– vegan – gluten free – Refined Sugar free – oil free – low fat – low calorie –
If you’ve experienced trouble with making sushi rolls in the past, look no further! I’m going to make the process as easy as possible for you by showing you all the little tips ‘n’ tricks I’ve learned along the way! I’m certainly no sushi chef, but you won’t need to be to make these sweet potato sushi rolls.
Funny enough, I never actually liked sushi before I went vegan. The first sushi I ever tried was a tempura sweet potato sushi at my favorite Japanese restaurant and I fell in love with it! So I took it upon myself to make my own version at home. However, this sweet potato sushi isn’t tempura fried because I wanted to keep it low calorie and stuffed with whole food ingredients only. I’ll save the tempura batter for special visits to my favorite restaurant :).
Here’s the full process to easily make sweet potato sushi rolls:
- Firmly and evenly pack down the rice. Start by placing one nori sheet on a bamboo sushi mat, keeping the shiny side of the nori sheet down. Add 1 heaping cup of rice to the sheet and press it down firmly to cover the whole surface of the nori sheet, leaving about a 1/2 inch lip at the top of the sheet (see photo).
- Place the filling in the center of the nori sheet. In this case, the sweet potatoes (see photo).
- Keep the top lip wet. Dip your fingers in water and generously moisten the top lip that you left. This will be really important to help keep the sushi roll together.
- Roll it up tightly. This is really important! Starting at the edge closest to you, wrap up both the bamboo mat and sushi roll together. How you want to roll up the sushi roll is the same way you would roll up a yoga mat or a beach towel. Keep it really tight or you risk the sushi roll falling apart.
- Have a sharp knife ready. Having a sharp knife is key to cutting through the sticky nori sheet cleanly and efficiently. I recommend wetting the knife to aid in the cutting process. Cut into about 8 pieces.
Cooking essentials:
A bamboo mat or a dish towel
A saucepan
A baking sheet
A mesh strainer
See below for substitutions and nutritional information.
Serves 8
Roasted Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
Vita Pura Health
Yields 4 sushi rolls
A deliciously healthy vegan-friendly & gluten-free alternative to sushi rolls.
30 minPrep Time
25 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Ingredients
For the sushi rolls:- 4 Nori sheets
- 2-3 sweet potatoes, depending on the size
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups sushi rice, uncooked (Japanese short-grain rice)
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
For the sauce:- 2/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
You will also need:- A mesh strainer
- A bamboo mat or dish towel
- A baking sheet
- A saucepan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Wash & peel the sweet potato. Cut the sweet potato into long fry-like pieces, about 1/2 an inch thick. Remember they will shrink in the oven.
- Lay out the sweet potato pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Coat with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through. Broil for the last minute.
- In the meantime, rinse the rice with a mesh strainer in cold water until the water runs clear. Add the rice and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once you reach a boil, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
- When the rice is done, mix in the rice vinegar and agave nectar. Allow the rice to cool.
- Place one nori sheet on a bamboo mat (a dish towel also works). Once the rice is cooled, firmly press 1 cup on the nori sheet, leaving a small lip (about 1") at the top and bottom (see photo).
- Once the sweet potato has cooled, add 5-6 pieces of sweet potato to the center of the rice layer.
- Starting at the side closest to you, use the mat/towel as guidance to roll up the sushi, making it as tight as possible. Use a sharp knife to cut each roll into 8-9 pieces. Repeat the last 3 steps with remaining sushi ingredients.
- For the sauce, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix. Enjoy!
Notes
~ Sushi rolls can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week.
~ Substitutions are listed below.
~ This recipe makes 4 rolls. Nutrition label is based on 4-5 pieces.
7.8.1.213https://slowdowncompany.com/roasted-sweet-potato-sushi-rolls/
Serves 8
Vita Pura Health
Yields 4 sushi rolls
A deliciously healthy vegan-friendly & gluten-free alternative to sushi rolls.
30 minPrep Time
25 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Ingredients
- 4 Nori sheets
- 2-3 sweet potatoes, depending on the size
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups sushi rice, uncooked (Japanese short-grain rice)
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- 2/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- A mesh strainer
- A bamboo mat or dish towel
- A baking sheet
- A saucepan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Wash & peel the sweet potato. Cut the sweet potato into long fry-like pieces, about 1/2 an inch thick. Remember they will shrink in the oven.
