Sushi making is extremely easy once you get the hang of it, and making it at home will save you buckets of money. Sushi at restaurants is crazy expensive, so instead of dining out, why not invite some friends over and have your own sushi night (or sushi-making party)? You’ll come out of this experience with some special memories and very full, satisfied bellies.
If this is your first time making sushi, we recommend watching a quick sushi mat tutorial online. Seeing the rolling process in action will help you get it right on the first try.
Yield: 5–6 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 1 hour
You’ll need: a bamboo sushi mat
2 cups uncooked short-grain sushi rice
2⅓ cups water
2½ tablespoons rice vinegar
½ tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
5–6 sheets sushi nori (toasted seaweed)
1 large avocado, pitted and sliced
1 carrot, sliced or shredded
1 small cucumber, cut into small strips
To serve:
Soy sauce
Wasabi
Pickled ginger
1. Place the rice in a large pot and fill with tap water to rinse. Using your hand, swish the rice around, drain, add more water, swish, and rinse again. Repeat this process a few times until the water stays mostly clear when swished. Drain the rinsing water.
2. Add 21/3 cups of water to the rinsed rice in the large pot and mix. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir the rice, lower the heat to mediumlow, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes without removing the lid for any reason. Turn off the heat and wait an additional 10 minutes before removing the lid.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add the cooked rice while gently fluffing to mix. Set aside and allow the rice to cool to room temperature before using for sushi.
4. To assemble the sushi rolls, place one piece of nori (rough side up) in the center of the bamboo mat, and set a little bowl of water nearby to wet your fingers. With wet hands, spread a thin, even layer of room-temperature sushi rice across the entire sheet of seaweed (except the top ½ inch of nori), pressing down gently as you spread. Add a small strip of avocado, carrot, and cucumber in a straight line about 1½ inches away from the bottom of the roll (nearest your hands). Using the bamboo mat, gently but tightly roll your sushi. Repeat with the remaining nori pieces until your rice is gone.
5. Using a sharp knife moistened with water, slice each roll into 6 to 8 pieces of sushi. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
Friendly Suggestion: Sushi rice should be used as soon as it’s cool enough to work with. If you don’t plan to use it right away, cover the top of your rice cooker or pot with a damp towel to prevent the rice from hardening.
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