How to Make Homemade Sushi

Sushi’s a delicious and very healthy meal to enjoy.  But, it’s also very expensive.  With the cheapest of the variety, California Rolls, still nearing $6 a roll, sushi isn’t necessarily a budget-friendly dining experience.

The cool thing about it, it’s very easy to make at home!  It may take a little trial and error to get it just right but anybody can do it.

Homemade sushi is fun, simple, and extremely customizable.  You choose the type of rice.  You choose the amount of fish, vegetables, and rice the rolls are made with.  You choose everything. 

Best of all, it’s so fresh! And all for less than a dollar a roll. 

First step: making the rice.

Don’t be intimidated by making the absolute perfect rice, either. We goofed on this attempt and it still came out amazing.

Ingredients (will make 4-5 rolls)

• 2 cups short grain rice (accidently used regular)
• 2 cups water (accidently used 5 cups, the normal amount for rice)
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 4 tsp. sugar
• 4 tsp. Mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)
• 1 tsp. salt

The Basic Sushi Rice Process:

1. Rinse and clean rice of excess starch.
2. Let rice soak for 30 – 60 minutes in the pot with 2 cups of water.
3. Bring rice to a boil, turn heat to low, and cover the pot for 15 minutes.
4. Once cooking is done remove rice from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
5. Mix 2 tbsp. rice vinegar, 4 tsp. of sugar, 4 tsp. mirin, and 1 tsp. of salt and nuke in the microwave for 30 – 45 seconds.
6. Drizzle rice vinegar, sugar and salt mixture over the rice.
7. Cut the mixture in, and turn over the rice some, to fully mix it all together. Be gently though.
8. When done place a damp (not wet) towel over the rice bowl and set aside in a cool place.

To cut in the heated rice vinegar/mirin/sugar/salt mixture, spread the brown rice over a clean table or in a big bowl and pour mixture over rice, folding pile over itself and re-spreading multiple times.

As rice is cooling with a damp clothe laid over it, prepare the fillings.

We went with imitation crab, small chopped shrimp mixed with a bit of mayonnaise, shredded carrots, cucumber, and avocado.

Next, decide how you’ll like your sushi.  Here’s what you’ll need:

• The prepared rice
• Fillings
• 4-5 nori (seaweed) sheets
• Sesame seeds
• Rolling mat
• Plastic wrap

For a regular maki roll with the rice on the inside:

1. Lay plastic wrap over rolling mat and place 1 sheet of nori on top of the plastic wrap, shiny side down.
2. Spread 1/2 cup prepared rice onto nori sheet, spreading evenly to edges (leaving 1/2” space along edge), and pressing gently to secure onto nori sheet.
3. Lay fillings on one edge of the nori.
4. Roll the sushi by holding the edge of the mat (the side with the filling) with your thumbs, then lift the Nori and roll the sushi away from you. Make sure to keep the ingredients in place and that the rice sticks together.
5. Roll very tightly, making sure the roll stays in place.
6. Place in fridge covered in plastic wrap until ready to slice.

For futomaki (inside-out roll):

• Complete steps 1 and 2 from above.
• From here, sprinkle rice generously with sesame seeds and lay another layer of plastic wrap over the rice. Carefully flip nori sheet over so the rice if facing down.  Remove plastic wrap from nori sheet.
• Place toppings on far edge of nori sheet.
• Roll with the same method as above: step 4-6.

When ready to slice:

• Remove the sushi rolls from the refrigerator and unwrap. 
• Holding onto the roll, carefully slice sushi with a sharp, serrated knife.  It may help for the blade to be damp.

Plate and enjoy!

A second option is to eat your sushi in it’s roll form.  That’s fun too!

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**Do you like sushi?  What’s your favorite kind?

**Have you ever made your own sushi?

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Tagged as: Homemade sushi, how-to, recipe, saving money, step by step