Roasted coconut-sweet potato sushi bowls with sesame avocado. Photo by Scott Price
Roasted coconut-sweet potato sushi bowls with sesame avocado. Photo by Scott Price
Roasted coconut-sweet potato sushi bowls with sesame avocado. Photo by Scott Price
Roasted coconut-sweet potato sushi bowls with sesame avocado. Photo by Scott Price

Cook sushi rice right, every time, and try these two tasty recipes


  • English
  • Arabic

Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes

Cheat’s nigiri 
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.

Deconstructed sushi salad platter 
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.

Once you have perfected your rice-cooking technique, sushi bowls are a stress-free and delicious way to put the spoils of your culinary labour to good use.

Tips for preparing sushi rice

It would be foolhardy to suggest that following these steps will guarantee you faultless sushi rice. They will, however, help you on the way to producing well-seasoned, glossy grains – and that’s really all us amateurs can hope for.

First up, says chef Nobu, pick the right rice: polished, white short-grain sushi rice in this instance.

Preparation is crucial, and this starts with removing the starch. Wash the rice in a sieve under the tap until the water runs clear, then leave to soak for at least 30 minutes – but ideally longer.

Once cooked, it’s imperative that the rice is dressed with sushi-su (seasoned vinegar) while still warm.

There are countless recipes and ratios for sushi-su, although most use the same simple base components: rice vinegar, salt and sugar. Once you become au fait with making your own, you can tweak to taste.

Now comes the difficult part: carefully distributing the seasoned vinegar through the rice, ensuring that each grain is lightly coated yet undamaged by the process. Transfer the rice to a wide, shallow, wood, glass or ceramic bowl (avoid using an aluminium dish as it can impart a metallic taste).

Slowly pour over a little sushi-su and use a flat-headed rice paddle or wide spatula (again avoid metal) to gently toss the rice using a vertical cutting and folding technique.

Be careful during this process – you don’t want to crush or cut the individual grains.

At the same time, fan the rice with a hand fan or a piece of cardboard; doing so helps the rice to cool down more quickly, resulting in a shiny finish.

Once almost all the sushi-su has been incorporated, taste the rice to check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Cover with cling film or a clean, damp tea towel until you’re ready to use.

Smoked salmon and sweet chilli cucumber sushi bowls with coriander and lime sweetcorn

Smoked salmon and sweet chilli cucumber sushi bowls with coriander and lime sweetcorn. Photo by Scott Price
Smoked salmon and sweet chilli cucumber sushi bowls with coriander and lime sweetcorn. Photo by Scott Price

Serves 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes plus standing

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

160g sushi rice

90ml rice vinegar

1½ tbsp caster or granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1 UAE cucumber, peeled intro strips using a vegetable peeler

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

1 corn on the cob

1 lime, juice and zest

Handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

100g smoked salmon, cut into strips

1 sheet nori, broken into pieces

Method

  • Rinse the rice according to the preparation instructions. Transfer to a saucepan and cover with 220ml water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand, covered, for 12 minutes more.
  • Make the sushi-su by gently heating 75ml rice vinegar in a small saucepan with the caster sugar and 1 tsp salt, until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat. Drizzle the sushi-su over the rice, following the instructions above.
  • Put the cucumber in a small bowl along with the sweet chilli sauce and remaining white vinegar. Mix well and set aside.
  • Boil the corn for five minutes in salted water. Drain, leave to cool slightly, then slice the corn kernels from the cob and put in a bowl. Add the lime juice and zest and chopped coriander. Mix well and season with black pepper.
  • Divide the rice, cucumber, smoked salmon, sweetcorn and nori between two bowls and serve.

________________________

Read more:

The perfect sushi rice? Chef Nobu Matsuhisa shares his tips

Chef Nobu visits Deira's Waterfront Market

Watch: Two Michelin-starred chefs prepare their signature dishes

‘I like to educate the next generation’, says Japanese celebrity chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa

________________________

Roasted coconut-sweet potato sushi bowls with sesame avocado

Serves 2

Preparation time: 15 minutes plus standing

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut

½ tbsp black sesame seeds, plus extra to serve

160g sushi rice

90ml rice vinegar

1½ tbsp caster or granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

½ avocado, peeled, stoned and thinly sliced

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 sheet nori, broken into pieces

Lime wedges, to serve

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Tip the diced sweet potato onto a large baking tray, drizzle with the coconut oil and season with salt and pepper.
  • Mix well and roast for 25 minutes. Sprinkle over the desiccated coconut and three quarters of the sesame seeds, and cook for another five minutes.
  • Meanwhile, rinse the rice according to the instructions detailed above. Transfer to a saucepan and cover with 220ml water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand, covered, for another 12 minutes.
  • Make the sushi-su by gently heating 75ml rice vinegar in a small saucepan with the caster sugar and 1 tsp salt until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat. Drizzle the sushi-su over the rice following the instructions above.
  • Coat the avocado slices with the sesame oil and remaining rice vinegar. Add a scattering of sesame seeds and season generously.
  • Divide the rice, sweet potato, avocado and nori between two bowls, add the lime wedges and sprinkle over any remaining sesame seeds. Then serve.
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

LIVING IN...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
 
  • Grade 9 = above an A*
  • Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
  • Grade 7 = grade A
  • Grade 6 = just above a grade B
  • Grade 5 = between grades B and C
  • Grade 4 = grade C
  • Grade 3 = between grades D and E
  • Grade 2 = between grades E and F
  • Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Key changes

Commission caps

For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:

• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term). 

• On the protection component, there is a cap  of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).

• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated. 

• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.

• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.

Disclosure

Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.

“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”

Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.

Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.

“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.

Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.

Fixtures

50-over match

UAE v Lancashire, starts at 10am

Champion County match

MCC v Surrey, four-day match, starting on Sunday, March 24, play starts at 10am

Both matches are at ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City. Admission is free.

Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes

Cheat’s nigiri 
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.

Deconstructed sushi salad platter 
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.