Tempura and Sushi Become One (Two Ways!)
October 20th, 2008 | Published in Deep Fried, Japanese, Portland, Sushi, Vegan MoFo | 15 Comments
While enjoying Sunday brunch at Isa and Justin’s place, Michelle C asked me if I’d like to come over and make sushi for the Vegan MoFo Iron Chef Challenge. I quickly obliged, and decided that we should make sushi filled with yam tempura, a filling that seems more common in Canada than elsewhere. Somewhere in the discussion of temura the idea struck to batter and fry an entire sushi roll. Was it possible? We were about to find out!
I headed over to Aaron and Michelle’s awesome apartment and we got started with the planning. We decided that in addition to the yam tempura filling, we would try to batter some plaintain as well! The plantain was found at a hidden gem of a corner store near the apartment where they stock all kinds of vegan friendly ethnic foods, and plenty of plantain.
We searched for a vegan tempura recipe, and settled on this one, based solely on the mention of fluffiness. We blanched the yam and plantain, coated it in batter, and fried it up. The fluffiness was no joke!
It was now time to get out our sushi mats and start rolling. We made a bunch of different varieties, filling with carrots, cucumber, avocado, veganaisse and of course the yam and plantain tempura.
The tempura, though fluffy, still rolled well into the sushi.
I made a single inside-out roll, because I had a specific goal in mind, to coat it in batter and try that sucker up! Here are the results, as crispy and delicious as can be!
They came out so golden, flaky and satisfying. The batter held the oil at bay, and the rice never really got greasy as you might expect.
The sushi party was a great success and we ended up with a giant platter!
October 20th, 2008 at 11:07 am (#)
So awesome – and a must try!
October 20th, 2008 at 11:11 am (#)
Kevin!
Such a good idea about the plantains — I can’t stop thinking about them! Yay green plantains!
Your pictures came out great!
I didn’t get to look through AA’s, which clearly would have been crisper than mine, but I wanted to post something by midnight! I just made it!
That was a ton of fun, and I can’t wait to eat some leftover sushi for lunch!
October 20th, 2008 at 11:35 am (#)
Tempura yams have to be one of my favourite fillings. Fried sushi = genius!
October 20th, 2008 at 11:46 am (#)
that is the coolest idea. Tempura sushi looks so good! and what an apartment, look at that crazy library. It’s awesome.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:56 pm (#)
It hurts I wasn’t there for this.
xo
kittee
October 20th, 2008 at 1:03 pm (#)
They are AWESOME!!
What a GENIUS idea!
October 20th, 2008 at 2:08 pm (#)
This looks great! I used to go to this restaurant that would make me tempura California rolls without the crab… I’ll have to try these with some veganaise and sriracha!
October 20th, 2008 at 2:48 pm (#)
That looks so good. I love tempura! I also love sushi! It’s a win-win!
October 20th, 2008 at 4:22 pm (#)
Fried sushi is brilliant.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:25 pm (#)
Oh my gosh, these look amazing! Your photography makes everything look delectable!
October 20th, 2008 at 10:56 pm (#)
Holy crap, that’s a lot of books. Has that shelf ever avalanched?
The tempura insideout rolls look like a foodgasm.
October 21st, 2008 at 6:28 pm (#)
Wow those fried sushi look so fantastic. I am so bummed I missed this iron chef, I LOVE to make it. I make onigiri rolls too but they are usually plain. Did you have to steam any of your inside ingredients?
Thanks!!
October 21st, 2008 at 7:46 pm (#)
O.M.G. that. is. amazing!! unbelievable!
March 4th, 2009 at 4:46 pm (#)
Hey i loved the idea for battering a whole sushi roll, Amazing! I have had a mad craving for tempura yam rolls, and i can’t get them on the east coast of canada, or at least i haven’t found them yet, my town is sadly lacking in the vegan and ethnic culinary relm. I was wondering what your batter recpie was?
Thanks a bunch,
Brad
March 4th, 2009 at 4:47 pm (#)
hahah nevermind i looked closer and found it in your article, sorry!