Sushi rice balls

Ready in 20 mins + standing

Makes 2½ cups cooked sushi rice enough for 10 large balls or 5 sushi rolls using ½ cup per full sheet of nori.

1 cup sushi rice, rinsed under cold water

SUSHI DRESSING

4 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 tsp each sugar and salt

Place rice in a bowl, cover with cold water and allow to stand for 30 minutes. Drain well. Place in pot with 2¼ cups water and bring to a simmer over a high heat on a small element. When it bubbles around the edge, stir with chopsticks or a fork, reduce heat to lowest setting, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes, covered.

While rice is cooling, make the dressing. Heat ingredients in a small pot or in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirring until everything is dissolved. Stir into cooked rice with a fork or chopsticks, then turn out on to a large, flat, clean tray to cool.

Use it immediately or keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Tuna rice balls

(makes 10 large balls)

2 x 180g cans tuna in spring water, welldrained and flaked

¼ cup good-quality mayonnaise

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 recipe cooked sushi rice (see above)

1 Tbsp black sesame seeds, to sprinkle Nori sheets, to serve

Mix together tuna, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Use wet hands to form ¼ cup sushi rice into a ball. Press a hole in the middle with your thumb and fill with 2 Tbsp of the tuna mix.

Press rice over tuna to enclose, then sprinkle all over with black sesame seeds. Repeat with remaining rice and tuna, then cover and chill until ready to serve. Accompany with crisp nori sheets (keep these wrapped so they stay crisp until you are ready to eat).

ANNABEL SAYS: Short-grained Japanese sushi rice is slightly sticky, with an appealing toothsome texture. The cooked rice will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days, ready to roll into balls or use in sushi rolls. As well as the tuna rice balls, the cooked, cooled rice mixture is delicious tossed with ¼ cup each toasted sesame seeds and tamari sunflower seeds or chopped tamari almonds and then rolled into balls.