Quinoa and Millet Sushi with Fig, Salmon & Avocado

A healthy twist on sushi…

Delicious quinoa & millet sushi rolls filled with dried fig, smoked salmon ribbons and fresh avocado slices.

A healthier version of regular white rice sushi – using quinoa & millet grains.

I love sushi but I find that regular rice sushi can get quite boring sometimes (and I’m not sure how healthy sticky white rice is anyway), so I started to experiment with using other grains instead of rice. I decided to use quinoa because it is amazing (it might be my favorite grain) and I’ve seen other people use it to make sushi. After trying quinoa sushi, I found that the quinoa didn’t stick well (like white rice) so I decided to mix the quinoa with millet grains (to make it “stickier”) – and I was really happy with the result!

This filling combination (fig, salmon & avocado) is my all time favorite sushi filling combination!

[You can check out my favorite vegan sushi filling combination HERE]

Ingredients (sushi rolls):

-1 cup quinoa grains
-1 cup millet grains
-4 to 4.5 cups of water
-6 to 8 nori sheets

Ingredients (sushi fillings):

-6 dried figs (unsweetened and sulfate free)
-1 large avocado
-200 grams salmon ribbons

Instructions (fillings):

-slice dried figs into thin, long strips

-remove the pit and peel from the avocado and slice into thin strips

-slice the salmon ribbons into thin strips by using a sharp knife

Instructions (sushi rolls):

-rinse the quinoa thoroughly with cold running water using a fine sieve
-add the millet and rinsed quinoa grains to a pot with 4.5 cups water and bring water to a boil
-once the water has started boiling, turn the temperature down to a low heat and simmer the grains for 15 minutes (do not stir)
-once cooked, remove the pot from stove and place the grains on a plate
-press the grains down onto the plate
-place the plate in the fridge until the quinoa and millet grains have cooled
-place a nori sheet on a makisu (bamboo sushi mat)
-divide the grain mix between 6 to 8 portions
-add a portion of the quinoa & millet mix to the nori sheet and spread it over the entire sheet, leaving a 5cm gap open at the top of the nori sheet (it should be evenly spread with no open holes)
-pat the grains flat onto the nori sheet
-add fillings: make a thin line of dried fig on the side of the sheet that is covered with the grains, then do the same with the avocado and salmon strips
-roll the makisu mat into a long roll by folding the bottom third in, then rolling it up (to make a tube)
-squeeze the mat tightly as you go so that the sushi sticks together
-once rolled, remove the sushi roll from the mat
-cut the roll into equal sized rings by using a sharp chefs knife and dipping the knife into warm water before each slice
-serve sushi rolls with soy sauce & enjoy!