Prepare the rice by washing it thoroughly and draining. Place in a pot with the water, a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Combine the oil, mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and garlic (if using sugar, dissolve over heat in small saucepan). Place the warm rice in a large bowl, pour over the vinegar mixture and fold in with cutting strokes. Simultaneously fan the rice (with your other hand or grab a helper) to cool it quickly.

Once cooled, fold in the lemon zest, fresh herbs and capsicum.

Cut the nori sheet diagonally in half so that there are two triangles. Place a tablespoon of rice filling in the centre of a nori triangle. Into the rice press some avocado, cucumber, and spring onion strands.

To wrap, place the lot in the palm of your hand and bring the furthermost corner in to wrap over the rice, then cover this with the other corner until firmly enclosed in a cone shape.

If this is too hard, simply make a sandwich by piling the rice between two sheets of nori and cut into four. Simpler still, place all the ingredients in a bowl, sprinkle with shredded nori or gomasio (toasted sesame salt), place in the middle of the table and watch it go.

"Itadakimasu" (Thank you for this food I am about to eat).

A Japanese blessing.

To serve

Serve as a salad in a bowl with flakes of nori, or make it into cone-shaped wraps. 

Makes 8 cones