Beautiful black rice sushi, simply by swapping your sushi rice with forbidden rice. This black sushi is also customizable with your favorite vegetable fillings!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Ingredients
First up, our smoky tempeh marinade.
- Tempeh: Our plant-based protein, subbing for your salmon/tuna sushi.
- Feel free to substitute with tofu.
- Soy Sauce: A savory, umami-rich secret that pairs great with tempeh.
- Vegetable Oil: Aids in marinating and cooking the tempeh.
- Garlic Powder: Packs flavor.
- Ginger Powder: For a warm, slightly spicy kick.
- Chili Powder: (Optional) A touch of heat for those who like it spicy.
And now, the veggie fillings!
- Black Rice: Also known as “forbidden rice”, it’s a nutrient-dense, nutty-flavored rice that’s rich in antioxidants. The star ingredient that makes this sushi unique!
- If you still want to make unique sushis but don’t have access to black rice, try making my blue butterfly pea flower rice for a stunning blue color!
- Water: To cook the black rice.
- Sesame Seeds: (Optional) Adds a slight crunch and nutty flavor.
- Nori Seaweed Sheets: The classic sushi wrapper
- Cucumber: A classic sushi ingredient, like in kappa maki rolls!
- Carrot: Sweet and crunchy, they add color and texture.
- Avocado: Creamy and rich addition added to many other sushi, like in my asparagus roll, shiitake roll, bean curd sushi, and kimchi vegetables sushi!
And to serve, you can choose between:
- Soy Sauce: The classic dipping sauce. Sub with tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Mayonnaise: Choose from the classic mayo (but made oil-free!), spicy mayo, citrus mayo, yuzu mayo, or even this black garlic for a creamy finish to the sushi.
Step-by-step Instructions
Cook the Rice: Cook the black rice in water until done, then let it cool down to room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then mix in the sesame seeds.
Make sure the rice cools down completely before assembling the sushi. Warm rice will wilt the nori and make rolling harder!
Marinate the Tempeh: While waiting for the black rice to cool down, combine soy sauce, vegetable oil, garlic powder, ginger powder, and chili powder in a container. Then add the tempeh.
Cook the Tempeh: Stir fry, air fry, or bake the tempeh until golden and crispy. You can also let the tempeh marinade longer if you want!
For more info on how to cook the perfect sushi rice (including the rice vinegar sushi seasoning recipe), check out my sticky brown rice post.
Prepare the Nori Sheets: Place a nori sheet on a bamboo mat and spread your forbidden rice evenly, covering half the sheet.
Be sure to fill the left and right sides too so you get a fully packed sushi!
And leave ample space on top of the nori sheet empty, so you won’t end up with sushi that is just full of rice that you don’t really taste the fillings!
Assemble the Sushi: Arrange cooked tempeh, cucumber, carrot, and avocado horizontally on the lower side of the rice. Then roll up the sushi tightly using the bamboo mat.
Don’t have a sushi mat? You can still roll up the sushi using a thick kitchen towel! You might want to layer a plastic cling wrap on top to make cleaning up a breeze!
You can also make a hand roll (temaki) instead, by following the instructions in my Cut Rolls vs Hand Rolls guide! No rolling needed!
Seal and Slice: Wet the top edge of the nori to seal the roll. Simply dip your fingers in a bowl of water, then brush your fingers on the nori. Then slice the sushi into 8 pieces using a sharp, damp knife.
Serve: Enjoy your sushi with soy sauce, or add a dollop of spicy, citrus, or yuzu mayo for extra flavor! You can also add some Japanese pickled ginger and wasabi on the side!
Top Tips
- Roll Tightly.
- Apply gentle but firm pressure as you roll the sushi to ensure it’s packed tightly. This helps keep the fillings from falling out when you slice it.
- Every time you roll, pack your sushi in, as if you’re giving it a massage with your hands!
- Use a Sharp and Damp Knife.
- When cutting the sushi, use a very sharp knife and clean it with a damp kitchen towel in between cuts. This will help you get clean slices.
- Customize to Taste.
- Feel free to swap in your favorite veggies or add extra seasonings to the tempeh marinade. This black sushi is super flexible!
- Practice Practice!
- Sushi rolling gets easier with practice, so don’t worry if your first roll isn’t perfect. It’s all about enjoying the process and having fun with it!
What Does Black Rice Sushi Taste Like?
Black rice sushi has a slightly nutty flavor with a hint of sweetness. The rice is a bit chewier than white sushi rice, giving the sushi a heartier texture, while the deep color adds a subtle earthiness and turns your sushi into a unique and captivating dish!
Is Black Rice Sushi Healthy?
