Homemade California rolls
2 Feb
My mom used to let us make our own California hand rolls for dinner. We would each get a plate with quartered pieces of nori (seaweed), with the vegetables in the middle of the table. Each person could add whatever ingredients they liked, roll it up and chow down. My favorite was always the ripe avocado.
I used to always complain to my mom that it didn’t look the same as it did at restaurants… so I learned to make it myself.
I love all sorts of sushi and sashimi but it’s hard to enjoy without burning a hole in your wallet. While there are cheaper alternatives, I try to stay away from certain establishments. You can never be too careful when it comes to sushi, especially when it’s dirt cheap! I once saw people selling sushi at the back of Le Croissant shop in Queens, NY and ran the other way.
Making California rolls at home is much more cost efficient, considering that you have the major items like sushi rice and seaweed already. But like with most things you do yourself, you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck!
Makes 4 servings (about 6 pieces each)
Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups of cooked sushi rice
2 whole pieces of seaweed (for sushi, not the salted kind)
4 sticks of imitation crab legs, cut in half lengthwise
4 tablespoons of soy sauce (for dipping)
1 Kirby cucumber, sliced into strips with no seeds
1 ripe avocado, sliced into strips
2.5 teaspoons of vinegar
Wasabi
Procedure:
1. Scoop cooked rice into a medium bowl. Leave to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, at least. (Making a maki roll with piping hot rice will make the seaweed taste fishy.)
2. Once cooled, add vinegar and mix well.
3. Cut seaweed in half lengthwise by folding, or with a scissor.
4. Using a rice scooper, spread a little more than 1/2 cup of rice on seaweed, making sure it’s spread out evenly. Press down on the rice, maintaining a flat surface.
5. Add a piece of plastic wrap over the rice. This is to prevent rice from sticking to your fingers.
6. Flip seaweed over, rice side down. Add ingredients across the middle, in a connecting even line, right on the seaweed. (I just happen to have corn in there for something else – not a California roll ingredient!)
7. This is where it gets a little tricky. Sorry that I couldn’t take a better photo! Using both hands, slowly roll the rice away from you. Make sure you tuck in the ingredients as you go but make sure you keep the plastic wrap on the outside!
8. Once you reach the other end of the rice, pick up the entire thing. Squeeze the entire whole roll evenly, giving equal pressure to every side.
1. Use the plastic from above as a way to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers (again).
2. You want to cut about 7-8 pieces, not counting the edges.
3. Apply pressure and run your knife through in one cut. Do not saw, as that will break up the pieces. If you have a not-so-sharp knife like me, place your other hand on top of the knife to apply more pressure as you cut.
4. Serve immediately, to dip in soy sauce and wasabi. Refrigeration is not recommended as it will make the rice inedible.
If you’re nervous about the outside rice, the easier option is to roll it with the rice on the inside. It will taste just as good! Also, use a sushi mat if you have one – it will help.
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