Most people think of sushi as raw fish, when it’s actually any dish made with vinegared rice. By the way, when raw fish is served alone, it’s called sashimi. Now there are a few different types of sushi, but we’ll only cover one type here: Makizushi, which translates to rolled sushi and is generally wrapped in seaweed (nori). And then Hosomaki (= thin roll with rice inside & nori outside) and Uramaki (= inside-out roll with rice inside and nori outside) are just two of different kinds of Maki itself and probably the most popular ones in the western world.
In Japan it may take months or even years of training before being allowed to present oneself to a customer as a sushi chef (itamae). That’s probably a reason why until a few years ago I thought making sushi was super hard, so I turned to the sushi place of my confidence whenever I was in the mood for it. But once you have the knack (ha!) of how to roll, you can make all your favorite kinds at home. Obviously, I still can’t compete with Japanese sushi chefs but with this technique I do get the job done. To demonstrate how easy it actually is, even if you’re not a pro, I published a short video on my Facebook page, so check that out. All you really need is a bamboo mat and ideally a freezer bag or some foil so that you don’t have to scrape off the sticky rice from the mat. You can find all the other ingredients in the recipe below.
Jeder japanische Sushimeister würde wohl mit den Augen rollen ? Mit seinen bis zu 10 Jahren Ausbildung kann und will ich auch gar nicht konkurrieren. Das Video soll nur das “how-to” demonstrieren und dass man absolut kein Profi sein muss, um einigermaßen ansehnliches Sushi selber zu machen. Viel Spaß beim Rollen!
Music by Ehrling: https://soundcloud.com/ehrling
Posted by MINAMADE on Thursday, July 13, 2017
Oh and a few words on edamame: these are just young soy beans that need to be blanched and salted and then make the perfect snack or cocktail nibble. In Japan they are often served as an accompaniment to beer. I tried the “branch beans”, as they are translated literally, a few years ago – not in Japan though, but at the Bavarian Japanese restaurant in Munich. You can find edamame beans at the frozen section of an Asian store or online. I didn’t include a recipe for the beans, because I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. Simply add the frozen beans to a pot with boiling salted water, simmer for a few minutes (according to the instructions on the package). Then drain, add some coarse sea salt and there you have it. Oh and don’t eat the pods! Just bring the pod to your lips and pull the beans out with your teeth or squeeze them into your mouth.
Making your own sushi isn't complicated at all. Ones you have the knack of how to roll, you can make all your favorite kinds at home. My favorite fillings are avocado, cucumber and pumpkin in the fall.
- 2 cups sushi rice (400 g)
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp sugar (or maple syrup)
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 seaweed sheets (nori), cut in half
- 1 avocado, cucumber, carrot etc. as desired
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds (black or white) (optional)
- 1 handful sprouts (optional)
- 1-2 tbsp vegan cream cheese (optional)
- soy sauce/ tamari for serving
- wasabi for serving (optional)
- gari (= pickled ginger) for serving (optional)
- 1 bamboo mat
- 1 freezer bag or saran wrap
- 1 bowl filled with water
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Add rice and 700 ml water to a pot with a lid and bring to a boil for about 2 minutes.
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Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 more minutes. As soon as all the water has been absorbed by the rice, remove pot from the stove. Place a kitchen towel between pot and lid and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
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In a small bowl, mix together rice vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar has dissolved.
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To a big wooden bowl add the rice and with a wooden spoon mix in the vinegar mixture.
Leave rice to cool.
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Prepare fillings (e.g. peel and cut avocado and cucumber) and set aside.
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Place half a sheet of nori on bamboo mat, rough side facing up. Damp your hands with some water and spread a ball of rice evenly on seaweed, leaving about 1/2 inch from the far edge of the sheet.
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Optional: spread some sesame seeds over rice.
Place 2-3 strips of avocado (or your filling ingredient) on the near edge of the rice layer.
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Wet the far edge with some water. Lift bamboo mat and fold nori over the filling. Continue to roll the sushi gently but firmly.
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Place sushi roll on a cutting board, seam facing down and cut into six or eight pieces using a sharp, wet knife.
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Wrap bamboo mat in saran wrap or a freezer bag.
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Place half a sheet of nori on (wrapped) bamboo mat, rough side facing up. Damp your hands with some water and spread a ball of rice evenly on seaweed, leaving about 1/2 inch from the far edge of the sheet.
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Spread some sesame seeds on rice.
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Flip nori and rice so that the shiny side of the nori is facing upward.
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Place 2-3 strips of avocado on the near edge of the seaweed. Is using, spread some cream cheese on the avocado and add some sprouts on top.
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Lift bamboo mat and fold nori over the filling. Continue to roll the sushi gently but firmly.
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Place sushi roll on a cutting board, seam facing down and cut into six or eight pieces using a sharp, wet knife.
Fyi: In case you’re wondering about why I didn’t either write anything about wasabi (other than mentioning it in the ingredient list) nor include it in the photos, the answer is very simple. I just don’t like wasabi or horseradish in general. It actually is one of the few plant-based things I don’t like, next to olives and honeydew.
I hope you love the recipe – please let me know in the comment section below! Share your remakes on my Facebook page or on Instagram, using the hashtag #minamadefood and be sure to tag me (@thisisminamade) so that I can see your creations!
