It can be expensive to buy sushi, but it’s pretty cheap to make at home. And it’s nice because then you can use whatever vegetables you like, rather than settling for the standard vegetables that are in most rolls. You can use what we’ve listed here, or pick something completely different. It’s up to you. Nori (seaweed sheets), rice vinegar, sushi rice, and wasabi paste are the special ingredients to seek out for this dish. They may all be available in your supermarket or natural foods store, or (definitely) in an Asian food store. Bamboo sushi mats are cheap and handy to have if you are going to make maki sushi regularly; they can be found in most kitchenware stores these days.

　　

Ingredients

serves 1

　　1 cup sushi rice

　　1 1/2 cups water

　　1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

　　1 tablespoon rice vinegar

　　1/4 red bell pepper

　　1/4 cucumber

　　4 asparagus spears

　　2 sheets nori

　　2 1/2 teaspoons wasabi paste

　　1/4 cup soy sauce, or more, for dipping

　　

Step 1

Place the rice and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Place the sugar and rice vinegar in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and toss well to coat the rice thoroughly.

　　

Step 2

While the rice is cooking and cooling, prepare the vegetables. Cut the bell pepper into thin strips. Peel the cucumber and cut into long strips about 1/4 to 3/8 inch wide. Break off and discard the tough ends from the asparagus, then place the asparagus in a saucepan wide enough for the spears to lie flat, with about 1 inch of water. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until tender. (Alternatively, if you have a microwave, place in a microwave-safe bowl. Add a few tablespoons of water, cover with plastic wrap or wax paper, and microwave on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until barely tender.)

　　

Step 3

Lay a sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi mat or plastic wrap and spoon on half the rice. Wet your hands to keep the rice from sticking to them, then spread the rice over the nori, leaving a 2-inch border at the top, spreading all the way to the bottom and both sides. Spread 1 teaspoon of the wasabi across the center of the rice. Lay half of the red pepper, cucumber, and asparagus in a row across the center of the rice. Fold the bottom of the mat or plastic wrap up so that the bottom edge of the nori just covers the vegetables. With one hand, pull the mat or plastic gently up from the nori as you roll up the sushi cylinder with the palm of the other hand. Gently press your hands along the roll as you go to create a smooth, firm roll. When the cylinder is rolled, moisten the top border of the nori with a little water and firmly press the edge to seal the roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

　　

Step 4

Trim the ragged ends from the maki roll with a serrated knife, then cut the roll into 7 or 8 pieces. Combine the soy sauce with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of wasabi and stir until combined. Serve the maki rolls with the dipping sauce on the side.

　　

cooking 101

Step 5

Contrary to popular belief, sushi does not equate to raw fish. Sushi is actually vinegared rice that can be topped or rolled with other ingredients, including raw or cooked fish or, as in this case, vegetables. Sushi rice is short-grained rice with a high starch content. The starch makes it very sticky, so it holds together well in sushi or maki rolls.

　　College Vegetarian Cooking