How To Make Sushi Rice Using Short Grain Brown Rice

I go in and out of making sushi, obsessing over it then taking a break from it. After hitting the bulk section at Whole Foods, buying some rice and beans, I thought how easy it must be to make sushi rice from short grain brown rice; short grain brown rice is in itself a little bit sticky already and would be perfect for this recipe. If you remember, the last time I made sushi, I used quinoa. It turned out well but the sushi stays together best when you prepare the quinoa right before you make the sushi. With the brown rice, it was easy to make sushi with leftover, refrigerated rice.


Yesterday I ran 8 miles and I felt wonderful. My half marathon is March 20th and I already know I'm going to be fine. The one thing I've struggled with is not feeling as in shape as I was last May for the Brooklyn half. Feeling not as in shape and not as pumped for running. usually when I sign up for a huge race, I think about running all the time and I can't wait to get out there for my long runs. I'm excited and I think alot about my half marathon next month but I've had to psych myself up more for doing my long runs. Some runs I've felt tired, some I have not run as long as I wanted to, some seem like I'm running through molasses, my limbs so tired and pushing to keep up. I take those days as good practice days, I try to remember that I'm still running and these mediocre runs as I classify them are still helping me train for 13.1 miles. Some runs are just so magnificent, so unbelievably awesome, like yesterday's run. I have boundless energy during these runs and I just keep pushing through the hills and through the fatigue and muscle cramps. I try to keep those awesome runs in the forefront of my mind when I'm having a bad or don't feel like running.

Now on to the sushi recipe! Make your brown rice the way that the package tells you to, it's 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water. I have a rice cooker and I make all my rice in that, usually making enough for alot of leftovers. My rice cooker is awesome because it's alot like a crockpot, I put the rice and water, turn it on and go do something else. So, make your rice as you normally would. Here is what you will need:

1 cup of cooked rice
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
1/4 cup of coconut sugar
1-3 nori sheets
1 avocado
1 sweet potato, cut and steamed

When the rice is finished cooking and sitting, mix in the rice vinegar and sugar. Mix well, you will see the rice becoming sticky and clumpy. Transfer to a glass storage bowl. Place a nori seaweed sheet on a sushi mat or wax paper and add the rice on top of the nori sheet. Pat the rice down, making sure it covers the nori sheet on each side but leaving space at the top and bottom of the sheet for folding over. Add some avocado and sweet potato pieces on top of the rice. Roll the sushi roll over with the sushi mat or wax paper and wet the tip of the sushi roll. The idea is for the two ends of the roll to stick together. Press down to ensure that the sushi roll stays rolled. Transfer the roll to a cutting board and cut into pieces using a very sharp chef's knife. Make as many rolls as you wish. For a more detailed description of making sushi, click here.

Sushi is an excellent dish to make when you want something light and yummy with lots of flavor. You can add so many veggies, lots of combinations, add just one veggie or three, whatever you are feeling like. My favorite dip is ume plum vinegar, it's salty like soy sauce but it just has the umeboshi plum and sea salt as the ingredients, no soy, no alcohol or preservatives. A little goes a long way because it is definitely on the salty side. You can buy sushi rice in the bulk aisle of many stores but when you make it at home, you know exactly what is in it. You can use more natural sources of sugar like coconut sugar and you can use brown rice.

Want more sushi recipes? Click on the sushi label below to see more posts!