This is a simple, yet elegant rice dish with wonderful flavor...even JD, who doesn't usually eat rice, likes this. I love how pretty the salad looks, with all of the different vegetables and pieces of egg and pink sushi ginger. This makes a great light lunch, or it could be a side with grilled fish. (mmmm...tuna....)
I found this recipe in a wonderful vegetarian cookbook by Mollie Katzen called Still Life With Menu. It has some great recipes and beautiful artwork by the author.
Scattered Sushi Rice Salad
adapted from Mollie Katzen's Still Life With Menu Cookbook
2 cups sushi (short-grain) rice
2 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese cooking sake)
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 egg
splash of mirin
1 medium carrot, peeled and minced
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and minced
2 scallions, minced
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen green peas, lightly steamed
handful of green beans, lightly steamed and cut in 1/2 inch lengths
(you can also add steamed snow peas and/or minced yellow squash)
3 to 4 tablespoons sushi ginger, minced
3 to 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
Rinse the rice under cold running water.
Put rinsed rice in a saucepan with water and 2 tablespoons mirin. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, until tender.
Remove rice from the heat, uncover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
Heat the vinegar 15-30 seconds in the microwave, then add the sugar and salt. Stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables:
Scoop out the seeds from the peeled cucumber...
and finely mince.
Mince the carrot.
Mince the scallions.
Steam and cut the green beans.
Spread the rice in a long shallow dish. Drizzle with half of the vinegar mixture and mix very gently with a fork. Alternate between mixing the rice and fanning it with a magazine to prevent sticking. Do this for a few minutes, until thoroughly mixed.
Transfer rice to a bowl and set aside.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon canola oil.
Beat the egg with the splash of mirin.
Pour the beaten egg into the hot pan. Tilt the pan to make a thin egg pancake.
When it is set, flip it over and cook the other side.
Remove from heat and let cool.
When cool, slice the egg into thin strips, and then into 1/2 inch pieces.
Combine the rice with the remaining oil, vegetables, egg pieces, sushi ginger, sesame seeds, and remaining vinegar mixture. Mix gently.
Serve at room temperature or cold. Equally delicious either way.