We love Sushi (our toddler also enjoys veg sushi rolls!). On many weekend afternoons we hang out at our favorite downtown sushi restaurant enjoying delicious sushi rolls & sashimi, sipping miso soup & hot tea with a side of tempura noodles.
So it was only natural that the sushi bug would bite me at home too. I have been attempting sushi rolls at home for a few weeks now. I am not yet brave enough to handle raw fish so my attempts have been limited to vegetarian sushi rolls or imitation crab.
My sushi rolls are not as good as our favorite restaurant yet, but they are definitely good enough for a weeknight sushi craving :)
Sushi is simple yet complex. You only need handful of ingredients but there is still an endless art to bringing out the best from your ingredients for a perfect sushi rolls.
So as much as within your means, go for the freshest or best quality ingredients. You can find them at your nearby Asian grocery store. What you will need to get started is:
- Nori sheets (the seaweed wrapper in which to roll sushi)
- Wooden sushi mat
- Sushi rice - a small grain sticky rice variety
- Filling - thinly sliced blocks of avocado, imitation crab or roasted butternut squash
- Pantry staples - a good quality rice vinegar, sugar, salt
- Wasabi paste and soysauce as sushi roll dipping
Cook sushi rice per package directions. Our requires 1C rice with 1.25C of water and ~20 mins in rice cooker. Once rice is ready, remove from cooker and let it cool slightly.
Mix 2Tbsp vinegar with 1tsp salt and 1tsp sugar. Warm the mixture in microwave for a few seconds. Mix with the rice - mix well with hands. Taste the rice; adjust to your taste.
Cover the sushi mat in a plastic wrap. This prevents rice from sticking to the mat when you are rolling sushi.
Break the nori sheet into two halves. Spread one half over the sushi matt. Take 1/2C cooked rice and spread over the nori sheet leaving a slight empty space on the side away from you to seal the rolls. Tip: dip your hands in cold water before handling the rice - it will prevent rice sticking to your hands.
Then add the filling like so. Do not overfill.
Roll the suhi roll with the help of matt like this. Press slightly to seal.
Remove the roll and set aside.
Using a sharp chef's knife sharply cur the roll into sushi pieces. Between every cut, clean the knife and dip the knife blade in cold water.
Serve with wasabi paste and soy sauce for dipping.
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Deepa