Tempura Pumpkin Sushi

Chopsticks grabbing a piece of Pumpkin Sushi from a plate.

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This pumpkin sushi is made with sweet, crispy crusted pieces of winter squash tucked inside rolls of nori and rice, then finished with a tangy vegan "eel" sauce. It's a fun, decadent homemade sushi roll that's perfect for fall!

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Soak Time20

Total Time1 15

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American, Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 652kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Rice

1 ⅓ cups sushi rice
1 ½ cups water, plus more for soaking
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar

For the Vegan Eel Sauce

¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup organic brown sugar
¼ cup mirin
1 ½ tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For the Filling

Vegetable oil
12 ounces winter squash (such as butternut, kabocha, delicata, or acorn), cut into ¼ to ½ inch thick batons
½ cup all-purpose flour

For the Tempura Batter

½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder (only use if you're making the batter with seltzer — do not use with beer)
¾ cup vegan ale or plain seltzer water, chilled

For Rolling

4 nori sheets

For Serving

Toasted sesame seeds
Pickled ginger
Wasabi paste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the rice into a medium saucepan and cover it with cold water. Let it sit for 20 minutes, then drain the water and return the rice to the pot.
Add the 1 ½ cups of water, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Stir, then set the pot over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let the rice simmer for about 20 minutes, until the liquid is all absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the pot sit covered for 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and fluff the rice with a fork.
Make the sauce while the rice cooks. Stir the soy sauce, brown sugar, and mirin together in a small saucepan. Set it over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat and let it cook at a low simmer for about 5 minutes.
While the mixture simmers, stir the cold water and cornstarch together in a small container. After the sauce has simmered for 5 minutes, stir in the cornstarch mixture and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Once it starts to simmer, it should thicken slightly. Remove it from the heat, then stir in the sesame oil. Let the sauce cool.
Place about 2 inches of oil into a large pot and set it over medium heat.
While the oil heats up, place the squash batons onto a microwave-safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave the squash for about 3 minutes, until the pieces are just beginning to soften up. Be careful when removing the paper towel, as the squash will release hot steam.
Place the ½ cup of flour into a small bowl.
In a second bowl, whisk together the batter ingredients.
Once the oil reaches about 350°F, place a few of the squash batons into the bowl containing the flour. Gently roll the batons to coat them in flour, then, one at a time, dip each baton into the batter. Coat the baton with batter, then shake off any excess before transferring it to the hot oil. Repeat the process, adding as many batons as you can at a time without crowding (you'll end up with about 4 batches). Fry the batons for about 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a wire rack to drain. Continue until all of the squash is fried.
Wrap a bamboo mat in plastic wrap and place one sheet of nori over top. Keep a small bowl of water nearby and wet your fingertips.
Distribute one quarter of your rice in an even layer over the nori, pressing it down until it's nice and thin. Wet your hands periodically to help prevent the rice from sticking to them.
Carefully invert your rice-covered nori sheet so that the rice layer sits on the plastic wrap and the nori is face up.
Arrange about a quarter of your squash filling in a strip extending widthwise across your nori, about an inch away from you.
Carefully roll the end of the mat closest to you over your filling strip, tucking and squeezing to get it nice and tight. Continue rolling until you reach the end.
Take your roll and place it seam side down on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the roll into eight pieces, wiping the blade clean with a damp towel between cuts.
Repeat the process to make three more rolls using the remaining ingredients.
Sprinkle the rolls with toasted sesame seeds, then serve with vegan eel sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.

Notes

Watch this quick video if you need guidance on how to roll uramaki.

Nutrition