Go Back
+ servings
4.91 from 11 votes
Top-down photo of 12 sushi rolls with 6 different fillings fit in a bamboo container.
Take Away Sushi Rolls
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

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.

Recipe Type: Main
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: sushi recipe, sushi rice, sushi rolls, take away sushi
Serves: 6 Rolls
Author: Yumiko
Ingredients (tbsp=15ml, cup=250ml)
  • 3 x 19cm/7½” wide 14cm/5½” long nori sheets (note 1)
Sushi Rice
  • cups hot cooked rice (note 2)
  • 35ml/1.2oz rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • tsp salt
Fillings (each filling ingredients make 12 rolls)
Raw Salmon & Cucumber Roll
  • 3 strips sashimi salmon , 19cm/7½” long, 1.5cm/⅝" wide (about 50g each, note 3)
  • 3 x 19cm/7½” long wedges of cucumber (note 4)
Raw Tuna & Cucumber Roll
  • 3 strips sashimi tuna , 19cm/7½” long, 1.5cm/⅝" wide (about 50g/1.8oz each, note 3)
  • 3 x 19cm/7½” long wedges of cucumber (note 4)
Chicken Cutlet & Avocado Roll
  • 4 - 6 x 1.5cm/⅝" wide strips of chicken cutlet (about 150g/5.3oz in total, note 5)
  • 9 slices avocado , sliced lengthwise to 1cm/⅜" thick
Tuna Dressed in Mayonnaise & Avocado
  • 150g/5.3oz canned tuna flakes or chunks in brine or spring water
  • 3 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
  • salt and pepper
Tempura Prawn & Green Leaf
  • 6 large prawn tempura (about 10cm/4" long, note 6)
  • 6 small green soft-leaf lettuce leaves (note 7)
Beef Teriyaki & Julienned Carrots
  • 150g/5.3oz very thinly sliced beef (note 8)
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 tsp each soy sauce , sake, mirin
  • ½ tsp of sugar
  • 75g/2.6oz carrot , finely julienned
Rolling Tools
  • A small bowl of water mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar
  • A sushi rolling mat/bamboo rolling mat
Instructions
Making Sushi Rice
  1. Add rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt in a jar or a bowl. Mix well until sugar and salt are dissolved.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

Making Sushi Rolls (refer to the corresponding numbers in the step-by-step photo)
  1. 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.

  2. 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 ). Ensure that the rice evenly covers the nori sheet and do not press the rice down too hard..

  3. Place your choice of fillings onto the nori sheet, as per the sections below (step-by-step photo ).

  4. 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 ). While placing these fingers on the fillings, roll the bamboo mat away from you (step-by-step photo ).

  5. 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 ).

  6. By now, the mat should be completely covering the sushi roll (step-by-step photo ). Don't roll the end of the mat into the rice! Press the rolling mat around the sushi roll gently but firmly.

  7. 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 ), overlapping with the end of the seaweed sheet that does not have rice on it.

  8. Using both hands, gently but firmly press the mat over the sushi roll (step-by-step photo ), then remove the mat (note 9).

  9. Place the sushi roll on the plate/cutting board with the overlapping seaweed line down.
  10. Leave the roll for a couple of minutes to let the seam stick.
  11. Wipe a sharp kitchen knife with a wet towel to give moisture to the knife. This will prevent the knife from sticking to the rice, resulting in a clean cut.
  12. Cut the roll in half.

    Step-by-step photo of how to roll a sushi roll.

Raw Salmon & Cucumber Roll and Raw Tuna & Cucumber Roll
  1. Place a fish strip and a cucumber wedge together in the middle of the rice horizontally.

Chicken Cutlet & Avocado Roll
  1. Line up 2-3 slices of chicken cutlet connected to each other horizontally in the middle of the rice.

  2. 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.

Tuna Dressed in Mayonnaise & Avocado
  1. Put tuna in a bowl. If it came in chunky pieces, break them into flakes using a fork.

  2. Add mayonnaise and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Spread ⅓ of the tuna mixture in the middle of the rice horizontally, making a narrow mound.

  4. 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.

Tempura Prawn & Green Leaf
  1. Line two green leaves connected together to cover the centre of the rice horizontally.

  2. Place two tempura prawns, tail ends in the middle and overlapping slightly, on the green leaves.

Beef Teriyaki & Julienned Carrots
  1. Add oil to a frying pan over medium high heat.
  2. Add beef slices and sauté until slightly browned and beef is nearly cooked through for about 1-2 minutes depending on the thickness of the slices.
  3. 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.

  4. Spread ⅓ of the beef in the middle of the rice horizontally, making a narrow mound.

  5. Spread ⅓ of the carrots along the beef.

Recipe Notes

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%