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Crispy Sushi Pancake with Asian-Style Salad by: Western Tech

This dish is a study in texture and colour, with a crispy, chewy sushi pancake underneath a veritable rainbow of julienned vegetables tossed in a sweet-and-salty sesame glaze. It is an excellent vegan meal, or a great platform to serve topped with your choice of grilled meats. This recipe by Western Tech ranked second in the 2014 Wrap Up With Rice contest.

Crispy Sushi Pancake with Asian-Style Salad




Yield
Makes 6 servings.


Ingredients

Pancake:

  • 2 cups (500 mL) Calrose sushi rice, rinsed (see method)
  • 3 cups (750 mL) water
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) sugar
  • 2 cups (500 mL) canola oil (for frying)
  • 1 cup (250 mL) rice flour (for dusting the pancakes)

Salad:

  • 1 red pepper (large), julienned
  • ½ cucumber (large), seeded and julienned
  • 2 chopped green onions
  • 1 carrot (large), julienned
  • 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
  • 1 handful cilantro
  • 1 sweet red apple, julienned (Jonagold or Royal Gala)
  • ½ cup (125 mL) frozen peas, thawed
  • 1 cup (250 mL) bean sprouts
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) sesame seeds or almonds

Dressing:

  • ¼ cup (50 mL) rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) soya sauce
  • 4 tbsp (60 mL) canola oil
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) chili flakes or fresh chili
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) ginger, grated
  • 1 lime, squeezed
  •   Black pepper to taste

Directions

Pancake:

  1. Place the rice in a fine-meshed strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Allow the rice to drain for five minutes before proceeding.
  2. In a pan with a tight-fitting lid, place the rice, water, lemon juice, vinegar and sugar and bring to a boil, stirring often with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, and transfer to a bowl and place in the fridge until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes.
  3. When working with sushi rice, it is important to ensure that your tools and hands are wet, as the starch will stick to any dry surface. For each cake, pack the rice into a 1/4 cup measuring cup; tip out and form into pancakes (This recipe will make approximately 12-14 pancakes). Dust the cakes in rice flour by gently tossing them in a mixing bowl and shaking off the excess flour. The rice flour will enable you to get an even golden crust while frying the cakes.
  4. In a large non-stick frying pan, over medium heat, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering. The amount of oil needed in your pan will be determined by the size of your frying pan. Cook the cakes in batches, over medium heat, gently shaking, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until the other side is done. Drain on paper towels until finished frying all the pancakes.

Salad:

  1. For dressing, combine and whisk rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, chili flakes, grated ginger, lime juice and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
  2. Combine red pepper, cucumber, green onions, carrot, celery, cilantro, apple, peas, and bean sprouts in a mixing bowl. Toss with dressing.

Note: To serve, top crispy rice cakes with equal portions of the dressed julienne salad. Garnish with sesame seeds or toasted almonds, and if desired, additional cilantro leaves.

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