poke sushi

to be honest, nothing makes me happier in the food world besides sushi. and besides, it's versatile and easy to eat (originally, it was street food that was eaten with your fingers before its trendy introduction to the US in the 20th century). you can hit all the food groups with one roll or customize it to your diet! 

i spent my happy childhood looking forward to visiting grandma midori (the same one who i owe this magical cake to) at her restaurant and watching her make colorful rolls! for special occasions, she would arrange rolls with cut out pieces of nori and bright orange tobiko to create little pandas and tigers! i was so amazed! once i turned six, she introduced me to the world of rolling sushi. after her passing 9 years ago, i have somewhat retained the skill she taught me, albeit a tad untraditional. i admit, i don't use paper fans all the time to cool the rice and the same exact measurements of rice vinegar or even typical fillings for the rolls! i just...roll with it! hahaha. 

today, i'm going to show you how I combined my two favorite raw fish dishes into one! 

poke (po-keh) sushi rolls!

poke is a hawaiian dish that features diced sashimi grade ahi tuna marinated in a sesame oil, garlic, shoyu (soy sauce), and green onion mix. it's popularly served over steamed rice or crispy wonton skins. it's super refreshing on hot summer nights or if you don't feel like turning on the stove. i absolutely love this.

this recipe was inspired by my craving for poke on a hot summer night...it's a pretty lengthy preparation time so i was able to cut up all the ingredients and steam the rice all while watching season 4 of game of thrones. i got my family hooked on the popular tv series so my mum binge watched and finished season 4 before even thinking about eating! due to the lighting, time, and convenience i pulled out my trusty iphone to take a pretty photo of the preparation. you can use this photo below as a reference to the ingredient placement when you make these! it's definitely yummy!

ingredients!!! for about 5 rolls, cut into 6 rounds

1 pound of sashimi grade ahi tuna
1/2 cucumber
3 cups of rice
5-6 sheets of sushi nori
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of ginger, fresh or powdered
1 bunch of green onions
2 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons of sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup mirin (sweet cooking seasoning)
toasted white sesame seeds (optional)

to make and assemble!!!

1. mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, and ginger in a bowl. mince the garlic and add it to the soy sauce mixture. slice the green onion into 4 inch strips width wise and further julienne it length-wise into thin strips. add to the soy sauce mixture.

2. slice your tuna into thin strips, about 1/2 inch in width. marinate it in the soy sauce mixture and put in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.

3. steam your rice. rinse your rice 3-4 times under fresh water. steam with 3 cups of rice.

4. line a bamboo mat with plastic wrap and secure in the back with tape. if you don't have a mat, you can also use a small silicone baking sheet.
5. when the rice is finished cooking, scoop out in a bowl to let cool. add in the mirin and rice vinegar and toss with a paddle or spatula to mix throughly while cooling the rice. mix until it is warm.
6. slice your cucumber into matchsticks and set aside.
7. place a sheet of nori on the mat, rough side facing up. spread a thin layer of rice 3/4 of the way up (if you want to have more filling) or 2/3 of the way up (if you plan to use less filling). after that, sprinkle on about a teaspoon of sesame seeds on top of the rice.
8. take your tuna out of the fridge. place 3-4 strips along the bottom edge about 2 inches from the bottom.
9. line 8 strips of cucumber on top of where the tuna is.
10. using your fingers to hold the filling in place, tightly roll the mat from the bottom up until the filling is surrounded by rice. roll firmly, but don't squeeze the roll. then keep on rolling until it is completely rolled up. you can trim the excess nori or have it overlap. seal in the edge by using water to "glue" it in place.
11. continue with the remaining ingredients. after resting the rolls for about 5-10 minutes, they are ready to slice and eat!

ta-daaaaaaa! it's done!