Today's sushi rolls are just like the those you buy from take away sushi shops. It’s not very difficult once you’ve prepared the ingredients to go in the middle. Here is how to make Take Away Sushi Rolls step-by-step.
This is a long recipe only because I included very detailed step-by-step instuctions for rolling a ssushi as well as instruction for preparing 6 different fillings.
Prep Time and Cook Time are based on making 6 rolls with Beef Teriyaki & Julienned Carrots. Time to cook rice is not included.
Add rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a jar or a bowl. Mix well until sugar and salt are dissolved.
Add half of the vinegar mixture to the rice, spreading evenly and mix well using a spatula in cutting motion so that the rice grains do not break or get squashed.
Add the remaining vinegar mixture and mix well in the same way. If you can, fan the rice to cool it down quickly to let the moisture evaporate faster.
Place a nori sheet, smooth side down on a sushi rolling mat, aligning the cut end of the edge to the end of the mat closest to you.
Wet your hands with the vinegar water in the bowl, take ⅓ of the sushi rice and make an oval ball. Place the rice in the centre of the nori sheet and spread the rice in all directions, leaving a 2cm border on the side furthest from you (step-by-step photo
Place your choice of fillings onto the nori sheet, as per the sections below (step-by-step photo
Using the thumb and index finger of both hands, hold the end of the mat and lift it up. Then place your middle fingers and ring fingers on the fillings firmly (step-by-step photo
When the edge of the nori is at the top, let go of your middle and ring fingers and keep rolling slowly until the edge of the nori reaches the other end of the rice (step-by-step photo
By now, the mat should be completely covering the sushi roll (step-by-step photo
Hold the roll by placing one hand over the mat, then pull the end of the mat with the other hand a few centimetres away from yousothat the sushi inside the mat rolls a further 90 degrees or so (step-by-step photo
Using both hands, gently but firmly press the mat over the sushi roll (step-by-step photo
Cut the roll in half.
Place a fish strip and a cucumber wedge together in the middle of the rice horizontally.
Line up 2-3 slices of chicken cutlet connected to each other horizontally in the middle of the rice.
Place 3 avocado slices, breaking in the middle of the arch if the arch is too high so that the avocado piece can be placed along with the chicken.
Put tuna in a bowl. If it came in chunky pieces, break them into flakes using a fork.
Add mayonnaise and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread ⅓ of the tuna mixture in the middle of the rice horizontally, making a narrow mound.
Place 3 avocado slices, breaking in the middle of the arch if the arch is too high so that the avocado piece can be placed along with the tuna.
Line two green leaves connected together to cover the centre of the rice horizontally.
Place two tempura prawns, tail ends in the middle and overlapping slightly, on the green leaves.
Add soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar to the pan and mix with the beef. When the sauce is nearly evaporated, transfer the beef slices frim the heat and cool them down.
Spread ⅓ of the beef in the middle of the rice horizontally, making a narrow mound.
Spread ⅓ of the carrots along the beef.
1. A standard nori sheet (roasted seaweed sheet) is 19cm/7½” wide 21cm/8¼” long. You need to trim 1/3 off the sheet to make a 19cm/7½” x 14cm/5½” sheet. Please see my post about how to utilise trimmed nori pieces.
2. You need to use sushi rice, short grain rice or medium grain rice (order of preference). If possible, try to use Japanese brand of rice as they are shiner, fluffier and tastier. Other grains are not suited for sushi.
Please refer to How to Cook Rice the Japanese Way but add 1 sheet of 10cm x 5cm/4" x 2" konbu (kelp) when cooking the rice if you can. This will add umami to the rice.
3. It is OK to have 2-3 short strips to make it 19cm long. If the edges of the strips are narrower, make the strips slightly longer so that two strips can be overlapped when placed on the rice.
4. Cut a cucumber vertically into 6-8 long wedges (depending on the thickness of the cucumber) to make strips. If you can find a long cucumber, great. If your cucumber is short like mine, make more strips to make up to the required length.
5. Please refer to the Chicken Cutlets section of my Katsu Curry recipe.
6. Please refer to my post Tempura. If your prawns are smaller, use more prawns to make up to the total length of 19cm/7½”.
7. Oak leaf lettuce or butter lettuce suits best.
8. Any cut other than a stewing cut will be fine. I used sukiyaki/shabu-shabu slices as they cook fast.
9. (Optional) If the rice at the end of the roll is uneven, cover the roll with the rolling mat, aligning the edge of the mat to the end of the roll. Hold the mat on one hand and using the other hand, press the end of the roll inwards to tidy up.
If you want, you can trim the fillings that are sticking out to make it neater.
10. You can make tempura prawns, chicken cutlet, tuna with mayo and beef teriyaki the day before. But sushi rice must be made on the day. The sushi rice stored in the fridge is not great to roll sushi.
11. Nutrition per salmon and cucumber roll. Some fillings will have higher calories.
serving: 111g calories: 145kcal fat: 3.6g (6%) saturated fat: 0.8g (4%) trans fat: 0g polyunsaturated fat: 1g monounsaturated fat: 1g cholesterol: 14mg (5%) sodium: 28mg (1%) potassium: 135mg (4%) carbohydrates: 20g (7%) dietary fibre: 0.3g (1%) sugar: 1.7g protein: 7g vitamin a: 2.1% vitamin c: 2.8% calcium: 0.9% iron: 5.1%