For some time, I’ve wanted to make some Indian/Pakistani inspired sushi, and the Out of the Comfort Zone contest finally gave me the push to try it out. In this Instructable, I will show how I made sushi inspired by the spicy and mouth-watering Tandoori chicken and share my results.

Step 1: Breakdown of Tandoori Sushi Roll

Before we get started with making tandoori sushi, let’s break down a traditional sushi roll's components. In a traditional sushi roll, there are seasoned rice, toasted seaweed (nori), protein (excluded from vegetarian sushi), crunchy component (such as carrot, cucumber), creamy component (such as cream cheese, avocado), soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi. These are just the basic components of sushi that I’ve learned from sushi recipes online.

Now let's see what a traditional tandoori chicken is served with: spiced chicken cooked in a tandoor, fried onions, raita, sweet and sour chutneys, and naan.

To make tandoori sushi roll, you will need the following ingredients:

seasoned sushi rice (use your favorite recipe)

toasted seaweed

tandoori shrimp (can also use chicken) - the protein

cucumber, julienned - the crunchy

cream cheese "raita" - the creamy

fried onions

tamarind chutney

In the next few steps, I'll provide the recipes for tandoori shrimp, cream cheese raita, and tamarind chutney.

Step 2: Tandoori Shrimp

Tandoori Shrimp

Ingredients:

15 shrimp (31-40)

1 tbsp tandoori masala

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp oil

Marinate the shrimp in the masala and lemon juice for 15 minutes. Cook the shrimp in oil. Chop the shrimp.

Note: You can also substitute chicken for shrimp and cut in thin slices.

Step 3: Cream Cheese Raita

Cream Cheese Raita

Since raita is liquid, I came up with this cream cheese raita, which includes the ingredients of a traditional raita but using cream cheese instead of yogurt for a thicker consistency.

2 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tsp mint, finely chopped

1/16 tsp cumin powder

1/16 tsp coriander powder

1/8 tsp garlic paste

salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients. Adjust seasoning according to taste. Makes enough for 2 rolls.

Step 4: Tamarind Chutney

Tamarind Chutney

1 tbsp tamarind concentrate

4 tbsp water

1/8 tsp red chili powder

1/16 tsp cumin powder

1/16 tsp coriander powder

1/8 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp sugar

Mix all the ingredients. Adjust seasoning according to taste.

I prefer the chutney a bit more on the sour side.

Step 5: Assembling the Roll

Taking half a sheet of nori on a bamboo rolling mat, thinly layer enough rice to cover the surface. Flip the nori over. Place a small amount of cream cheese raita. Add the cucumbers and shrimp. Roll the sushi roll close using the rolling mat and pushing the filling in with your fingers. Cut the roll into 6 pieces. Drizzle each roll with some tamarind chutney. Top with fried onions. Serve with cilantro, pickled ginger, wasabi (I didn't have any), tamarind chutney and/or soy sauce.

Step 6: Taste Test and Conclusion

And now the big moment: how does the tandoori sushi roll taste?

For the first bite, I dip a roll into the tamarind chutney instead of soy sauce. It actually tastes really good. I realized here that while seasoning my rice, I seem to have put a bit too much sugar, so there's a slight sweetness to it, but it offsets the sour chutney really well so it worked out. Also, the cucumbers are not as crunchy as I thought, and I'm left wanting some more crunch.

For the second bite, I try the roll with the soy sauce. It's not something I've tasted before. The sweetness of the rice is quite prominent.

The rest of the rolls I ate with the chutney.

To conclude, this Instructable has got a few things that I’ve never done before:

Concoct my own recipe

Make tandoori shrimp

Make tamarind chutney

Make cream cheese raita

Make tandoori sushi roll

Would I make this again? And what changes would I make to this?

I think I'll make it again. I really did enjoy the shrimp, chutney, and raita as separate components. The main thing that changed the balance of flavors, I believe, was the sweetness of the rice. So next time, I'll make sure not to over season the rice and possibly add carrots to get more of a crunch.

Thank you for reading. I've got a few more ideas for Pakistani/Indian inspired sushi. And if you’re crazy enough like me to try this out, please share your experiences.