Basic Sushi Rice

Makes 3 cups

1½ cups uncooked sushi-grade white rice
1¼-inch square piece dried kombu(type of seaweed, find in health food stores or online)
3 tablespoons Sushi Vinegar*

1. Put the rice in a bowl with water and wash gently. Rinse the rice several times, until the water is no longer cloudy, and transfer to a medium saucepan. Add 1½ cups water and the kombu. Let soak for 30 minutes.
2. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. 
3. Let stand for 15 minutes while covered.
4. Remove the lid and gently fluff the rice with a spoon or spatula. 
5. Transfer the rice to a bowl. fold the Sushi Vinegar into the rice using a wooden rice paddle. While folding, cool the rice using a fan to remove moisture. This will prevent it from becoming overly starchy.
6. Once the rice has become shiny and cooled to room temperature, cover the bowl with a dampened kitchen towel or paper towel to prevent the rice from drying out. Set aside until you are ready to make sushi, for no longer than a few hours.

*Sushi Vinegar

Makes about 1 cup

¾ cup apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon(95 ml) light maple syrup
2 tablespoons salt

Takuan: Pickled Daikon

Makes 20 ounces

17 ounces daikon
scant ½ cup mirin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 dried red chile
1 tablespoon uncooked brown rice

1. Cut the daikon into wedges ½ inch thick.
2. Combine the mirin, sugar, vinegar, salt, turmeric, and chile in a small saucepan along with a scant ½ cup water and bring to a boil. Then remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Roast the rice in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the rice starts to pop, remove from the heat.
4. combine all the ingredients in a storage bag, remove the air, and then seal. Refrigerate for a few days. This will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator.

Tip: Cut the daikon into sticks for us in sushi rolls.

Recipe from Sushi Modoki: The Japanese Art and Craft of Vegan Sushi © iina, 2017, 2019. © Graphic-sha Publishing Co., Ltd., 2017, 2019. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold