Do you ever look at foods and wonder what else they could be? I sometimes do.
I have come to realise that there are many different ways food can be enjoyed. Take a watermelon for example, did you know that it is not just meant to be cubed and enjoyed as a summer snack, in a salad or as a cocktail? We have also seen it made into a “ham” and marinated and grilled to steakhouse perfection.
The latest trend we have come across is that people are turning watermelon into sashimi, a Japanese dish of fresh raw seafood cut into bite-sized pieces.
Eva Friedl, who is the mastermind behind the Instagram page @vegaliciouslyeva, has taken things to a whole new level by developing a recipe for viral watermelon sushi.
Posting the recipe on her page, Friedl said the consistency of cooked or baked watermelon is just amazing. Her recipe is very easy to make, and the list of ingredients you need only include sesame seeds, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and ginger. So what you do is mix them and marinate your watermelon slices for about four hours or let them marinate overnight.
In an interview with Insider, Friedl said she loves how "close or better" the watermelon sushi tastes compared to actual tuna.
“A lot of people keep asking me if they can use olive oil or any other oil. But for an authentic 'tuna' experience, toasted sesame oil is very important. A lot of tuna sushi and sashimi recipes in restaurants that I tried before I went vegan had this taste in the dressing, so I think it helps a lot to create that kind of flavour combination that reminds you of the tuna. Getting toasted sesame oil is also important because regular sesame oil tastes pretty plain,” she said.
Here’s how to make the vegan watermelon sushi.
Optional ingredients for the marinade
Some seaweed for a more fishy taste.
A bit of liquid smoke for a slightly smokey flavour.
Method
Cut the watermelon slices into sushi-sized rectangles. ⠀
For the marinade mix together toasted sesame seed oil, soy sauce, and grated ginger.⠀
Marinate the watermelon pieces for about 4 hours. You can also let it marinate overnight but then add a little bit of water so it doesn't get too salty.⠀
Once marinated, cook in a pot with the lid closed for about 10 minutes. The pieces should all be soft. ⠀
Drain (you can use the marinade for an Asian salad dressing) and turn in some sesame seeds on four sides.
Serve with some cucumber slices, sriracha mayo, and spring onions.