Who says veggie sushi rolls have to be boring? These baked tofu rolls are so delicious and easy to make! Baked tofu makes a great alternative to traditional sushi roll fillings (like crab and fish). Because of it’s naturally dense and “squishy” texture, it becomes a perfect filling for any roll, especially when baked in a sweet and spicy chili sauce! Try it out for yourself!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups short grain white jasmine rice
• Nori seaweed sheets
• 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 block firm tofu
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/2 cup Sweet Chili Sauce
• 2 tbsp sriracha mayo
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Rinse the rice in a strainer while gently stirring with a spoon or your hand (this ensure that all of the rice gets washed).
2. Add rice and 2 cups of water to a medium pot over high heat without a lid and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid. Let cook for 15 minutes. Once done, transfer to a heat-safe mixing bowl and let the rice cool for 10 minutes, fluffing with a fork occasionally to cool the rice pieces at the bottom.
3. To make the vinegar mixture for the rice, combine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
4. Once rice is cool, stir in the vinegar mixture (adding 1 tbsp at a time as you gently fold it into the rice). Once you have added all of the mixture, let the rice cool to room temperature before using (or cover with plastic wrap and put bowl into the fridge to cool faster).
5. Remove tofu from package and pat dry. Slice tofu block long-ways (to look like french-fries) and cover in sweet chili sauce. Bake the tofu strands in the oven or an air-fryer until golden brown or slightly crispy. (I bake mine in the air-fryer at 390 degrees for 10 minutes).
6. Slice cucumber in half and gently scoop out most of the seeds/filling. Slice long ways into very thin and long strands.
7. Slice avocado in half and slice long ways into very thin and long pieces.
8. Using a bamboo sushi rolling mat, assemble your roll by cutting one of the nori sheets in half (long-ways) and placing it onto the mat. Scoop your cooled rice onto the nori paper, coving it entirely with the rice (pressing firmly so that rice sticks to the paper very well).
9. Once the sheet is covered with rice, flip the rice sheet over so that the other side of the nori paper is face-up. Place tofu slices, cucumber strands, avocado slices, and shredded carrots in a line on the long end of the nori paper (be careful not to overfill, as this will make rolling more difficult).
10. Once all filling ingredients are on your nori paper, start to lift one end of the bamboo mat and start rolling forwards over the sushi roll ingredients. (TUTORIAL HERE!)
11. When you have a completed roll, wet a serrated knife with water and slice roll into small-rounded pieces (similar to images attached to this post). (*Tip: Continue to wet knife each time you make a cut, as this will help to ensure that the knife does not stick to the roll when you cut into it*).
12. Top the cut rolls with sriracha mayo, soy sauce, and sesame seeds (use desired amount of these items). Enjoy!

(Tip: Eat sushi rolls with pieces of sliced pickled ginger– so good!)