Stop. Drop. And Roll!.....Vegan Crispy Sweet Potato Roll

I used to frequent a popular byob sushi spot in Chicago somewhat often.  Ever since, I have wished that every sushi joint carried that ever so memorable roll.  Being vegan, it was a delightful change rather than the typical veggie roll.  Come on peeps!  You can be creative with a veggie maki roll!

So basically this is a tempura battered sweet potato roll with a touch of heat.  I did not have soda water so I strayed a bit from a traditional tempura batter recipe.

For step by step directions, visit my standard veggie roll recipe.  But some tips not to ignore are the follows: 1.) Make sure you cover roll sushi rolling mat with a large zip lock back or cover in plastic rap.  2.)  Oil your hands when laying down the rice will prevent you having a sticky mess on your hands.  3.)  Rice wine vinegar plays an important part when preparing your sushi rice!

Vegan Crispy Sweet Potato Roll

Ingredients:

2 c cooked sushi rice
nori sheets
1 sweet potato
1 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tbsp chili oil

for the batter:
1/2 c flour
1/2 c cornstarch
1 tsp baking sold
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 c cold water
1-2 c panko crumbs

enough oil to pan fry battered sweet potato.

Directions:
Start boiling a pot of water.

Wash, scrub and peel the sweet potato.  Very carefully, cut the sweet potato lengthwise into about 1/4 inch thick pieces. (think about how they should look while you are rolling your maki- that may help).
 At this point, your water should be boiling.  Steam the sweet potato for about 5 minutes or until semi soft.  You do not want it mushy!  Set aside to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the agave nectar and chili oil.  Brush the marinade on the sweet potato.  Allow to cool completely.

Once cooled, make your batter.  mix together everything but the panko crumbs.  Make sure the mixture is pretty thick. Then, set up a plate with your panko crumbs laid out.  Drench each slice of marinated sweet potato in the batter and then cover completely with panko crumbs.  Repeat until each slice of potato is coated.

Heat about an inch of oil in pan fry your battered sweet potato pieces until golden brown.  Remove from oil and place on paper towels to dry.  (surprisingly crispy and NOT greasy).

Now it's rolling time.  Flatten out rice on your plastic covered, place nori on top, then add in the crispy sweet potato strips.  Roll accordingly.  Repeat until the sweet potato strips are finished.

Serve with a spicy mayo.  Happy eating!