Homemade Maki Sushi Roll 家常寿司卷

I must confess that this is the first time my husband and I are making sushi. My husband's verdict is that the taste is good (tastes better than some retail sushi)...just that the workmanship  leaves much to be desired....ooops!

Ok Sir! I'll work hard to improve on my sushi rolling and cutting skilsl....

Ingredients (enough for 2 to 3 pax) :

• 2 cups of Japanese short grain rice (rinse, drain and steam with 2 cups of water)
• 3 sheets of nori 
• 4 crab sticks (blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes and dip in ice water)(torn to pieces)
• 1 carrot (blanch in boiling water for 3-4 minutes and dip in ice water to retain its crunchiness)(chopped to matchstick size)
• 1 Japanese cucumber (chopped to matchstick size)
• 1 avocado (pitted, peeled, cut to thin slices)
• 1/2 cup tobiko flying fish roe
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• pickled ginger (for serving)
• wasabi (for serving)



Download Printer Friendly Recipe

• sushi light soy sauce (for serving)

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon)    

Tip : Wet knife in water and cut sushi in fluid motion instead of "sawing" to get nicely cut sushi rolls. 


Method : 

While steaming rice, we can prepare the flavouring mixture for the rice. Mix 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in bowl. Fold into saucepan and boil in low heat. Keep swirling the saucepan while boiling to ensure sugar is melting. Turn off heat once sugar is dissolved.

Scoop rice to a big wooden/glass or porcelain bowl when cooked. Pour flavouring mixture to rice and mix well with a wooden paddle. Ensure all grains are coated with flavorings and allow rice to cool to room temperature.

Prepare sushi rolling mat and a sheet of nori. Rough side of nori to be facing up.

Prepare a bowl of cold water beside the bowl of rice and wet hand before grabbing a handful of rice in your fist. Then spread evenly on the nori sheet. 

The thicker the layer of rice, the bigger size is the sushi roll. Leave a little edge top and bottom.

Start layering your intended ingredients. I start ours with mayonnaise. 

Follow by cucumber, carrot, crabstick, avocado, fish roe.

After layering the ingredients, I find it easier to proceed with rolling the nori with ingredients first (without rolling with the rolling mat). My skill is not so good, hence, I only use the rolling mat to set the shape of the sushi roll at the end. 

If you prefer your rice to be on the external side of the nori, all you need to do is to flip the nori and let the rice face down before layering your ingredients.

And roll with the rice facing out.

My husband's masterpiece! Cut sushi with a sharpened knife as sushi roll would look really ugly if we were to "saw" it. It is best to cut the sushi in one swift motion. It would look neat.

Dress it in your preferred way. As first timers, we simply coat it with our favorite fish roe. It looks raw though....not delicate. But the taste is great!

Whilst the look is far from beautiful....the taste is definitely there....