Vegan Chirashizushi / Sushi Rice with Vegetables and Tofu ビーガン散らし寿司

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The season of pink, yellow and green has arrived !

What a splendid world !!

Just a few weeks ago, the world I saw was the color of a kind of monotone and the air was so tight and cold.

It is as if the nature has a magical wand to cast a spell.

I must enjoy this short precious period to my heart’s content !

Going outside and strolling is the best way to feel the spring air.

 

There’s another way for me to enjoy the spring at most.

What do you think it is ?

 

It is cooking.

Cooking something very springy !

Cooking with the wild plants that I foraged.

I enjoy the moment that I feel the spring on my cheek and look at those wild plants.   

Fukinoto / Butterbur shoot

Hakobe / Chickweed

Nanohana / Rape Flower

Yomogi / Mugwort

Tsukushi / Horsetail

Shokkasai / Chinese Violet Cress

Tanpopo / dandelion

Yukinoshita / Saxifrage

Yabukanzo / Orange Day Lily

Honestly to say, I sometimes feel guilty to pick them up.  I always try not to pluck them to keep their roots untouched except the plant called Nobiru which is so powerful and strong and keep growing by creeping under the soil. 

Nobiru's roots are tasty, and I feel like I'm also getting stronger like them whenever I eat them..

 

The recipe that I am introducing today is something I created to express the joy of spring season.
For this recipe, you do not need the wild plants to replicate it.

You can make it with the ingredients that you can probably find in the grocery store.

 

“Chirashizushi” means scattered sushi literally.

Usually a several kinds of raw fish are scattered on the sushi rice, but my vegan version, of course, is no usage of fish, so uses vegetables and tofu instead. 

It is absolutely suitable for “Hinamatsuri” festival (Girls Festival or Doll’s Festival), which is also called  “Momo no sekku” (Peach Blossom Festival). 

A pair of Odairisama and Ohinasama / Emperor and Emperess

“Hinamatsuri” is supposed to be celebrated on March 3 of the lunar calendar, which falls on Aril 11 this year.

So why don’t you try it, and celebrate this special occasion with your friends or family.

It is a good idea to let the all the dolls you have at your home such as stuffed toys or figurines join you while you are celebrating.

Hina dolls that my daughter made with the clay

when she was in elementary school

Hina dolls that I made with origami paper. 

 You can know more about Hinamatusri from my previous blog. 

I must admit that the preparation for today’s recipe is not so simple and you might find it is time consuming when you tried it.

But it is worth spending time as everyone, especially kids and girls get excited when they see it on the table, and become happier when they put it into their mouth.

 

VEGAN CHIRASHIZUSHI

Sushi Rice with Vegetables and Vegan Scrambled Egg

Ingredients and Preparation (for 3~4 servings)

600g steamed rice

*steam rice with lesser amount of water as usual since the rice will be mixed with the vinegar mixture when it is cooked. 
If you are going to use reserved rice, heat it up.  The rice needs to be hot when it is mixed with the vinegar mixture.

For vinegar mixture (Sushi Vinegar)

The figure written first is for 600g of cooked rice.

The figure in a bracket is for reservation for future use as this mixture can last for long, even a year, so it is convenient if you keep extra in a bottle in your pantry for future use.

We are going to use some to marinate lotus root in this recipe too.

2Tbsp rice vinegar or vinegar of your choice  (300g)

1Tbsp beetroot sugar or sweetener of your choice (150g)

1tsp salt (50g)

1.    Combine and mix well.  The sugar may not be completely dissolved quickly, but it will be after sometime.

 

 

For vegetable mixture and decoration

100g carrot → Choose thicker one as we cut into flower shape with the cookie cutter. 

1.    Slice to 3mm thick rounds, and then cut into flower shape with the cookie cutter. (If you do not have the flower shape cutter, just slicing round will do.)  

 

2.    Rub hint of salt, and steam or cook with water to soften.

100g lotus root → Choose thinner one as it looks nicer when decorated.

1.    Slice half of the portion into 1mm~2mm thick rounds.  If the lotus root is fat, cut into half rounds or even to quarters.
Slice half of the portion into chunks.

2.    Cook in the 2 cups of water with 1 tsp of vinegar for a few minutes. 

3.    Transfer to the container with the vinegar mixture.

The lotus roots should be submerged in the mixture.

 

60g Shiitake mushroom → Choose the smaller ones

1.    Detach the stem.  If the stems are not too hard, cut them into chunks.  They will be mixed with the rice later. 

2.    Transfer both whole shiitake and chunks into the smaller pot, add 150g water, 1T bsp beetroot sugar or the sweeter of your choice, 2 tsp Mirin and 1 Tbsp soy sauce. 

3.    Simmer over the low heat till soft and the liquid evaporates.

4.    Separate the whole shiitake and chunks

 

*This simmered shiitake mushroom is optional.

If you found the preparation and cooking are taking too much of your time, you can purchase readymade cooked vegetable mixture for chirashizushi. 

However be cautious, many of them contain animal derived ingredients.  

This one is reliable.

https://new.ohsawa-japan.co.jp/?actmode=ItemDetail&iid=765

Vegan scrambled egg 
The degree of the sweetness of the pumpkin differ depending on each pumpkin.  Add about 1 Tbsp beet root sugar at the last stage if you want sushi rice sweeter.

Nanohana / Rape blossoms with the leaves →　Choose the one with the buds slightly opened.

If you cannot find Nanohana, any other green vegetables such as snow peas, green beans and edamame will do. 

 

1.    Blanch in the boiling water with a pinch of salt.

 

Procedure

1.    Combine and mix the chopped carrot, lotus root, and shiitake mushroom.

 

 

2.    Pour vinegar mixture over the hot cooked rice, and then mix with the spatula with the slicing motion.  Try not to mash the grains. 

 

3.    Add the chopped vegetable mixture, and mix them with rice evenly. 　

4.    Transfer to the plate.

5.    Decorate the sushi rice with the vegan scrambled egg and vegetables prepared earlier.

 

You can decorate in a way you want.

This is an example to serve on the individual plate.

 

Made into sushi rice balls.

 

The scene of peach blossoms fully blooming in my neighborhood.

I picked up some of the fallen branches of peach blossom buds and put them in a vase with the rape flowers.

 

Happy Cooking and Happy Hinamatsuri！

 

 

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