Sushi hand rolls with a twist

The nutty, chewy brown rice works so well with the ground tamari nuts in what are otherwise fairly classic sushi hand rolls.

Brown-rice hand rolls

4-5 sheets nori

2 tbsp mayonnaise

200g sashimi-grade tuna, sliced in batons

1 avocado, cut in half, peeled and sliced into batons

1 cucumber, deseeded and julienned

4 spring onions, finely sliced

3 tbsp tamari nuts (see recipe), ground to a coarse powder in a food processor

1 tsp chilli powder

For the rice

1 cup short-grain brown rice

2 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Salt to season

For the sauce

100ml tamari

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp grated ginger

1. In a medium pot, bring the rice to a simmer with two cups of boiling water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook over a low heat for 20 minutes. The water should be entirely absorbed and the rice cooked. Stir through the mirin and vinegar and season with salt.

2. For the sauce, mix all the ingredients together.

3. Cut each nori sheet in half, making eight or 10 rectangles. Set up a piece of nori, shiny side down, with a short edge closest to you. Place a good tablespoon of rice on the nori sheet, leaving the bottom right corner and top half of the sheet free of rice. Flatten the rice slightly.

4. Top the rice with a dollop of mayo and slices of tuna, avocado, cucumber and spring onions, angled so they point towards the bottom left corner. Fold the bottom right corner of the nori over the filling. Continue rolling the nori tightly around the filling to form a cone, leaving a small flap. Dampen the flap with a little water and seal. Sprinkle a pinch of chilli powder and some nuts on top of each cone and serve with the dipping sauce.

Serves: 8-10

Drink: Green tea

Spiced tamari almonds, macadamias and sesame seeds

Spiced nuts are great as a snack, but they can also add flavour and a nutty unami boost to dishes.

2 cloves garlic, finely grated

2 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp curry powder

1 tbsp salt flakes (optional)

4 tbsp tamari (Japanese-style soy sauce)

180g whole almonds

180g macadamia nuts

40g sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan-forced or 200 degrees conventional.

2. In a large bowl, mix the garlic, ginger, curry powder, salt and tamari until combined.

3. Spread the nuts and sesame seeds on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss through the tamari mix until evenly coated, then roast for about another 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them — you want some colour but they can go from perfect to burnt quite quickly. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container. Use these nuts with the pumpkin soup or the sushi hand rolls on opposite page.

Makes about 400g

Drink: Amber ale

Roasted curried pumpkin, parsnip and chilli soup

The garnish for this soup is almost as important as the soup itself. The fresh, cold contrast of the yoghurt, the fragrance of coriander and the crunch and intense flavour of the crushed nuts turns this earthy, spicy soup into something special.

1-1.2kg kent pumpkin, peeled and cut in medium chunks

3 parsnips, cut in half and cored

2 medium red onions, peeled, each cut into six pieces

2 tsp ground cumin

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

6 cloves garlic, sliced

2-3 small red chillies, chopped

3 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp tomato paste

To garnish

8 tbsp thick plain yoghurt

2 handfuls coriander leaves

2 handfuls tamari nuts (see recipe), roughly crushed — you can use a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin for this

1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees fan-forced, 200 degrees conventional.

2. Toss the pumpkin, parsnip and onions through the cumin and some oil, season and place on a lined baking tray.

3. Roast for 45-60 minutes or until tender and cooked through.

4. When the vegetables are ready, place a large, wide-based pot over medium heat. Add a good slug of oil and fry the garlic and chilli for about five minutes, then add the curry powder and fry briefly.

5. Add the cooked vegetables to the pot and stir. Add two litres of hot water and the tomato paste and simmer for half an hour.

6. Once cooked, puree with a stick blender, check and adjust the seasoning.

7. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt, coriander leaves, a sprinkling of crushed tamari nuts and a squeeze of lemon.

Serves 8-10

Drink: Semillon-sauvignon blanc blend