Beet-Dyed Crimson Rolls
Rice colored with beet juice. Colorful, fresh and satisfying.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 3
- Level
- Easy
Photo: Engin Akyurt / Pexels
Vegetables and tofu take center stage here, with plenty of savory depth from kombu and soy. A spoonful of beet juice colors sushi rice a deep crimson without changing the flavor much. An avocado that gives slightly under a gentle press slices cleanly without turning to mush. Double the recipe for a crowd; the method scales easily.
Method
Wash 2 cups of sushi rice gently with your fingertips, changing the water until it is only faintly cloudy, then leave it to drain for 15 minutes so the grains hydrate evenly.
Cook the rice with 2 1/4 cups of water and a small square of kombu in a rice cooker, or in a covered heavy pot: bring to a boil, then keep it on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest 10 minutes with the lid on. Stir 2 tablespoons of beet juice into the cooking water for a crimson color.
Warm 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt just until dissolved. Spread the hot rice in a wide bowl, drizzle the vinegar over a paddle and fold with slicing motions while fanning, until glossy and body temperature.
Prepare the vegetables: halve, pit and peel the avocado, then cut it into thin slices. Cut the cucumber into long thin batons.
Spread the rice over the nori on a plastic-wrapped mat, arrange the vegetables in a line and roll up tightly.
Slice with a wet knife into 8 pieces and serve with soy sauce.
Chef's note
Pat vegetables dry before rolling so the nori stays crisp.
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