- Lay out the sweet potato pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Coat with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through. Broil for the last minute.
- In the meantime, rinse the rice with a mesh strainer in cold water until the water runs clear. Add the rice and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Once you reach a boil, cover with a lid and turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
- When the rice is done, mix in the rice vinegar and agave nectar. Allow the rice to cool.
- Place one nori sheet on a bamboo mat (a dish towel also works). Once the rice is cooled, firmly press 1 cup on the nori sheet, leaving a small lip (about 1") at the top and bottom (see photo).
- Once the sweet potato has cooled, add 5-6 pieces of sweet potato to the center of the rice layer.
- Starting at the side closest to you, use the mat/towel as guidance to roll up the sushi, making it as tight as possible. Use a sharp knife to cut each roll into 8-9 pieces. Repeat the last 3 steps with remaining sushi ingredients.
- For the sauce, add all ingredients to a bowl and mix. Enjoy!
Notes
~ Sushi rolls can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week.
~ Substitutions are listed below.
~ This recipe makes 4 rolls. Nutrition label is based on 4-5 pieces.
For the sushi rolls, you will need:
- Nori: edible seaweed dried into sheets. Nori is rich in vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C and iodine and has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Nori is low in calories, fat and sugar.
- Sweet Potato: loaded with vitamins and minerals. One cup of sweet potato has all your daily vitamin A intake, almost half your vitamin C and manganese, 36% of your copper, 34% of your B6, 24% of your biotin, and 20% of your potassium. Nevermind that they contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. For this recipe, I cut the sweet potatoes into roughly 1/2 inch fry-shaped pieces.
- Sushi rice: a good source of healthy carbohydrates. Substitutions: you can use any white rice, but sushi rice is extra sticky to ensure the sushi stays together.
- Extra virgin olive oil: one of the best oils for its healthy, monounsaturated fats. Just 4 tablespoons of evoo has over 35% of your daily intake of vitamin K and vitamin E, as well as 5% of your daily omega-6. It is also one of the most beneficial foods for healing inflammation due to the presence of oleic acid and oleocanthol. It is important to choose extra virgin olive oil over other lighter olive oils that have been diluted with cheaper oils like soybean oil or canola oil that have less health benefits. Substitutions: you can use any type of oil, but I prefer evoo or avocado oil for their health benefits.
- Rice vinegar: like most vinegar, rice vinegar is beneficial for weight loss and easy digestion due to the acetic acid that soothes inflammation in the gut.
- Agave nectar: a low-glycemic natural sweetener. While honey, maple syrup and table sugar have a glycemic index of 50 or higher, agave is closer to 20. Although high glycemic foods aren’t necessarily bad for you (pineapple has a GI of 70), they will cause a larger insulin spike, leading to temporarily higher blood glucose levels. People with high blood sugar may want to limit high glycemic foods. Agave should still be used sparingly, since it is high in natural sugar (fructose). Substitutions: pure maple syrup.
To make the sauce, mix:
- Coconut aminos: a healthy alternative to soy sauce, which has artificial colors and cancer-causing ingredients like 4-methylimidazole and 3-MCPD. Coconut aminos are non-gmo, gluten-free, vegan and contain 17 out of 21 amino acids. IT also has about 300% less sodium than soy sauce. Look for coconut aminos that contain only 2 ingredients: the sap from a coconut tree and sea salt.
- Ginger paste: a very medicinal plant, known best for its ability to treat nausea and common colds, reduce muscle pain and soreness, and has great anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger has also been shown to reduce oxidative stress to the brain, which prevents reduces neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
- Sesame seeds: a good source of vitamins and minerals. Two tablespoons of sesame seeds has 16% of your daily calcium and magnesium intake and 10% of your vitamin B6.
- Garlic: one of the several vegetables recognized by the National Cancer Institute for its anticancer properties, especially pancreatic cancer. It’s also best known for its ability to promote low blood pressure and prevent heart disease. Garlic is another good vegetable to consume for a cold or infection.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
Serving Size1 g
Calories400
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Fat
2g
4%
- Saturated Fat 0.6g 0%
- Sodium 741.8mg 31%
- Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
- Total Carbohydrate
84.5g
29%
- Dietary Fiber 8g 32%
- Sugars 19.2g
- Protein 9g 18%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.