Yesterday, my sister surprised me for lunch. Normally she has class but she had just finished a 3-hour exam that had taken over most of her life for the past two weeks, so it was really awesome to spend some time with her. I was ready to haphazardly throw some leftovers together for us, maybe some of my Fancy Avocado Toast, when she showed up with all the ingredients to make sushi! Keep reading to see how easy (and cheap!) it is to make your own rolls.
There are hundreds of combinations for sushi rolls, but we decided to keep it simple and went with a:
Mango & Crab California Roll
Ingredients:
- 1 Package Seaweed Paper (Nori)
- 1 Package Crab
- 1/4 Cucumber
- 1/2 Mango
- 1/2 Avocado
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)
- 2 cups Rice (we used a turmeric-infused table rice instead of sushi rice)
- 1 jar Pickled Ginger
- 1 Rolling Mat (we used placemats – you can find similar at the dollar store)
Directions:
- To save time, my sister had pre-made the rice. She used a 15-minute stove top rice with extra water. She mixed in 1 tbsp of ground turmeric powder and then set it in the fridge to get sticky.
- Wrap your rolling mat in plastic wrap. This is not always necessary if you have legit rolling mats, but it really helps keep the rice and roll together and makes cleanup a breeze
- Cut the crab, mango, and cucumber into thin strips. We tried to make them all roughly the same size.
- Lay out one of the seaweed papers and scoop rice onto it. Dip your fingers in a glass of water and then flatten the rice out across the paper. The amount of rice used is totally up to you. We kept it fairly minimal because we knew we were going to use a ton of ingredients inside. You’ll want to re-dip your fingers every few presses so the rice doesn’t stick to you.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds onto rice and flatten in. (Optional)
- For a roll with seaweed on the outside, you can start to lay down your fresh veggies and mango.
- For a roll with rice on the outside, gently peel seaweed off the mat and flip over so you are placing your fresh stuff on the seaweed side.
Check out my sisters SnapChat video below to see an overview of the process!
After you have added all the extras in, it’s time to get rolling!
- Hold the edge of the rolling mat, and lift it over so one side of the Nori covers the ingredients. Tuck the edge of the seaweed into the roll and tighten the mat. You want the sticky parts to touch, like the Nori or the rice. Continue rolling your mat and tightening every once in a while to make sure everything stays together.
- Instead of only rolling one direction you can roll one side half way and then switch to the other side of your rolling mat and go the other direction.
- Once you have rolled your sushi it will come out looking like a log.
- Using a very sharp knife, you will softly saw through the log and cut your sushi pieces. Be sure to dip your knife in water first!
- And, tadaa! They will (hopefully) come out looking like this.
We dressed up our rolls with some Sriracha sauce, slices of pickled ginger, and a homemade dipping sauce made of equal parts soy sauce and red wine vinegar. We already had these things on hand. To save money, I encourage you to make dips and drips from whatever you have in your fridge 🙂
The best part about all this is the ingredients only cost $10 from a local Asian grocery store. Give it a whirl and let me know how you do!
Still hungry? Check out my fancy avocado toast recipe!
Maggie
Oh my goodness! Saving for my husband, he will love this! Thanks for sharing!!
Samantha Kuzyk
Oh wow! I’m shocked at how affordable and easy it sounds to make your own sushi!
Gillian
I love sushi! I used to make my own but haven’t done it in a long time. This reminds me that I should try it again!
Andrea Bai
I grew up making sushi with my Japanese Grammy. It’s my favorite! Don’t forget to season your rice with rice vinegar and sugar. Totally elevates it. I never get tired of eating sushi!
Tyler
Thank you for saving my life! I’m so glad that this is inexpensive AND also looks totally doable since I am a horrible chef 🙂
Shelby
I have a sushi roller and have never used it! Now I am inspired!
Brittany Ashmore
Wow!!! I LOVE sushi and it doesn’t look too hard to make! Thanks for sharing!
Kelsinwonderland
Brittany AshmoreIt’s really not! I think it would be fun to make with kids, too. Just maybe sub out some of the ingredients 🙂 Thank you for reading!
Justine Y @ Little Dove
I so want to try to make sushi sometime!! And this looks really simple, yummy too!
Kelsinwonderland
Justine Y @ Little DoveOnce you give it a shot, you will be hooked! Most of the supplies you only need to buy once, which is great! If you try it, let me know how you do 🙂
Jennifer Brown
YUM!! Cannot wait to try!!
Kelsinwonderland
Jennifer BrownLet me know how you make out! Thank you for reading 🙂
Krista Nile
I have always wanted to make our own sushi! This look so simple…I’m going to try it. Thanks!!
Melissa
OMG this looks so yummy!! Pinning for later ?
Kelsinwonderland
MelissaAw, thank you! It was so so good.