Yes! Black rice is rich in anthocyanin, antioxidants, and other nutrients like protein, fiber, and iron. It is naturally gluten-free and can improve both heart and eye health. Plus, black rice may even have anticancer properties! What’s not to love about this grain! (source: Healthline)
Furthermore, this black rice sushi is served with wholesome nutritious vegetables as the fillings, making it whole food plant-based! And in case you want to make your sushi healthier but don’t have access to black rice, another healthy alternative is using brown sushi rice instead of your regular white sushi rice!
Serving Suggestions
The best way to serve sushi is…with more sushi! Try my mango avocado roll or peanut avocado roll for dessert-like sushi! Feeling adventurous? Then try these authentic natto maki or umeshiso roll. Or go simple with the good old cucumber roll.
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
Storage: Store any leftover black sushi in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best consumed within 24 hours to ensure freshness, but it can last up to 2 days. Just be aware that the nori might get a bit soft while the rest might dry up.
Meal Prep: You can prepare the tempeh and cook the black rice ahead of time. Store them separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Assemble the sushi rolls when you’re ready to eat to keep everything fresh.
Freezing: Sushi does NOT freeze well so please refrain from doing so.
FAQ
Want More Asian Recipes?
You would like my teriyaki eggplant or this super fun spicy ramen spring rolls!
And if you’re a fan of noodles, try my rice paper noodles or my gochujang ramen/udon!
The BEST Black Rice Sushi (Forbidden Rice Sushi)
Ingredients
Black Sushi Rice
- 1 cup black rice uncooked (210 grams)
- 1.5 to 2 cups water (355 to 473ml) or according to package instructions
- 1.5 Tablespoons sesame seeds optional
Tempeh Marinade
- 4.5 oz tempeh (130 grams) cut into long batons
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder (optional)
Vegetable Fillings
- 4 nori sheets
- ¼ cucumber cut into batons, seeds removed
- 1 medium carrot julienned
- 1 small avocado sliced
- soy sauce for serving or serve with
spicy mayo or yuzu mayo orcitrus mayo
Instructions
Part 1: Cook and Prepare the Black Rice
- Cook your black rice either in the rice cooker, instant pot, or on the stovetop.1 cup black rice uncooked, 1.5 to 2 cups water
- Once the rice is done, transfer the rice to a large baking sheet/baking dish/large bowl. Let it cool down for about 15 minutes, until it is cool to touch.Do NOT skip this step as warm rice will wilt the nori sheet, making it harder to roll. You can prepare the other ingredients while waiting for the rice to cool down.
- Once the rice has cooled down, sprinkle the sesame seeds and use a rice paddle to mix well.1.5 Tablespoons sesame seeds
Part 2: Cook the Tempeh
- Then either stir fry your tempeh, air fry at 375℉ (190℃) for 10 minutes, or bake in the oven at 375℉ (190℃) for 20 minutes.You can also let your tempeh marinade in the fridge up to one night in advance if you'd like more flavor.
- In a container with a flat bottom, mix the soy sauce, vegetable oil, garlic powder, ginger powder, and the optional chilli powder. Add the tempeh, then mix the marinade either by shaking the container with the lid on, or by rolling to coat the tempeh on all sides.4.5 oz tempeh, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder, 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
Part 3: Rolling Time!
- Lay one nori sheet on your bamboo sushi mat, with the shiny side facing down, touching the bamboo mat.4 nori sheets
- Spread your black rice on the nori, leaving a bit of space at the bottom. Be sure to also fill the left and right sides, but leave ample space at the top of the nori empty (refer to the picture in the blog post above). You only want to cover about half of the nori.
- Now arrange the cooked tempeh, cucumber, carrot, and avocado horizontally.1/4 cucumber, 1 medium carrot, 1 small avocado
- Then use your thumbs to lift up the bottom of the sushi mat, then roll the sushi. You can use your other fingers to hold the fillings inside the sushi. Lightly pack the sushi every time you roll, as if you're massaging the sushi (that's covered with the bamboo mat) with your hands.
- Once you've rolled enough that you don't see the rice anymore, wet the remaining top part of the nori with a bit of water. Just wet your fingers in a bowl of water, then brush them across the nori to do this.
- Continue rolling with your sushi mat to seal the sushi.
- Use a sharp and damp knife to cut each sushi roll into 8 pieces. I like to first cut it into halves, then cut each half into two, repeating this until I get 8 even pieces.
- Serve with the good old soy sauce, mayonnaise,
spicy mayo oryuzu mayo orcitrus mayo for a citrusy twist!soy sauce for serving
Love this idea, will try when I see black rice in the supermarket.