Ever wanted to try making sushi at home? Well, now's your chance! My sushi pictured below is vegetarian with the food I had in my house at the time, which shows how common ingredients can be used and still taste delicious! This simple how-to recipe can also be customized with your favorite ingredients. It's fun and easy to make (and much cheaper than going to a restaurant)!
To make 20 sushi rolls (varies depending on how thin you slice the rolls):
Ingredients
2 sheets of nori (sushi seaweed)
~1 cup sushi rice (Japanese short-grain rice)
1 cup water
1/8 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Filling - I used 2 eggs, 1 avocado, and 1 carrot (what I had in my house at the time)
Topping/Sauce - I used a simple soy sauce and furikake seasoning (which has toasted sesame seeds, nori, salt, sugar) for the rice
Other possible fillings include: cucumber, imitation crab, raw sashimi (salmon, tuna, etc.), shrimp tempura, bell peppers, sweet potato, sprouts, smoked salmon, mango, pineapple, and much more!
Optional toppings/sauces include: sesame seeds, spicy mayo sauce, pickled ginger, wasabi, cream cheese, thinly sliced avocado/sashimi, ponzu sauce, sweet chili sauce, roe, and much more!
I have also linked some of the ingredients in case you want to buy them!
Instructions
1. Sushi Rice: Rinse the rice with cold water in a strainer for 1-2 minutes, or until the water runs clear before draining. Cook the rice in about 1 cup of water, times vary depending if you're cooking in a rice cooker, on the stovetop, or other. While the rice is cooking, heat the rice vinegar, sugar and sea salt together in a small saucepan over medium heat until the mixture barely simmers (or microwave). Remove from stove and mix the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved. Once the rice is cooked, transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with the vinegar mixture. Gently fold the rice until the vinegar is evenly incorporated into the rice. Sprinkle the furikake seasoning and mix it evenly into the rice as well.
(If you don't have all the ingredients, you can skip making the rice vinegar and season the rice however you want!)
2. Ingredient Prep: Cook the sushi rice ahead of time so it is cool by the time you assemble the sushi. For the eggs - beat 2 eggs in a bowl and pour them into a pan with oil over medium heat. Let the eggs cook without stirring (similar to an omelet). When the eggs are set without much moisture, take them out of the pan. Once cooled, fold the egg in half and slide into thin strips. For the avocado - pit and peel before slicing into thin strips as well. For the carrot - steam for about 5 minutes (optional as you can them raw, but it gives them a nice texture), peel, and slice into thin strips. All the ingredients are cut about 3 inches long, and regardless of your filling, you should slice them all evenly into thin pieces.
3. Assembly: Lay a sheet of nori smooth-side down on a sushi mat covered in plastic wrap, with the longer side facing you. (If you don't have a bamboo mat, you can also use a thick towel with plastic wrap on top)! Place a bowl of water nearby and dip your fingers in it occasionally to prevent sticking to the rice. Spread a thin layer of sushi rice evenly over the nori. Gently but firmly press the rice onto the nori. For rice on the inside, line your filling on top of the rice. For rice on the outside, flip the sheet of nori so the rice touches the plastic wrap and then add your vegetables to the nori-only side. Place the fillings in horizontal lines in the bottom 3/4 of the nori closest to you, layering the different fillings side by side instead of in one big pile. I had about 3-4 rows and 2 columns of the ingredients (don't use too many or the sushi will be too bulky).
4. Rolling Sushi: Lift up the bottom edge of the sushi mat and carefully fold it over the fillings until they are enclosed in a roll (basically roll about 1/4 of the mat over), and squeeze the roll in as tightly as possible. Unfold the mat (you don't want it to be rolled into the sushi!) and repeat the process until the roll is completely enclosed and nori and rice have been rolled into a spiral. Give it a few extra squeezes so it firmly-packed.
5. Final Sushi: Using a very sharp knife, slice the sushi into about 10 equal-sized rolls (or fewer if you want larger rolls). Occasionally wetting the knife with water after cutting each roll will make it easier. Drizzle with your favorite sauce or garnish with some other toppings. Serve immediately with soy sauce for dipping, and wasabi and pickled ginger if you have any. Enjoy!
Link to my post on the history & culture of sushi.
Link to my post on the chemistry & science behind sushi.
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