I can distinctly remember trying sushi for my very first time.
My parents were ordering in sushi back before sushi was cool and you could find a sushi shop at every corner. Yup, they were ahead of the times.
It wasn’t exactly love at first bite, but I was intrigued enough to keep on trying it. And look at me now! I’m making my own sushi! And you can too!
If the thought of learning to make your own sushi sounds daunting, trust me, it’s not. Yes, it does require some prep work and you do need to put your knife skills to work, but other than that, it’s actually super simple, requires no special equipment, and is a great way to get your whole family involved in the kitchen.
Getting those little hands involved in rolling up some sushi is a great way to expose your kids to sushi for the very first time. Sushi can be intimidating for a youngen and they may turn their nose up if you just drop sushi combo #2 in front of them. But having them involved and making their own makes it way more likely they will try it. And even if they don’t, you’re exposing them to a whole new cuisine, increasing the chances they will accept it in the future. And after all this, if they still don’t even want to look at that sushi, who cares?! It’s such a fun activity for the whole family to be involved in. Leave some of their favourite veggies and plain rice on the side (hello deconstructed dinner) and everyone will be happy as a clam.
Now I should add a slight disclaimer – if your kids are anything like mine, you will end up with at least one whole sushi roll’s worth of rice on your floor. And rice happens to be the hardest thing in the entire world to clean up. But we’re playing it cool and ignoring the mess, for now! And bonus, some stale, hard rice is way easier to sweep up than a pile of fresh and sticky sushi rice.
The best part of getting to make your own sushi at home is you are the sushi master. You get to decide how much and what goes into your roll. The skies the limit! And if you’re like me, you will definitely be loading up on that sriracha mayo – YUM!
I’ve got a sneaking suspicion make your own taco night will soon be replaced with make your own sushi night. Just keep the margarita and you’re golden!
Dara
Homemade Sushi
Serves | makes about 6 sushi rolls |
Dietary | Vegetarian |
Meal type | Main Dish |
Website | Adapted from Minimalist Baker |
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sushi (sticky) rice
- 2 Cups water
- 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 6 sheets nori
- 1-2 cups chopped veggies and other filling (cucumber, carrots, avocado, red pepper, tofu, mango, imitation crab) (chopped veggies and other filling (cucumber, carrots, avocado, mango, tofu, imitation crab))
- soy sauce, ginger, wasabi, sriracha mayo (for serving)
Note
There's a bit of prep to get your sushi party started, but once you get rolling it goes fast! It's such a great way to get your kids or dinner party guests involved in the process - everyone can create their own personalized sushi roll. The sushi will keep in the fridge for about a day or two, but it is best eaten fresh.
Directions
1. | Add rice and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until rice is tender and water is completely absorbed. |
2. | In the meantime, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl and microwave for a minute or two until sugar is completely dissolved. Place in the fridge to cool until rice is ready. |
3. | When the rice is done, turn off the heat and add vinegar mixture, mixing until the rice is evenly coated. |
4. | Place a square or rectangular shaped clean kitchen towel flat on a table and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Place one sheet of nori on top. Scoop as much rice as you need to cover nori with a thin layer, using wet hands to pat it down in place. |
5. | Arrange your desired filling on the rice in a horizontal layer, about 3/4 of the way from the end of the nori closest to you. Try to spread it out from end to end horizontally. |
6. | Roll the edge of the nori closets to you over the rice and filling, using the towel to help compress. Squeeze down and then continue to roll up into a tight cylinder. |
7. | Remove the towel and plastic wrap and slice into about 6-8 slices. Now start again using the same towel and plastic wrap. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, ginger and LOTS of sriracha mayo! |
Elite says
Your blog made my mouth watering. Love your recipe.. will be going to try the same.
Erin & Dara says
fantastic!