Brown Rice & Avocado Sushi

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup brown rice, rinsed to remove starch 2-3 times
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

4-5 sheets dried seaweed
1 sliced red capsicum
2 thinly sliced/julienned carrots
2 thinly sliced/julienned cucumbers/courgettes
2 sliced avocados, sliced into strips

Method

1. For the rice, bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice and give it a quick stir, then gently lower the heat to low. Cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender. All the water is should generally be absorbed by now, but if necessary... drain off any excess if any.
2. In a seperate small saucepan, add vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt and heat over medium heat. Stir briefly until both the sugar and salt are dissolved, and then remove from the heat and place straight into the fridge to cool.
3. When the rice is done and removed from the heat, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Combine the rice with the cooled vinegar mixture, and stir with a large fork. It may appear wet at first, but this will absorb into the rice as the grains cool (so don't stress). When ready to use, the wet texture should be gone, and the rice should appear sticky and completely dry.
4. Either while the rice is cooking, or before you start rolling... prep all of your veggies by chopping them into thin pieces. Make sure you cut them nice and thin, to avoid fat and un-rollable sushi rolls.
5. When ready to roll your sushi, grab your bamboo sushi mat and top with a sheet of nori. Dip your hand in warm water (to avoid sticking), and gently pat a thin layer of rice all over the nori. Fill the mat with a thin layer of rice, ensuring that the rice is even and not too thick (as you will not be able to roll together with veggies if so).
6. Once rice is flattened and even, arrange your preferred variety of veggies or protein filling in a long line near the bottom of the roll. This should be about 3/4 of the way down the roll, so that when you roll inwards, you can clasp this with your hands. When done, roll the nori and rice over the veggies (the end closest to you), and using your fingers, compress the roll while rolling away from yourself. Extend this process until it’s all the way rolled up, and just before you seal the roll, add a small touch of water to the end of the nori to help seal the end. Squeeze nice and tight, then place on a flat plate and put into the fridge.
7. Repeat your rolling process until all rice and fillings are used up.
8. To slice, use a very sharp sushi or serrated knife. Sometimes I like to wet the knife with warm water before slicing, and in between rolls again to ensure slices are clean and precise.