Salmon Avocado Black Rice Sushi

These black rice maki rolls are dedicated to all sushi-lovers who just can't have enough of it — just like us. Instead of using sticky white rice, we made them with "forbidden" black rice for a healthier spin, full of flavour and texture.

Among the many Japanese dishes out there, maki rolls are probably our favourite. They consist of steamed vinegared white rice wrapped in a sheet of nori seaweed and stuffed with fish, seafood and vegetables. The roll is then sliced into bite-sized pieces and served as an appetiser or main meal with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

In our recipe, we swapped classic sushi rice with black rice, also known as purple rice or "forbidden" rice. We prepared it like white sushi rice and then rolled it with fresh salmon strips and buttery avocado wedges. The result is mouthwatering sushi with a gorgeous black hue, a chewy texture, and a lovely melt-in-your-mouth filling.

We chose black rice for this sushi recipe for its amazing nutritional profile. It's rich in health-boosting antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which give the kernels their deep purple colour. Moreover, black rice has a lower glycemic index than white rice, keeping blood sugars in check; it's also rich in proteins and fibres, helping you feel full for longer.

Black rice has a distinctive nutty and earthy flavour which makes these maki rolls even tastier. It just needs to cook a bit longer than white rice, so we increased the cooking time from 20 to 35 minutes. As for the filling, feel free to swap salmon and avocado with your favourite ones or opt for marinated tofu if you're on a plant-based diet.

Each maki has only 65 calories, and a serving of 4 rolls covers 11% RDI of carbs, 28% RDI of proteins, and 12% RDI of fats. So, time to dust off your trusty bamboo mat and get rollin'!

Step 1

Rinse the rice under cold water and then leave it to drain on a fine-mesh colander for 5 minutes.

Then, add it to a pot and pour in the given water (1).

Cover, bring to a boil over medium heat, and then simmer the rice for 25 minutes (2).

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Step 2

Now, remove the pot from the heat and, keeping the lid on, wrap it with a kitchen towel. Let the black rice finish cooking in its steam for 10 more minutes (2).

Then, transfer it onto a tray and season it with rice vinegar, maple syrup, and a generous pinch of salt (2).

Fluff the rice with a wooden spoon to speed up the cooling time, and then cover it with a towel while preparing the filling ingredients.

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Step 3

Slice the salmon fillet into long strips and cut the avocado into thin wedges. Then, line the bamboo mat with a sheet of nori seaweed, rough-side up (1).

Spread 150g (5 oz) of cooked black rice onto the nori, leaving a 6 cm (2 inches) gap at the top.

Then, compact the rice patting it with the back of a spoon.

If you want to use wasabi, make a small groove along the centre and fill it with the wasabi paste.

Place the salmon and avocado flat onto the rice, arranging them next to each other and leaving 2 cm (0.7 inches) free at the bottom of the rice (2).

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Step 4

Lift the mat starting at the bottom edge and firmly roll the nori over the filling. Apply pressure on the entire sushi roll to make sure it keeps its cylindrical shape (1).

Then, brush the top edge of the nori with water and seal the roll (2).

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Step 5

Finally, trim off the ends of the roll and slice it into 8 pieces using a dampened knife.

Repeat step 3 and 4 until you have used all the rice, filling, and nori sheets.

Dip the rolls in soy sauce, and serve them with pickled ginger (optional).

Tips

For a vegan alternative, you can swap salmon with miso-marinated tofu or tofu teriyaki.