Homemade Sushi

I fell in love with sushi years ago. I was lucky enough to be given a rolling mat and the beginning ingredients when I was 16 and I’ve been making it at home ever since. I recently learned how to do an inside out roll and I wanted to share. Things you will need:

• Rice cooker
• Rolling mat
• Saran wrap/cling wrap
• Nori sheets
• Short grain white rice
• Rice vinegar
• White sugar
• Avocado, cucumber, green onion, carrots, etc. for filling
• Sesame seeds
• Gari(pickled ginger) and wasabi for garnish *you can find these is most large grocery stores

Directions:

1. Rinse 1/2 cup short grain rice about 4 times, until the water runs clear. Combine with 3/4 cup cold water in a rice cooker. Remove rice into a glass bowl and stir in 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Cut through rice repeatedly with a spoon and continue stirring to cool. Rice should become slightly shiny and clumps should fall apart. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour.

2. Wrap rolling mat in saran wrap. Cut one sheet of nori in half and place shiny side down-align with the bottom of the mat. Have a bowl of cold water nearby. Wet hands and pile half the cooled rice onto textured side of nori. Spread rice to all corners, wetting fingertips as needed. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

3. Flip nori over and place fillings about 2/3 of the way down the sheet. Cucumber and green onion are shown, you can obviously use whatever you find delicious.

4. Holding ingredients in with fingertips, roll mat over top of ingredients. Squeeze roll to begin forming the shape.

5. Continue to roll mat over the roll, squeezing firmly to form. The mat should form a soft square shape.

6. Repeat with other half of rice, until you have two rolls. Feel free to use different ingredients.

7. Cut roll down the middle with a wet knife. Cut into equal quarters, then into eighths.

8. Flip cut sides onto a plate and arrange with gari and wasabi.

Tags: avocado, cooking, food, recipe, rice, sushi, vegan, vegetarian