Indian Style Sushi

1. I had written this recipe for an Indian News paper. The ingredients of sushi are very different from Indian ingredients. I have noticed that sushi does not appeal to many Indians. So this recipe is a very Indianised version of sushi.
   (Makes: 8,10 sushi)
   
   Ingredients
   Sushi Rice:
   1 cup sushi rice
   1 cup water
   2 tbsp. lime juice
   1/2 tsp. salt
   1/4 tsp. sugar
   Filling:
   1 cucumber
   1 carrot
   4 tsp. lime juice
   1/4 tsp. salt
   1/4 tsp. chili powder
   1/4 tsp. cumin powder
   1 tsp. ginger (minced)
   Garnish:
   2 ,3 tbsp. sesame seeds
   wasabi paste
   
   Method
   Sushi Rice:
   · In a bowl mix lime juice, salt, sugar and stir till the sugar is dissolved. Keep aside.
   · Wash rice till the water runs clear.
   · In a pan add water, rice and let stand for 30 minutes.
   · Bring it to boil and then reduce the heat to low.
   · Cover the pan and let the rice cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
   · Let stand for 15 more minutes.
   · Fluff the rice and mix the liquid mixture and rice with a wooden spatula.
   Filling:
   · Peel the cucumber; cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds. Cut it in long thin slices (about half centimeter by 2 inch).
   · Peel the carrot and cut it in the same size as the cucumber.
   · Mix the lime juice, salt, chili powder, cumin powder, ginger in a bowl and add it to the cut cucumber and carrot. Let it sit for 10, 15 minutes.
   Garnish:
   · Roast sesame seeds till fragrant and keep aside.
   To Assemble:
   · You can use a sushi press or a rectangular pan.
   · Put a plastic wrap in the bottom of the sushi press or any pan you are using. Put some rice on it and push it a little so it forms a layer, taking care not to mash the rice. The thickness of the rice should be about 1/4 inches. Spread the filling. Then spread some more rice on top to form another layer (about 1/4 inch thick). Spread the sesame seeds. Remove from the pan. Cut with a sharp knife in one-inch by one-inch size pieces.
   · Serve with the wasabi paste.
   
   Tips from Vasudha
   · It is better use short grain rice from Asian store as it is sticky and holds the sushi well.
   · You can also use a cake pan to make sushi though the shape will be different.
   · Since the different rice varieties need different time to cook, read the back of the rice bag before cooking the rice.
   · Be careful while adding the lime juice so as to not make the rice mushy.
   
   Here are some more ideas.
   · You can use many other fillings like smoked salmon, cooked lobster meat, mushrooms, avocado, celery.
   · You get pickled radish and ginger in the Asian store. You can also use them as a filling.
   · You can also add vinegar instead of lime juice.
   · You get many varieties of dehydrated mushrooms in the Asian grocery stores. You can put these in warm water for 15 to 30 minutes and use them as filling.
   · The sushi recipe above is called pressed sushi. You can also use a seaweed wrap to make a rolled sushi. Take a plastic wrap (or a sushi mat if you have one). Place a seaweed wrap on it. Put some rice on it leaving about one inch space on one side of the seaweed. Put some of the filling in the center. Lift the plastic wrap and roll the seaweed to make a long log (taking care not to roll the plastic wrap inside the log). The log should be tight. Cut in one-inch pieces.