Get Creative With Your Donut Pan And Use It To Make Sushi

Back in 2016, social media was set ablaze by users posting images of sushi donuts: all of your typical sushi ingredients pressed into a mold to make a circular donut-like shape. The concept is widely credited to a vegan blogger at the time named Sam Murphy. In June 2016, Murphy posted an image on Instagram of two rings of sushi rice topped with sushi ingredients like ginger and avocado and called them sushi donuts. 

The aesthetically pleasing combination then began to rise in popularity within vegan and eventually non-vegan circles, joining the ranks of trendy food mashups the Internet was obsessing over. Soon, food establishments serving sushi donuts started popping up everywhere from Orange County, California to Chicago, Illinois. 

The sushi donut may be a trendy, Instagram-worthy way of styling your sushi, but it's actually quite easy to recreate at home. All you need is a donut mold and your favorite sushi ingredients. If you've never made a sushi roll at home before, using a donut mold can make the sushi-forming process quicker and easier, and it doesn't require you to buy a special sushi-making kit. 

Making your own sushi donuts at home is a very quick and easy process. The first tip to keep in mind is that this process works best with a flexible silicone donut mold, not a solid metal one. You can try using a metal donut pan, but the donuts will likely get stuck in the mold. To avoid this, simply line your metal pan with plastic wrap so you can lift the sushi donuts out easily.

When forming the sushi donuts, there are two different methods you can use. The first method starts with greasing the donut mold with coconut oil and pressing pre-cooked, cooled sushi rice into it. Then, pop out the rice "donuts" and decorate them with sushi toppings like avocado, cucumber, sesame seeds, and fish. Just make sure you're using sushi-grade fish, so you know it is safe to eat raw. 

The second method also starts with greasing the donut pan. However, in this method, you add your toppings to the bottom of the pan next. Once your toppings are layered into the donut mold, then press your cooled rice into the mold. Finally, flip the mold over and pop the sushi donuts out, either onto a sheet of dried seaweed or a serving tray.

One of the most important tips to remember to make your sushi stand out is to use quality ingredients. When buying rice for your sushi donuts, make sure it's labeled as sushi rice, or short-grain Japanese rice, because long-grain rice will not mold well. Be sure to also use rice vinegar in the rice-cooking process to help the grains stick together for easy shaping. 

Another key element of prepping for the shaping process is to make sure your toppings, like fish, avocado, and cucumbers, are thinly sliced. If the sliced toppings are too thick, it will be difficult to bend them into a rounded donut shape. Finally, make sure you don't add any liquid ingredients to the donut mold. Ingredients like soy sauce or spicy mayo are best served on the side for dipping so your sushi donuts don't get soggy.

Once you've formed your sushi donuts, it's time to give them a taste. You can try picking your sushi donut up and biting into it like a regular donut, but the ingredients may fall apart. An easier way to eat your sushi donut is to treat it like a regular sushi roll. Pinch off a piece using your chopsticks or slice your sushi donut into pieces with a knife, then pick it up piece by piece and eat it. Whichever way you eat your sushi donut, be sure to snap a picture first to show off your creation!