Vegan sushi burgers

We’ve gone from 14 degree days to 30 degree days all in the space of a week! Spring is well and truly here (hello hay fever!) noticed by the fact that I’m now wearing two layers when I leave the house instead of four. But beyond delayering, there is one thing that I’m really looking forward to: daylight savings time. I’m counting down the days until I get home from work and it’s still light outside.

I first made sushi burgers – or sushi sandwiches if you’d prefer to call them – about three months ago. Confession: I have never made real sushi before… only hand rolls. I loved hand rolls but my DIY attempt looked exactly that, DIY. What I love about sushi burgers is that they are incredibly simple to make, the end result looks somewhat professional and they taste good.

When I became vegan, vegetable sushi rolls really bored me. That was until pickled vegetables in sushi found me like a knight in shining armour. Now I’m not satisfied unless my sushi has a pickle in it.

Sushi burgers
Makes 7 burgers

7 sheets of aluminium foil
7 sheets of nori seaweed
2 1/3 cups cooked sushi rice
1 avocado, halved and sliced
2 pickled carrots, julienned
4 baby cucumbers, thinly sliced lengthways
1/3 cup peanut tamarind sauce (see below)

Lay a sheet of foil on your surface then lay a sheet of nori on top, shiny side down, with one of the ends pointing towards you.

Spread a third of a cup of the rice into a square in the middle. Then add fillings and top with another third of a cup of rice into a square.

Fold in the sides of the nori, like you would wrapping paper and tightly fold the foil around it to hold it together. If you notice the nori tearing, you can lightly mist it with some water.

Repeat until all rice and fillings have been used.

After the foil-wrapped sushi burgers have rested for at least 10 minutes, unfold the foil and discard. Run a sharp knife under water and slice the sushi burgers in half.

Serve with soy sauce.

Peanut tamarind sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp gluten-free soy sauce
1 tbsp tamarind concentrate

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Add water gradually until desired consistency is reached.