This recipe makes 3 rolls, about 24 pieces. You will need a "makisu", which is a sushi rolling mat.
Ingredients:
- 1+1/2 American cups (400 cc or 340 g) California Rose Rice (short grain)
- 1 + 2/3 American cups (395 g) water
- 2 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 tsp. (35 cc) rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. (20 g) granular sugar
- 1 + 4/5 tsp. (10 g) salt
- 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) Dashi Konbu (dried seaweed for broth)
- 8 oz. (224 g) imitation crab meat
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 cucumber
- 3 sheets of nori (dried seaweed sheets)
- 1 and a half avocado
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Making Sushi Rice
- Wash the rice until the water rinses clear.
- 1+1/2 American cups (400 cc or 340 g) California Rose Rice (short grain) or measure 2 cups with the rice cooker measuring cup (1 cup = 200 cc)
- Drain the rice in a colander and set aside for 20 minutes.
- Place the rice in a sauce pan or rice cooker and add water. Turn on a rice cooker or if you are cooking with a sauce pan, cover the pan with a lid and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling, turn to low and let it simmer until the water is gone (about 20 minutes). Turn off the heat and let it rest with a lid for an additional 5 minutes.
- 1 + 2/3 American cups (395 g) water
- While the rice is cooking, in a small sauce pan, mix:
- 2 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 tsp. (35 cc) rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. (20 g) granular sugar
- 1 + 4/5 tsp. (10 g) salt
- Heat the vinegar mixture over low heat until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Never let it boil. Add and leave for 30 minutes in the vinegar sauce:
- 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) Dashi Konbu (dried seaweed for broth)
- Spread the cooked hot rice into a large bowl. Immediately sprinkle the vinegar sauce over the rice and mix with a thin spatula. Cut the lumps of rice into small pieces so the vinegar will be evenly fold into rice. Mix quickly while the rice is very hot. Avoid unnecessary smashing or pressing motions.
- Cover the rice with a plastic and set aside.
Making California Rolls
- Chop finely:
- 8 oz. (224 g) imitation crab meat
- Add the seasoning to the above and mix well:
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds from the cucumber. Cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide strips. Sprinkle a dash of salt and set aside.
- 1 cucumber
- Peel, remove seeds and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide strips:
- Place a sushi rolling mat (makisu) on your working surface. Cover the mat with a sheet of plastic wrap.
- Spread 1/3 of rice thinly and evenly over the plastic. Press the rice with your finger tips using a sheet of plastic wrap so that the rice won't stick to your fingers.
- Place a sheet of nori (dried seaweed sheet) on top of the rice. Then on one end of the nori, add a strip of crab mixture, sliced cucumber and a few slices of avocado.
- Start rolling from the side with the filling (fig. 1), lifting up the rolling mat and pushing the filling with your finger tips so that they will not fall out (fig. 2). When the starting edge of the roll touches the seaweed (nori), start pulling the plastic sheet and rolling mat away from the sushi roll, because you do not want to include the plastic wrap and rolling mat in your sushi roll (fig. 3). Keep rolling forward as you pull the plastic sheet and rolling mat away from the sushi roll (fig. 4). After rolling all the way, open the mat, place the roll in the middle of the mat and give the final squeeze to make the rice stick together (fig. 5). Open the mat and remove the plastic sheet (fig. 6).
- Lightly toast sesame seeds in a frying pan.
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Sprinkle 1/3 of sesame seeds on a cutting board. Place the roll and roll on the board so the seeds will stick to the roll. Slice with a clean and wet knife, to prevent the rice from sticking to the knife.
FAQs
"The difference between California Rolls and Maki-zushi is the way it's rolled. The California Roll has the sushi rice on the outside with the nori on the inside. A Maki roll has the sushi rice on the inside with the nori on the outside.
Is there California Maki in Japan? ›
The California roll, nearly unknown in Japan but wildly popular abroad, is a reversed makizushi called ura-makizushi. The rice is on the outside and the seaweed on the inside.
What does a California Maki contain? ›
A California roll is a maki-style sushi roll that uses avocado, cucumber, and lump crab meat instead of the traditional raw fish. Maki-style sushi means that the ingredients are rolled in seaweed and paired with vinegared sushi rice.
