All the opinions on Sushi I've encountered so far can be segregated into two extreme ends of a spectrum. You'll either find people who are absolutely obsessed with the delicacy and can't go without treating themselves to a few rolls every now and then. Or you'll come across people who detest seafood and consider sushi to be massively overrated.
Personally, I would deem myself as belonging to the former category. Because as all Sushi lovers know, once you develop a taste for spicy seafood and sticky rice meshed into one mouthwatering roll, you begin to see what the Japanese meant by "Umami". Let's just say there's a reason biophysicists have declared Sushi addiction as a real thing. And even if you are more the latter type, there's something for you at this party!
Setting aside the fact that restaurants are going to be out of reach for a while, we all know how expensive a Sushi platter can be. So if you enjoy the preparation, learning to make it yourself at home is a skill that will come handy right now in the middle of a lockdown, and in the future when your pockets aren't quite heavily lined.
And to get you started, we have listed 4 ways to make Sushi at home, that will calm your cravings as and when they strike. And no, you don't need to go hunting for seaweed, and yes we've included vegetarian Sushi recipes for those with anti-seafood tastes.
1. Canned Tuna Sushi
If you want to get as close to the taste of authentic Sushi as possible, this easy to create sushi recipe will do the trick for you! You can add or remove ingredients of your choice, and use crab meat instead of tuna if you wish to.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Sushi Rice Or Short-Grained Rice Cooked Till Sticky
- Canned Tuna
- Chopped Red Onion
- Japanese Mayo
- Cucumber Cut Into Stripes
- Rice Vinegar
- Sugar, Salt & Pepper
Steps
- Cook your rice and season with vinegar, salt and sugar
- Mix the tuna with mayo, onion, salt and pepper in a bowl
- Place half of the rice on a sushi bamboo mat, spread in a rectangle shape and press gently till the rice sticks together
- Line up the tuna and cucumber in the middle
- Roll the mat to shape your sushi into cylinders, and press the mat firmly with your hands
- Unwrap the mat and remove your sushi roll
- Cut into the size of your choice
Image Courtesy: Royal Victoria
Recipe By - Royal Victoria
2. Shrimp And Brown Rice Sushi
This is a low-calorie Sushi recipe that will take care of both your cravings and diet concerns at one go. We've suggested using soy paper because of easier availability, but if you can order some authentic Nori sheets online, there's nothing quite like it!
Ingredients
- Short-Grain Brown Rice
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Shrimp
- Soy Paper
- Peeled Carrots & Cucumber
- Avocado
- Sugar, Salt & Pepper
Steps
- Let the rice soak in water with some salt and vinegar for 30 minutes
- Cook till sticky
- Season cooked rice with rice vinegar, salt and sugar
- Peel and devein shrimp, and season in boiling water
- Spread the cooked rice evenly over soy paper
- Add shrimp, carrots and avocado to the middle of the rectangle of rice
- Roll up your sushi tightly and allow the ends of soy paper to touch in order to seal your roll
- Cut your roll precisely into the size of your choice using a sharp knife
Image Courtesy: Kitrusy
Recipe By - Kitrusy
3. Veggie Cucumber Sushi Roll
Don't judge a book by its cover, and a recipe by its ingredients! This simple vegetarian Sushi recipe can be created in a jiffy without the hassle of procuring Nori sheets, or even a Sushi bamboo mat. You can add more veggies like carrots, shitake mushrooms and red onions to bulk up your sushi roll.
Ingredients
- Cucumber
- Sushi Rice Or Short-Grained Rice Cooked Till Sticky
- Sliced Avocado
- Orange Bell Pepper
- Soy Sauce
Steps
- Cook rice and let cool till its sticking together
- Cut the cucumbers in half, and remove the seeds to create hollow tubes
- Stuff rice to seal one end of the cucumber
- Insert avocado and pepper
- Add more rice and compress till the tube is packed full
- Precisely slice the stuffed cucumber into the size of your choice with a sharp knife
- Serve with soy sauce
Image Courtesy: Live Eat Learn
Recipe By - Live Eat Learn
4. Vegan Sushi
This vegan recipe might warrant a bit of patience and effort, but the product is more than worth it! This one makes use of rice paper instead of Nori sheets, and you need to be careful to not break the paper while you soften it with warm water.
Ingredients
- Rice Paper
- Sushi Rice Or Short-Grained Rice Cooked Till Sticky
- Carrots Cut Into Thin Strips
- Cucumber Cut Into Thin Strips
- Sliced Avocado
- Surimi Sticks Cut Into Thin Strips
- Sesame Oil
- Rice Vinegar
- Bamboo Sushi Mat
- Wasabi Paste
Steps
- Cook rice and let cool till it sticks together
- Add sugar, sesame oil and rice vinegar to cooked rice
- Place rice paper on a paper, and gently soften with warm water
- Wrap bamboo mat with foil paper and grease with oil
- Place rice paper on the mat and spread cooked rice into a rectangle on the paper
- Press gently with fingers
- Place the carrots, cucumber, avocado and surimi sticks in the middle
- Gently roll the bamboo mat and carefully remove your sushi roll from the tube
- Cut into the size of your choice with a sharp knife
- Serve with wasabi paste
Image Courtesy: Art and Kitchen Wordpress
Recipe By - Art And Kitchen Wordpress
This is how we roll!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. What do you need to make sushi at home?
A. Here are the following things you need to make sushi at home.
- Chef's knife. A sharp knife is vital to sushi-making: You'll use it to portion raw fish, precisely cut other filling ingredients, and slice the finished roll into pieces
- Rolling mat
- Cutting board
- Sushi rice and rice cooker
- Nori
Q. Is sushi cheaper to make at home?
A. Yes, making your own sushi at home is much cheaper.
Q. What sushi is best for beginners?
A. The Best Sushi for Beginners
- Philadelphia Roll – Salmon, avocado, and cream cheese.
- King Crab Roll – King crab and mayonnaise.
- Boston Roll – Shrimp, avocado, and cucumber.
- Spicy Tuna Roll – Tuna and spicy mayo.
- California Roll – Imitation crab, avocado and cucumber.
