Calming Brown Rice Nori

Calm your vata with this delicious recipe from Eat Right for Your Shape.

If vata is your dominant dosha, this Ayurvedic brown rice nori is a deliciously filling and nutrient dense vegetarian meal. Vata is governed by the element of air, which means you'll likely be the kind of person who's always on the go, with a tendency to skip meals or eat irregularly due to your flighty, quirky and impulsive personality. 

Whipping up these nori rolls and packing them for lunch will bring you grounding and nourishment when you're on the go, or busy flitting from task to task.

Conventional sushi that's made on sweet white rice can cause blood sugar chaos for many, so this version favours the wholesome goodness of brown rice, combined with fermented soy in the form of tempeh and tamari and a seed component with the addition of tahini. 

A cute combination of different plant based ingredients creates a more complete protein that'll keep you fuller for longer and ensure a slower, steadier uptake of the carbohydrates in brown rice. 

Containing the sweet (madhura) tastes of ghee, carrots and rice, this dish will provide energy while also grounding vata's nervous and stressed energy. 

The salty (lavana) nature of the tamari and seaweed will also stimulate digestion in vata; bringing some much needed warmth to the body and will help the organs and tissues achieve optimum hydration. 

The addition of cucumber is also a beautifully hydrating ingredient that will add some water to vata's airy and dry emphasis.

Vata's aren't the only ones who can enjoy this meal, and with a few little switches it can be made tailored to your dosha. If you're kapha dominant; you are governed by the elements of water and earth, with a tendency towards weight gain, sluggishness and oily skin. 

For this reason you should omit the avocado and carrot which will aggravate you due to an excess of oil and sweetness.

 If you're a pitta- fiery and hot with robust digestion and an athletic strong build; you should switch the brown rice for quinoa to avoid a fast spike in energy and to achieve more mellowing.

Ingredients:

Makes 4 

• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) wheat-free tamari, plus extra to serve
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon ghee, melted
• 65 g (2¼ oz/¼ cup) tahini
• 100 g (3½ oz) tempeh
• 370 g (13 oz/2 cups) cooked brown rice
• 4 nori sheets
• ½ avocado, sliced
• 1 Lebanese (short) cucumber, sliced lengthways into eighths
• ½ carrot, sliced lengthways into thin sticks
• 2 spring onions (scallions), halved lengthways

Method

• Combine the tamari, lime juice, ghee and 1 tablespoon of the tahini in a bowl. Add the tempeh and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes. 
• Remove the tempeh from the marinade. Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat and pan-fry the tempeh until golden
  on both sides. Cut into thin strips and set aside.
• Combine the rice with the remaining tahini. Lay a nori sheet shiny side down on the bench. With wet hands, take a quarter of the rice and press it evenly over the nori sheet, leaving a 3 cm (1¼ inch) border along the top side. Lay a quarter of the tempeh, avocado, cucumber, carrot and spring onion on top. Moisten the top edge of the nori with water and roll up securely. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Cut each roll into four pieces and serve with extra tamari.