Spicy Beet Sushi Roll

Beets are one of those vegetables that is a milestone for many people to indicate that you have become a grown-up.  Chances are, you don’t really come to appreciate it and even enjoy it until you are a little older.  Same goes for Brussels sprouts, green beans, broccoli and cauliflower.   But if you LOVE beets and LOVE sushi, these spicy beet rolls are to die for!

Spicy Tuna Alternative

I had this idea to create the spicy beet rolls when I started hosting sushi parties at home.  Spicy tuna rolls are one of the most popular choices for my guests, but not everyone likes or can eat raw fish.  Also, buying fresh tuna to make a lot of spicy tuna can get really expensive fast.  So, I thought about how I can re-create the similar texture and flavor.

The results are SO much more than what I expected!  I now have another vegetarian option for my guests.  And, when I feel like making quick sushi for dinner or lunch, I don’t have to run out to a Japanese specialty store to buy sushi-grade fish to make these. 

Type of beets to use

There are a few different varieties of beets – red, pink, golden, striped.  The typical red ones will closely replicate the look of tuna. But you can use any type to make this recipe. 

You can use the cooked beets in the can for this and turns out just as good.  But if you use the canned product, be sure to use the non-pickled version.  If you can find the kind with no-salt added, that’s even better.

How to cook beets

If you are using fresh beets, there are a few different ways to cook them.  Since you will be chopping up and mixing up other ingredients with the beets later, I don’t think that the method matters too much.  But here are two methods you can use to create the tender beets to use for the spicy beet rolls:

To steam-roast beets:

• Place beets, washed but unpeeled, in a baking dish.
• Add about 1 inch of water.
• Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil.
• Roast them at 400 F for about 1 hour.  Start checking the beets to see you can easily pierce them with a fork. Keep cooking until they are tender all the way through.

To microwave beets:

• Wash but do not peel the beets.
• Large beets should be halved or quartered into even sizes. If you are using small beets, pierce the skin in several places. 
• Place beets in a microwavable dish or bowl
• Add about 1 inch of water.
• Cover the dish loosely with damp paper towel.
• Cook beets on high for 7 minutes.   Start checking the beets to see you can easily pierce them with a fork. Keep cooking until they are tender all the way through.

Whether you’ve microwaved or roasted beets, once they are tender, plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. 

How to make spicy beet

Once the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and grate them using a cheese grater. 

If you grate the beet, it’s just as tender as chopped tuna used to make the spicy tuna.  But if you like a little more texture, just finely dice the beet.

Spicy beet recipe

For every medium to large size cooked, peeled then grated/diced beet, add the following then mix:

• 2 tablespoons Japanese mayo
• ¼ teaspoon tobanjan chili paste or Sriracha sauce

Refrigerate at least for 1 hour.

How to make spicy beet sushi roll

Now that you have the spicy beet ready, you can roll them a few different ways:

• Hand roll them individually, like how we roll them at our sushi parties
• Make them into rolls by using a bamboo sushi mat.  (Detailed instructions coming soon!)

You can roll the spicy beet by itself with rice.  (See below for instructions on how to prepare sushi rice.)  Or, you can also cut up and add any of the following ingredients with the spicy beet to make the rolls:

• Cucumbers
• Avocado
• Green onion

How to make sushi rice

You have to prepare the sushi rice at least a couple of hours in advance.  Cook the rice following the normal directions on the package or using the rice cooker to make plain Japanese rice.  Then follow the directions on the sushi vinegar bottle to make the sushi rice. If you are using Mizkan Vinegar Sushi Seasoning, for example, you add 5 tablespoons of sushi vinegar per 4 cups of cooked rice.  Once the rice is cooked, while it’s hot, transfer the rice into a large serving bowl.  The larger the better to make the mixing and cooling easier.

The trick is to add the vinegar while the rice is hot and mix it gently but thoroughly so that the rice is evenly coated with vinegar. Then, the rice must cool down to room temperature before serving.  No need to cover it while it cools.  Don’t put the vinegared rice in the fridge before you serve either as it will dry out and harden.

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