Ketolicious Sushi: Poke Uramaki Rolls with Cauliflower Sushi Rice

One of the foods I have missed most over the past four years since I have embarked on the ketogenic diet is sushi. I usually make poke bowls with salads, slaws, or cauliflower rice - chirashi sushi-style, but I really missed my favorite sushi bar delicacies, like nigiri and makimono. No more. I finally decided to start experimenting and figured out a good way to make it keto with cauliflower rice using traditional sushi rice seasoning. The cauliflower's flavor is mild and refreshing as a substitute. However, cauliflower rice has no starch so making it bind is a challenge, especially for uramaki (inside-out rolls). I have seen keto bloggers desperately attempt to use binders like cream cheese - a heinous bastardization of sushi which would alter the flavor profile considerably and ruin the delicate balance of this perennial all-star favorite. I make the cauliflower rice grains adhere better without weird additives that would detract from the sushi's clean taste and I had such fun creating all kinds of variations on the theme. But first a little sushi primer. For those of you less than interested in this retrospective, you can skip waaaay down to the recipe itself. 

Sushi is a Japanese dish of specially prepared rice (sushi-meshi) seasoned with vinegar, sugar and salt, combined with a variety of ingredients such as seafood  (often, but not exclusively, raw), vegetables, and even tropical fruits. Styles of sushi and presentation vary widely, especially here in the USA, but the key ingredient is "sushi rice",  also referred to as shari or sumeshi. 

It started its life eons ago circa 4 B.C. in Southeast Asia as a way of preserving fresh fish. At that time, cleaned, gutted and salted fish was kept in cooked rice because the natural fermentation process of the rice helped to preserve the fish. The reason for this is because when the rice begins to ferment, lactic acid bacilli is produced. This acid, combined with the salt, causes a reaction that slows the bacterial growth in fish. This process is also referred to as pickling or "tsuke-ba". This early form of sushi was called "Nare-zushi". After several months of fermentation, it was taken out of storage, the fermented rice was discarded and only the fish was consumed.  

Sushi later became a popular street food in Edo in the early 19th century where its preparation was simplified by an enterprising fishmonger named Hanaya Yohei into what subsequently came to be called nigiri-- hand-rolled freshly cooked and seasoned rice balls served with thin pristine fish slices atop, and by the early 20th Century, sushi found its way indoors at specialty bars/restaurants throughout Japan. It wasn't until the 1966 that sushi was sold in America. The first dedicated restaurant was opened in Los Angeles (of course), by the 1980s sushi bars had flourished in every major metropolis in the land, and, these days, it's as ubiquitous as pizza. There is now packaged sushi sold in practically every supermarket in the country. 

Sushi is often served with pickled ginger (gari), wasabi (or horseradish paste), and soy sauce (or tamari/shoyu). Daikon radish is popular as a garnish. Sushi is sometimes confused with sashimi, a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced raw fish, or meat eaten with a dipping sauce like soy sauce with wasabi paste or ponzu sauce (a citrus based sauce made by mixing soy sauce, lemon juice, rice vinegar, dashi, and mirin), served atop daikon and occasionally with a side of rice. Sashimi - technically, the word sashimi means "pierced body", where sashi = (pierced) and mi = (body, meat) - is naturally keto-friendly and I adore it, but it does require well-honed knife skills and fresh "sashimi-grade" fish. 

Of course, there really is no grading system for fish. Although there are no actual guidelines to determine if a fish is "sushi grade", the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does have regulations in place for the proper handling procedures of fish meant for raw consumption. The FDA has provided information on the different times and temperatures required for a variety of species of fish to be deemed safe. These are the general guidelines for what the FDA calls “Parasite Destruction Guarantee” that must be followed for most fish species after they are caught:

• Freezing and storing at an ambient temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time)
• Freezing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at an ambient temperature of -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours
• Freezing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours

The low temperatures kill the parasites that may be living in the fish when caught. However, this process needs to begin right away once the fish is on the boat. They must be caught quickly, bled and gutted upon capture, and frozen thoroughly in a flash freezer within 8 hours of leaving the water. There are a lot of steps that go into keeping a fish safe to eat raw, which is why there will always be a risk to eating raw sushi or sashimi. 

Some aspects of fresh fish include:

• Smells of the seawater and not spoilage
• Clear and slightly bulged eyes
• Red gills
• Firm flesh
• Intact scales
• Not slimy

Some fish are more susceptible to parasites than others, so it is important to be familiar with your fish species before just purchasing something with a sushi grade certification on it, especially if you intend on eating it raw. Here are the most common types of fish (excluding shellfish) used in raw sushi or sashimi.

