How to make sushi rolls

Video: How To: Step-by-Step Sushi at Home

Content

Part 2 of 2: Roll and slice the sushi
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

1 Cook sushi rice in rice cooker. Combine 1-1.5 cups (190-280 g) sushi rice, 3 cups (710 ml) water, and 1⁄5 cup (45 ml) rice vinegar in a rice cooker. Stir the ingredients thoroughly, then close the lid and start the rice cooker. The rice will be ready in 15-20 minutes.

If you do not have a rice cooker, then you can cook the rice on the stove, for this you will need to wait until all the water has boiled away. This method of cooking rice takes a little longer, about 20-25 minutes.
1–1.5 cups (190–280 g) of rice will be enough for 1–2 rolls.

2 Cut the filling into small pieces. Cut vegetables (cucumbers, avocados, etc.) into long strips so that they can be conveniently placed on the roll. If you want to make sushi with fresh fish, shrimp, eel or other seafood, then chop them finely, into strips, or make minced meat. You only need about 60 grams of vegetables or fish (or both) to fill the roll.

Tuna, for example, is used for spicy tuna rolls, for which it is usually diced and mixed with spicy mayonnaise and other ingredients.
Large pieces of fish or vegetables will make it more difficult to roll up the roll.

3 Place the nori sheet, shiny side down, on a sushi mat. Nori is an integral component of any rolls. They can be both a base and a wrapper for rolls. Nori sheets are quite fragile, so handle them with care to avoid tearing them out of their packaging.

Nori sheets can be found in many supermarkets - they usually sit on the same shelves as other sushi ingredients.
Lay the sushi mat so that the bamboo sticks lie horizontally towards you.
If you don't have a bamboo sushi mat, a cling film kitchen towel can be a very effective substitute for it.

4 Wet your fingers to keep the rice from sticking to your hands. Place your hands under cold water and shake off excess moisture. It is a good idea to put some water in a bowl and place it next to your work area, especially if you are going to make a few rolls.

Remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before starting work, as they will come into direct contact with food.
If you don't wet your hands, the rice will stick to your fingers and it will be very difficult for you to roll up the sushi.

5 Spread a thin layer of rice over the nori sheet. Take ¾ – 1 cup (140–190 g) rice and place in the center of the leaf. Press down on the rice with your fingers and spread evenly over the nori sheet. Leave about 2.5 cm at the top of the nori sheet to curl the roll.

Be careful not to spread the rice too thick, as this will make it harder to roll the sushi and may tear the nori sheet.
You may not be good at first, but with a little practice, you will figure out how to distribute the rice across the sheet.

6 Use your finger to make a small indentation in the center of the rice. Press your fingertip into the center of the rice, from one end of the nori sheet to the other. The idea is to make a small chute for the ingredients to keep them from falling out when you start rolling the roll.

This step is optional, but can be helpful, especially when you are working with multiple ingredients or ingredients that are cut into small pieces.

7 Place about 60 g of filling on top of the rice. Take about ⅓ cups of chopped vegetables, fish, and other ingredients and line them horizontally in the groove you made in the center of the rice layer. Don't add too many ingredients, otherwise the nori sheet will tear and make the roll difficult to roll.

For example, the classic California roll contains crab sticks ("imitation crab meat"), avocado and cucumber.
Roll "Philadelphia" contains salmon and cream cheese. You can also make rolls with crab meat, cucumber, avocado and spicy mayonnaise.
Prepare the uramaki-style rolls with the rice turned out. To do this, after you distribute the rice on the sheet, you only need to turn it over and add the rest of the ingredients in the same way.

Part 2 of 2: Roll and slice the sushi

1 Roll up the roll from the bottom using the mat. Run your thumbs along the bottom edge of the sushi mat and gently lift it up, fold the bottom of the nori forward. Once you've done this, continue moving the mat gradually and slowly, applying light pressure to close the roll.
- Be careful not to accidentally wrap your rug or napkin inside!
- Dip your fingers in the water periodically to prevent the rice from sticking to them.
2 Soak a knife in cold water. As with your fingers, the knife must be moistened to prevent the rice from sticking to the blade when you cut the roll. Dip the knife blade into a bowl of water or hold it under a tap. A dry blade is highly unlikely to create a clean cut. After all, you hardly want to ruin the roll at the last stage, after you put in so much effort!
- If possible, use a special sushi knife - in Japan they are called yanagiba, deba or yusuba. These knives have thin blades and are very sharp, so they allow you to cut the rolls without any effort.
- If you do not have the opportunity to purchase a special sushi knife, then use only a sharpened knife.
3 Cut the roll into 2.5–5 cm pieces. Standard hosomaki rolls are usually cut into 2.5 cm wide pieces. Chumaki rolls can be slightly larger, about 3.5–4 cm, and futomaki (the largest types of sushi made by hand) can be up to 5–6 cm wide.
- Moisten the knife after each cut to keep the rolls clean and beautifully cut.
- Don't worry too much about sushi sizes and make them the size you like.
4 Serve the rolls along with the required toppings. If you still have pieces of fish, then put them on top of the rolls; you can do the same with leftover avocado. You can also drizzle the eel sauce (unagi sauce) over the rolls and add mayonnaise, shallots, or some bonito flakes for a smoky flavor.
- To eat sushi just like in a sushi bar, put on a plate a little wasabi and a few pieces of pickled ginger, serve a dish with soy sauce.
- If you are making uramaki, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Tips

Most packages of sushi rice have detailed instructions on how to cook it. Follow these instructions for the best texture and flavor.
Get creative and experiment with ingredients. You can put anything in the rolls - the main thing is that the ingredients can be cut into thin strips!
Be patient and you will achieve mastery! Rolling sushi takes some skill and experience, so don't worry if you can't get the perfect roll right away.
Don't worry if you don't know how to use chopsticks. In Japan, sushi is often eaten by hand.

Warnings

Consuming raw fish can lead to food poisoning. Use only proven raw fish, and if you are not sure about its quality, then prepare sushi with vegetables and other ingredients.