How to Make Sushi

Lots of people wonder how to make sushi. Sushi chefs are very skilled at what they do and thus make beautiful creations.

But you too can make sushi rolls… probably after a few practice rolls that might not look too appealing. Here’s a little help and instruction so that you can create your own sushi rolls at home!

How to Make Sushi

How To Make Sushi

How to Make Sushi

Making sushi is really not as difficult as you might think. To begin, there is only one must have small tool that is probably not in your kitchen… you really need a Bamboo Sushi Roller.

Also, if you don’t have a rice cooker we highly recommend this Electric Rice Cooker By Tiger Electronics. A rice cooker is not necessary for making sushi, but it does guarantee that your rice is properly cooked, which means soft and sticky. We have been using this same rice cooker (well, an earlier model of the same cooker by the same company) for 20 years and it still makes perfect rice each and every time. Another advantage of using a rice cooker is that most come with a rice scoop that is perfect for spreading the rice on the seaweed to make sushi.

Today we are going to concentrate on how to make sushi, specifically a California roll, it seems to be the most universal sushi roll since even those who are squeemish at the thought of raw fish can comfortably bite into a California roll. And, once you master making California rolls, you have the basic knowledge to continue on with making sushi of any type that you can imagine! Some alternative ways to make sushi rolls are listed at the end of these instructions.

How To Make California Rolls

california Roll Ingredients:

  • Rice (short grain Japanese rice is preferred)
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Carrots
  • Cucumber
  • Avocado
  • Crab (we use imitation crab which is fish made to look and taste like real crab)
  • Cream cheese (we use whipped cream cheese to make it lighter)
  • Seaweed sheets (called Nori or Sushi Nori)

    • That’s it for the roll, but then for the dippping sauce (which is optional to some) you will need Soy sauce, Wasabi paste and Pickled ginger.The steps to make dipping sauce are detailed below.

    Steps To Make Sushi: The California Roll

  • Make rice according to manufacturer’s directions (be sure to rinse first). Three cups of raw rice is plenty to make about 8-10 California rolls (figure 1-2 rolls per person).
  • While the rice is cooking, get a sharp knife and start chopping. Slice the carrots, cucumber and avocado into long strips. The trick is to try and slice everything thin and uniform. If you have a regular cucumber, you probably want to peel it first. sushi ingredients
  • Chop or shred the crab or imitation crab into fine bits and mix in a bowl with cream cheese. Use about 1/3C of cream cheese per 16oz package of crab.
  • When the rice is done (or pops if you have a rice cooker), put about 2 cups cooked rice into a bowl and mix with about 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar.
  • Put a sheet of seaweed onto your rice roller with the shiny side down and the embedded lines lined up in the same direction as the strings of your rice roller. Tip: Having a cutting board under your rice roller helps because then at the end of the roll, you can just slide the roll off the rice roller onto the cutting surface to cut sushi pieces.
  • Get a small bowl, add some water and place it next to your rice roller. This is to dip your fingers in later on when it is time to seal your roll (and to clean your fingers between rolls).
  • Take your rice paddle (or a firm, flat utensil with rounded edges) and quickly spread a very think layer of prepared rice (about 2 scoops) onto the seaweed sheet leaving about 1/2″ of blank seaweed on the end away from you. Tip: Work quickly because as the seaweed becomes moistened from the rice, it will begin to stretch and tear. This is especially true if the rice is still warm like we use it because, although California rolls are pretty to look at, they taste amazing fresh and warm. seaweed sheet
  • Begin to layer on the side of the sheet closest to you first the crab mixture, then the sliced vegetables. You want crab and a slice of each vegetable all the way across the width of the seaweed as shown. ready to roll
  • Now tightly squeeze the ingredients downward with your fingers and then upward with your thumbs as you use the rice roller to come across the top of your newly forming roll. Continue to pull the rice roller across the top with constant gentle pressure until you reach the other end of the seaweed. Now hold the roll with one hand and dip the other in your bowl of water and use the bit of water on your fingers to run across the blank seaweed on the end (this is to seal the roll). Then put a little pressure on your rice roller back & forth across the top to seal the roll. sushi roll
  • Slide or transfer the roll to a cutting board and slice the roll along the line marks with a very sharp knife. It’s ready to go!
    • finished sushi

    More on Making Sushi

    Dipping sauce:

  • Mix soy sauce with a small amount of wasabi. Delicate palates will want nothing to do with wasabi, while the adventurous one may want a large dab. Pickled ginger is meant to cleanse the palate between courses, or can be used to add a little flavor to your dip.

    • Some alternatives to the California Roll:

  • Make an inverted California roll. After you spread the rice onto the Nori, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds on the rice and then flip the sheet over onto you sushi roller before adding the crab and vegetables. This will make a reverse roll, that is even prettier than the basic roll. But, if you are making this variation wrap your entire sushi roller with plastic wrap (saran wrap) first so that the rice does not stick to the sushi roller and make things very messy and difficult.
  • Use whatever vegetables you enjoy or have on hand. Zucchini works well, as does hearts of romaine lettuce, asparagus (slightly cooked), red pepper and tomatoes (seeds removed) to name a few.
  • Make a Philadelphia Roll. A Philadelphia roll is made exactly the same as a California roll, except that the filling needs no mixing as it consists of slices of smoked salmon, slices of cream cheese, red onion, and cucumber instead of the ingredients listed above.

    • To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.

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    Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy the experience of making sushi!