Vegan Dried Gourd Strips Sushi Roll (Kanpyo Maki)

🛒 Ingredients

• #Sweet‑Savory Kanpyo Filling
• 30 g dried kanpyo strips (dried gourd/lagenaria strips)
• 400 ml water + 1 tsp salt (for soaking)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp mirin (vegan)
• 150 ml water (for simmering)
• #Sushi Rice
• 300 g short‑grain Japanese white rice
• 360 ml water
• 4 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp cane sugar
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• #Wrapping & Serving
• 4 sheets roasted nori seaweed
• Soy sauce, pickled ginger, wasabi — to serve

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Rehydrate kanpyo: Rub dried kanpyo well with salt, then rinse. Soak in warm water 15–20 minutes until soft and pliable. Drain.

2. 2

   Simmer the filling: Place rehydrated kanpyo in a small pot with soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and water. Simmer gently 12–15 minutes until tender and the liquid has almost completely evaporated — the strips should be glossy and sweet‑savory. Let cool in the liquid, then drain well and pat dry.

3. 3

   Cook sushi rice: Rinse rice until water runs clear. Cook with 360 ml water — bring to boil, cover, lowest heat 15 minutes. Turn off heat — steam 10 minutes more.

4. 4

   Season rice: Warm rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Drizzle over hot rice, fold gently with a wooden spatula while fanning to cool quickly to room temperature. Rice should be glossy, sticky, and cool enough to handle.

5. 5

   Assemble rolls: Place nori shiny‑side down on bamboo mat. Spread thin, even layer of rice — leave 1 cm bare strip at top edge. Arrange simmered kanpyo strips in a neat line across the rice, close to bottom edge.

6. 6

   Roll & slice: Roll up tightly from bottom using the mat. Moisten bare nori edge with water to seal. Rest seam down 2 minutes. Slice with a sharp, wet knife using gentle sawing motion — wipe blade between cuts. Serve with soy sauce, ginger, and wasabi!