How to make sushi A step by step Guide to make Sushi

Sushi is a wholesome Japanese dish that everybody loves. Deliciously tasty and healthy, sushi is a favoured choice for meals, snacks and parties. If you’ve always wondered how to make sushi at home, read on. The good news is that making sushi yourself is much less daunting than it seems.

Just follow these simple steps to sushi success! Here you’ll learn a basic sushi recipe that features a classic salmon and avocado filling.

Don’t like salmon? You can use sushi-grade fresh tuna or tinned drained tuna combined with Japanese mayonnaise instead.

For a vegan version, you can use a combination of carrot, green onions and red capsicum as another alternative.

Basic sushi recipe: how to make authentic sushi at home

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups (540g) koshihikari rice
3 3/4 cups (935ml) cold water
1/2 cup (125ml) rice vinegar
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 nori sheets
200g fresh salmon, cut into 1cm-thick batons
1 avocado, halved, stoned, peeled, thinly sliced
Light soy sauce, to serve
Wasabi paste, to serve
Pickled ginger, to serve

METHOD

Step 1

Place the rice in a sieve. Rinse under cold running water, to remove any excess starch, until water runs clear. Place the rice and water in a large saucepan, covered, over high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 12 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat. Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
Step 2

Combine the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Transfer the rice to a large glass bowl. Use a wooden paddle to break up rice lumps while gradually adding the vinegar mixture, gently folding to combine. Continue folding and fanning the rice for 15 minutes or until rice is cool.
Step 3

Place a sushi mat on a clean surface with slats running horizontally. Place a nori sheet, shiny-side down, on the mat. Use wet hands to spread one-sixth of the rice over the nori sheet, leaving a 3cm-wide border along the edge furthest away from you.
Step 4

Place salmon and avocado along the centre of the rice. Hold filling in place while rolling the mat over to enclose rice and filling. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, salmon and avocado.
Step 5

Use a sharp knife to slice sushi widthways into 1.5cm-thick slices. Place on serving dishes with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger, if desired.

What sort of rice is used in sushi

Sushi is made with Koshihikari rice, a short-grain rice that has a soft, sticky texture when cooked. It is available from supermarkets and Asian grocers. Sushi can be rolled by hand, but for perfectly formed rolls use a bamboo sushi mat (available from supermarkets and Asian grocers).

What is Nori

Nori sheets are thin layers of dried seaweed and are available from supermarkets and Asian grocers.

What goes in sushi

You can put almost any filling inside a sushi roll, such as seafood, chicken or vegetables. Basically, sushi is a dish that combines “Sushi Rice“ (vinegared rice) with other ingredients. The ingredients can sit on top of the rice or rolled into a roll to make a sushi roll.

Will sushi keep overnight in the fridge

Sushi cooked with fresh ingredients and put in the fridge won’t make you sick, but sushi is designed to be eaten within minutes of being prepared. If you do need to store your sushi in the fridge, wrap thoroughly with cling wrap and place into an airtight container.

Sushi or Sashimi? What’s the difference

Sushi is simply vinegarweed rice that is mixed with other ingredients (this can be raw or cooked ingredients, including vegetables) whereas sashimi is thinly sliced raw meat – usually salmon or tuna that is served without rice.

Remove the bamboo mat so that your roll now looks like this:

Step 5Roll the Sushi the Rest of the Way
Roll the rest of the roll up into a little Japanese burrito, using your fingers.

Use the bamboo mat to compress the roll again, squeezing gently.

Step 6Move to Cutting Board
Remove the mat and place the roll on a cutting board.

Step 7Cut the Sushi
Using a very sharp knife, cut it into rounds. Make sure to clean the blade of the knife after every time you cut off a piece of sushi. The blade will quickly become sticky, so if you don’t clean it, the sushi will be very difficult to cut.

Step 8Serve
Arrange on a plate and ta-da… beautiful sushi.

More Sushi Hacks
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Tastes as Amazing as It Sounds: Sushi with Sriracha Instead of Seaweed
DIY Dessert Sushi: 3 Irresistible, Easy-to-Make Recipes
How to Make Party-Style Temari Sushi
How to Make Restaurant-Grade Sushi Rice
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