Fancy Sushi Tsukemono

Wow it's already BAM 7! Lucky SEVEN! This is probably the most Japanese BAM so far. I'm introducing the first grilled fish, of course the most popular miso soup (tofu and green onions), a fun sushi tsukemono and rice.



Ingredients
3 large hakusai leaves (or 6 small ones)
1 small carrot
1 Japanese cucumber (you can substitute with English cucumbers but they should be peeled and seeded)
6 shiso leaves
2.5 inches of the top of a daikon (Use half of it)
(You should have about 4 cups of cut up vegetables.)
2 tsp. of salt
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger

1) Boil some water in a large pot and add the hakusai leaves. Boil for about 3 minutes. Drain and put in a bowl of cold water.
2) Wash and cut your vegetables. Cut them into thin match sticks. Cut the carrots and cucumber in diagonal slices first. Next, line them up nicely and slice them into thin match sticks.
3) Cut the daikon into slices length wise and then cut them into match stick the same size as the carrots and the cucumber.
4) Put the vegetables in a bowl and add the salt and sugar and mix with your hands. Set aside for 5 minutes.
5) Mix the veggies again and squeeze out as much water out as you can. Mix in the grated ginger.
6) Use a sushi roller and lay a piece of plastic wrap on it.
7) Gently squeeze out the water from the hakusai and lay them on top of the sushi roller and plastic wrap. (If you have large hakusai leaves, then you'll only need one but if you only have small hakusai leaves use 2 so that they are slightly overlapping.
8) Put a third of vegetable mix on the hakusai like you're making a sushi roll.
9) Roll the hakusai and leave it wrapped in the plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
10) Cut in 5-6 even pieces.

How to cut your cucumbers.




Use your hand and push down on them and keep the cucumbers in place.


This is what they should look like.


Do the same thing with the carrots.




Cut the daikon like this and then cut into strips.


Add the sugar and salt the the vegetables, mix and set aside.


Simmer all of the hakusai for about three minutes.


Drain and put in a bowl of cold water.


Gently squeeze out the water from the hakusai.


Squeeze out the water from the vegetables.


Use both hands.


The vegetables should be limp.


Mix in the ginger.


Set up your sushi roller and lay a piece of plastic wrap over it.


Lay your hakusai on top and 2 shiso leaves.


Lay a third of the veggies on top.


Start rolling. Stop and squeeze tight.


Squeeze it tight.


Put on a plate and refrigerate.


Cut into 5-6 even pieces.


Serve and dip into a little bit of soy sauce and eat with a hot bowl of rice.


If you have any left over in the fridge, you may want to squeeze some of the water out before cutting.