• Tuna. Tuna is considered to be one of the only species of fish that is safe enough to be consumed raw with minimal processing as it is highly resistant to parasites. This includes albacore, bigeye, bluefin, bonito, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna.
• Salmon. If you are purchasing salmon for raw consumption, you should avoid wild caught and go with farmed salmon. Wild salmon spends a portion of its life in fresh water, where they are at a higher risk of contracting parasites. Aquacultured salmon is raised on a parasite-free diet and considered much safer to eat.
• Yellowtail. You may find this listed as hamachi on a sushi menu under the Japanese name. It can be rather high in mercury, so it should be consumed in moderation.
• Halibut/ Flounder. This may be listed as hirame in Japanese.
• Gizzard Shad. This is also known as kohada.
• Mackerel. This fish is also called saba or aji. Mackerel is usually treated with vinegar before serving and can be high in mercury.
• Seabass. Also known as tai or suzuki, this fish is generally treated with vinegar before serving. It is high in mercury and should be eaten in moderation.
• Farmed Fish. Fish that are raised in an aquaculture have a reduced risk of contracting parasites and are considered safer to consume raw.

It is important to note that freshwater fish should never be eaten raw as they are very prone to parasites. They should be cooked thoroughly to kill off the parasites before serving. 

The most popular type of sushi here in the USA is makimono, which literally translates to "wrapped things" or "scroll'. Makimono (also known as makizushi) consists of sushi rice and other ingredients generally wrapped in nori (thin sheets of seaweed), but is occasionally wrapped in a thin omelette, soy paper, cucumber or shiso (perilla) leaves. The roll is formed with the help of a bamboo mat called a makisu. The typical roll cuts into six or eight pieces, depending on the girth of the roll - in general, the thicker the roll, the thinner the slice, the more pieces per roll. There are different types of rolls:

• Hosomaki Roll - ("Thin Roll" 1 inch in diameter and 1 ingredient)
• Chumaki Roll - ("Medium Roll" 1 and 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 or 3 ingredients)
• Futomaki Roll - ("Fat Roll" 2 to 2 and 1/2 inches in diameter and 4 or 5 ingredients)
• Uramaki Roll - ("Inside-Out Roll" Rice on outside, Nori on inside and 2 to 3 ingredients)
• Temaki Roll - ("Hand-Roll" Cone shaped roll)

Ketolicious Sushi: Poke Rolls with Cauliflower Sushi Rice 

So in order to make any basic keto sushi rolls, you will need a few staples. All of them are easily found in the average supermarket (or online) across the USA:

1. Cauliflower rice (I use one 12 oz. package of frozen organic for 2 rolls)
2. 8 oz of "Sushi grade" fish (I use 3-4 oz per roll)
3. Rice vinegar (a mild vinegar made from rice)
4. Mirin ( rice wine made for cooking - you can use Sake, instead)
5. Wasabi (a green Japanese horseradish generally sold powdered)
6. Nori (dried seaweed, 1 sheet per roll)
7. Soy Sauce (for dipping)
8. A bamboo sushi mat
9. Cellophane (to wrap the sushi mat)
10. A very sharp knife (I use a boning knife)
11. Sushi vegetables (scallions, avocado, cucumber... whatever you like)
12. Ginger
13. Unflavored powdered gelatin (I use Knox brand)
14. Powdered Swerve (or your favorite keto sweetener)
15. Toasted Sesame Seeds
16. Toasted Sesame Oil

To make the spicy rolls you'll need a few additional condiments:

• Sriracha Sauce
• Chili Garlic Sauce
• Garlic cloves
• Mayonnaise
• Cilantro
• Lime

There are many delectable variations of keto sushi-making that I will delve into on the next blog - like sashimi and avocado tostadas over sriracha aioli with ahi slaw in miso vinaigrette and poke beggars purses -  but for today, we will just focus on the makimonos: both the uramaki (inside out rolls with rice on the outside) and the Chumaki (regular rolls with seaweed outside rice inside). 

I use frozen organic cauliflower rice, but you can make fresh rice by pulverizing a chopped head of cauliflower in a food processor until grain-like bits of cauliflower are formed. 

Note: The preparation seems laborious but nothing here should intimidate you. It's just a matter of gathering, measuring, and chopping all of your ingredients. The only cooking, if you can call it that, is microwaving the cauliflower rice, draining it well (quite literally squeezing the water out of it with your bare hands or a cheesecloth) as soon as it has cooled enough to be handled, it is imperative you remove as much excess liquid as possible, and then placing it in a bowl and stirring in well the rice vinegar, mirin, Swerve,  salt, and powdered gelatin and then refrigerating it for half an hour to let the gelatin set.  Once the gelatin is set, you can remove the rice and allow to come to room temperature, so it is best to make the rice first, then prepare the poke sauce, then chop your fish. Keep your fish refrigerated until the last possible moment... it will keep it from growing bacteria and make it easier to slice.  The rest is a matter of assembly and rolling.

The bamboo sushi mat really helps to shape to roll, so while you can get away with not using one, you really should invest in it. You should take your time rolling and forming the makimono, gently pressing the sides of the filling back into the nori as you roll because the filling wants to escape.  

You will start by preparing the rice, while the rice is cooling prepare the poke sauce, after preparing the sauce prepare the fillings: fish, vegetables; mix the wasabi powder into a paste and set aside - it will need about 10 minutes to heighten its flavor; then be sure to have a towel and a small bowl filled with 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (called the tezu) next to your sushi mat to dip your fingers and later your knife in as needed. 

