add a bit of rice vinegar and cayenne pepper to my regular vegan mayo)
• sushi mat for rolling the sushi (you can use plastic wrap if you don’t have a mat but I highly recommend getting one, that way you can reuse it and you reduce single-use plastic… You can also use a tea towel)

How to

• Bring water to a boil and add the rice. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes on low heat, or until all the water has been absorbed
• If you haven’t done it yet, cut all your veggies into julienne strips. Try to keep the same size for all strips of veggies so they will fit nicely into your rolls. I like to soften my carrots a little bit by cooking steaming them for a few minutes (5 minutes) but if you like them crunchy, you can use them raw
• Combine the rice vinegar, honey or agave syrup, the tablespoon of water and salt in a bowl and mix
• Once the rice is cooked and has cooled down a little, pour the mixture into it and mix well so the rice becomes “sticky.” Let cool down completely
• Lay down a sheet of the wasabi seaweed on the sushi mat in front of you and “spread” some rice on it, making sure to leave about 2 inches on the right side
• Place a few strips of your veggies on the left side of the rice (about 1.5 inches from the edge) but make sure not to put too much so the rolls are not too thick. Add some spicy vegan mayo as well
• Now you can start rolling your sushi by using your thumb and forefinger to pick up the sushi mat on the left side. I highly recommend looking at this tutorial to see how it is done. It will make your life so much easier! Gently start flipping the edge over the veggies to create your roll and until it is completely closed (Having damp fingers will help the process)
• Cut into 1-inch rolls with a wet knife
• Repeat until you have used all your veggies and you have the amount of rolls desired
• Enjoy with some soy sauce or tamari, pickled ginger and wasabi!
• If you take photos and post them on your social media, please make sure to tag me @nathoutsidethebox I would love to see your creations!