VEGETABLE BROWN RICE SUSHI WITH GINGER PUMPKIN DIPPING SAUCE

I assure you DIY sushi is not overly complicated. Cooked brown rice, a little vinegar, a sheet of nori, and some veggies just need to be rolled into a plump cigar. If you don’t have a sushi mat, hand rolls (sushi cones) are perfect, too. You could easily serve the sushi simply with tamari, but the dipping sauce is what makes this recipe so delicious. The sauce, with the sweet heat of ginger, combined with pumpkin, miso, and honey is curiously moreish. It’s similar to a richer, spicier, plum sauce—hold the goopy, syrupy qualities of pre-made versions.

Makes 4 rolls

For the Vegetable Brown Rice Sushi

½ cup uncooked short-grain brown rice

1 cup water

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

4 sheets nori

⅓ of a cucumber, cut lengthwise matchsticks

½ large avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

handful fresh cilantro

sesame seeds

For the Ginger Pumpkin Dipping Sauce

½ cup pumpkin purée

¼ cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sweet white miso or brown rice miso

2 tablespoons tamari

2 tablespoons water, plus more to thin

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon ground dried ginger

¼ teaspoon chili flakes

In a medium saucepan, combine water and rice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar with a fork, slightly mashing the rice. Cool to room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

To roll sushi, place a sheet of nori on a sushi mat and top with a thin layer of rice (don’t add too much—you may have leftover rice). On the wide bottom edge closest to you, add a line of cucumber, avocado, and cilantro (again, don’t add too much). Roll tightly, using sushi mat to help you squish everything together with each turn. Wrap roll in plastic and refrigerate. Repeat with remaining sushi ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Thin with additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency (it should be quite thick).

Unwrap sushi rolls and slice crosswise into rounds with a very sharp knife. Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and dipping sauce on the side.