from our recipe box: {make your own sushi rolls!}

After leaving Hawaii, there was a void in our tummies where inexpensive delicious sushi used to be. We decided to start making it ourselves and will never turn back. The tutorial/recipes below explain how we make our sushi rolls. There's a lot that goes into this, so bear with me as I take you through each step! You may need to read through this one or two times. It took us a while to get all the steps and ingredients down.

Usually we make a whole evening out of it. So invite over some buddies, pour some hot sake, grab your chopsticks and have at it! 

The sushi we make may or may not be authentic, but it sure is delicious. Below you'll see everything we use to make our rolls. We'll go over how to make panko shrimp, spicy (raw) ahi, and spicy mayo sauce. Feel free to add in your own fillings and toppings! 

Sushi prep

Prepare the sushi rice. The most time consuming part of this is making the sushi rice. We use these instructions. You'll need to plan ahead and start this process about 2 hours ahead of when you'll start rolling. 1 cup is enough for about 3 sushi rolls, so change the proportions of the rice vinegar, water, sugar and salt on the instructions as needed. 

Panko shrimp. To make the crispy shrimp, we fry them using panko breading. Heat oil (we use peanut oil and a tiny bit of sesame oil) over medium heat. Beat one egg, dip shrimp in the egg first, then coat with the breading. Place shrimp in hot oil for about 1-2 minutes, flipping halfway through. Place on a paper towel and set aside. 

Slice your veggies. Cut thin slices of cucumbers and avocados. We use about 1/2 a cucumber and 1/2 an avocado for 3 rolls. 

Spicy mayo (my favorite part!). You'll need mayo, sesame oil and sriracha sauce. Mix 3 tablespoons of mayo, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of sriracha sauce (more if you like it spicier). You'll find that the sesame oil is what really makes this taste authentic. So delish. Set aside for later. 

Spicy ahi. We buy the freshest raw tuna steaks possible, from our local seafood market. We've never had an issue with upset tummies. If you're not sure about raw fish, you can forgo it. We use about 1/4 lb ahi steak. Using a sharp filet knife, chop ahi into tiny cubes. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of sriracha sauce. Mix and set aside. 

Supplies need for rolling: Seaweed paper (called nori), bamboo mat, sharp knife, a mix of 1 oz rice vinegar + 1/3 cup water (for rinsing knife while cutting sushi), damp paper towel (for making inside out rolls), sheet of cling wrap cellophane (for shaping ahi rolls). 

Okay, whew! Now you are ready to start rolling! We'll go over how to make inside out rolls-- those are my favorite. 

Let's roll.

Place your nori on the bamboo mat, with the rough side facing up. Using a rice paddle (or any old spoon), flatten out the rice and spread it to the edges. Place a damp paper towel over the rice and grabbing the edges of the paper towel and rice covered nori, flip it over. The paper towel is now on the bottom, with the nori on top. 

Line up your shrimp, cucumbers, and avocado along the edge of the nori sheet. You can add in some spicy mayo and spicy ahi if you'd like as well. 

To begin rolling, pick up the edge of the bamboo mat, paper towel and nori closest to you. Fold the edge in as close to your fillings as possible. Roll it as tightly as you can, peeling back the paper towel and bamboo mat as you go. When you get to the end, you can roll it back and forth with your fingers to tighten up the roll. 

If you want to top your sushi with spicy ahi, follow these steps below. 

Top roll with spicy ahi. Place cellophane over sushi and form it with a slight dome. Using your sharp knife, cut through the cellophane and the roll. Do not saw, but try to cut in one motion. Between slices, coat the blade with the rice vinegar/water mix to keep it slick. After slicing, remove the cellophane and if you want, top the roll with sesame seeds. 

OR 

Skip the ahi and cellophane part and just slice that bad boy. Make sure your pieces are bite-sized. 

Enjoy with soy sauce, wasabi and ginger, if desired and don't be shy about stuffing your mouth with those delicious bites of sushi-goodness. 

Now, if you want to make regular rolls (not inside-out rolls, but the ones with the seaweed on the outside), skip the flipping part above and place your fillings on the rice. You can roll it the same way (you won't need the paper towel for this) and cut it with your sharp knife coated with the rice vinegar/water mixture. 

From there, I like to drizzle spicy mayo (my very favorite part) on top. 

So there ya go. Not simple at all, but totally scrumptious and honestly, more fun than just ordering in a restaurant! 

Let me know if you have any questions! I tried to be as thorough as possible! Happy sushi eating!