Are California rolls Chinese or Japanese? ›
This adaptation has also been credited to Mash*ta by figures associated with the restaurant. Japanese-born chef Hidekazu Tojo, a resident of Vancouver since 1971, claimed he created the California roll at his restaurant in the late 1970s.
What is the original California roll? ›
California roll, a type of inside-out sushi roll (uramaki) in which vinegared rice (rather than nori, an edible seaweed) forms the outside of the roll, usually encompassing cucumber, crab (or imitation crab), and avocado.
What is the proper Japanese way to eat sushi? ›
Use your fingers to pick up sushi, not your chopsticks. Gently touch the fish side of your sushi to the soy sauce rather than dipping the rice. Avoid leaving rice floating in the bowl. All sushi or maki should be eaten in one, single bite.
What is the orange stuff on California Maki? ›
The mysterious orange balls on sushi do have a name: tobiko. This translates to flying fish roe, which is used in Japanese cuisine and commonly in sushi. Tobiko are small fish eggs in comparison to salmon roe, for example.
What is Japanese maki? ›
Maki is a type of sushi roll that is made by wrapping sushi rice and other ingredients in a sheet of seaweed called "nori." Maki is a popular type of sushi that is widely available in Japanese restaurants and other establishments that serve Asian cuisine.
What is the yellow thing in maki? ›
Or maybe you've seen a bright yellow center in a sushi roll and weren't sure what it was or what it's called. Put most simply, oshinko (meaning, "fragrant dish" in Japanese) is a variety of Japanese pickled vegetable, tsukemono.
Is California maki healthy? ›
Nutrient-Rich Ingredients: California rolls are packed with a variety of nutrient-rich ingredients. The sushi rice provides a source of energy-rich carbohydrates, while avocado contributes heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Inside rolls refer to the maki that rolls the rice inside the seaweed, or whatever medium you use to roll. There are 3 kinds: hosomaki, chumaki, and futomaki.
What are the 5 main ingredients in sushi? ›
Here's my list of 25 Essential Japanese Sushi ingredients for home chefs:
- Sushi Rice: The Foundation of Your Sushi Roll.
- Rice Vinegar: The Secret to Perfect Sushi Rice.
- Nori Sheets: The Backbone of Sushi Rolls.
- Wasabi: The Spicy Kick.
- Soy Sauce: The Ultimate Companion.
- Sake: A Unique and Flavorful Rice Wine.
The best rice for sushi is short-grain Japanese rice — this is what's in the bags labeled "sushi rice" at the store. This glutinous rice has a higher starch content than other varieties, which gives it the sticky texture you're after when you make sushi.
What is the difference between sushi and maki rolls? ›
Sushi refers to food made with cold boiled rice moistened with rice vinegar and shaped into bite-sized portions. Maki is a type of sushi that is made by rolling the rice around strips of vegetables or raw fish and then slicing the resulting tube into bite-sized pieces. It comes from the Japanese word maku "to roll up."
What is the difference between a maki roll and a regular roll? ›
The difference between a maki roll and a hand roll (temaki) is that maki sushi is firmly rolled and sliced into several bite-sized pieces. A hand roll is loosely rolled into a tube or cone shape and meant to be eaten whole as an individual serving.
Why is it called California Maki? ›
Others say that Hidekazu Tojo, owner of Tojo's in Vancouver, is the inventor of the California Roll. According to his story, he tried to hide the seaweed because the Western population was not used to eating it. Since many customers from Los Angeles loved the roll made inside-out, it received the name California Roll.
Are California rolls healthy for weight loss? ›
California rolls are generally healthy as long as a person avoids high amounts of calorie-dense sauces, such as mayonnaise, or consumes them in moderation.
What's the difference between a California roll and a dragon roll? ›
The California Roll features Crab, Nori (seaweed), cucumber and sesame seeds. A variation is the Rainbow Roll, which features an extra piece of fish on top of the California Roll. The Dragon Roll combines eel, crab and cucumber with an outer avocado wrap.