There is an excellent video on Youtube that demonstrates the uramaki rolling process beautifully - the sushi chef (itamae) made California rolls which you might enjoy. It is the most popular roll in America, though not my favorite. I prefer eating crab other ways. Give it a look: 

This recipe makes 2 rolls. You can double, triple, or quadruple it. Just do the math;) 

For the cauliflower sushi rice:

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. (1-1/2 cups) of frozen organic cauliflower rice (or the fresh equivalent)
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin (or sake)
• 1 tablespoon powdered Swerve (or any sweetener you prefer)
• 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (or any salt you like)
• 2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

Instructions:

1. Microwave unopened bag of frozen cauliflower rice for 5 minutes and let rest for 1 minute (or follow rice manufacturer's suggestion for cooking)
2. Carefully snip open top seam of the bag of cooked cauliflower and drain in a colander in the sink, until cool enough to handle. 
3. While cauliflower cools, prepare sushi rice seasoning in a mixing bowl large enough to contain the rice. Mix the vinegar, mirin, Swerve, salt & gelatin, set aside near sink.
4. When cauliflower is cool enough to touch, grabbing one handful at a time, squeeze all the excess liquid out of each handful, placing the drained rice into the bowl with sushi seasoning. (You can alternatively use a cheesecloth to remove excess liquid. I'm tactile... I like using my hands.)
5. When all the rice is drained of excess liquid, stir the seasoning and the rice well to make sure to coat each grain of rice. You can adjust seasoning to determine whether the rice is sweet/salty/tangy enough to suit your taste. 
6. Place rice in refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow gelatin to set. Remove from refrigerator and prepare poke sauce.

For the poke sauce:

You can adjust the ingredients to suit your palate. These are what I used, but you are not me. Just be sure to keep a balance of flavors in mind if you adjust. I wouldn't usually add mayonnaise to poke, but in this instance an aioli is necessary to thicken the sauce to make it creamier and more binding since we are going to place it inside a roll and, without the mayo, the sauce would be too wet and liquidy - the texture of the rice and the nori would suffer. The cauliflower rice is already wet enough. Fresh ginger has a bit of heat (an assertive bite which I like), but it can be overwhelming for some palates, so feel free to grate it, rather than mince it. It will be subtler that way. 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 Tablespoon of Chili Garlic sauce (Sambal Oelek or your favorite: sugar-free, starch-free chili sauce)
• 1 teaspoon of Sriracha Sauce
• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 half-inch knob of fresh ginger root, finely minced
• a few sprigs of cilantro, finely minced
• 2 scallions, finely minced
• 1 Tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• juice from half a lime

Instructions:

Whisk all the ingredients well in a bowl. Set aside. 

For the Uramaki ("inside-out") rolls:

Ingredients:

• 8 oz "sashimi-grade" fish, finely diced and placed in a bowl
• 2 scallions, julienned lengthwise
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup (or more) Toasted Sesame Seeds, White & Black
• 1-1/2 cups prepares cauliflower sushi rice (recipe above)
• poke sauce (recipe above)
• 2 sheets of roasted nori (8-1/4 by 7-1/4 inch)
• bamboo sushi mat wrapped in cellophane
• 1 tablespoon wasabi powder mixed with water into a paste, rolled into ball (for service)
• low sodium soy sauce (for service)

Instructions

1. Mix cubed fish with half the poke sauce.
2. Place sushi mat with cellophane on work surface with slats running crosswise. Arrange 1 sheet nori, shiny side down, on mat, lining up a long edge of sheet with edge of mat nearest you. Using damp fingers, gently press 1/2 of rice onto nori in 1 layer, leaving a 1 3/4-inch border on side farthest from you. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
3. Flip the nori and rice over so that the nori is now the top layer. Make a thin line of scallion along the nori 1 to 2 inches from the edge closest to you. Place a thin line of avocado over the scallion. Spoon half the spicy tuna mixture over the veggies.  Grab the bottom edge of the bamboo mat while keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, roll into a tight cylinder. Lift the edge of the bamboo mat and continue to roll it forward while keeping gentle pressure on the mat. Roll tightly but gently, using the sushi mat to guide you. Finding your sushi falling apart easily? Maybe because you don’t squeeze the sushi rolls tightly enough. You have to tuck in and pull the bamboo mat while you roll. Also after you finish rolling, place the bamboo mat over the sushi roll and gently squeeze the sushi roll over the bamboo mat.
4. With a very sharp knife, cut the roll in half and then cut each half into 3 pieces. Clean the knife with a damp cloth and dip it in the tezu after every few cuts. When you cut sushi rolls, dip your fingers in Tezu or you can cover the roll with plastic, so the rice won't stick to your hands, but I don't like the idea of tiny pieces of plastic possibly adhering to the roll. 
5. Repeat instructions 1-4 to make the next roll (you can of course, just make a regular roll with the nori on the outside and save a step)
6. Arrange your rolls decoratively on a plate and add a dollop of the spicy sauce atop for further garnish. Serve each roll with wasabi and a dish of soy sauce.
   
   
   
   
   
   Meshiagare!!!