CALIFORNIA MAKI

ingredients

Sushi Rice
2 cups japanese rice
1/2 cups rice vinegar/ vinegar
2 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

Maki
2 pcs ripe mangoes sliced
 1 pc cucumber sliced
 6 pcs crabsticks
 6 nori sheets
 Bamboo mat wrapped in cling wrap

Directions

To cook sushi rice

Place the rice in a mesh strainer and run it in cold water until the water is almost clear.

Place the rinsed rice in a pot. 

Fill the pot with cold water until it is 1" above the rice. 

Let it soak for 30 minutes.

Run the soaked rice again in cold water with a mesh strainer.

Place the rice in the saucepan with 2 1/4 c of cold water. 

Set in high heat and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, you will see bubbling water steaming in the pan, lower the heat.

Let the rice cook for 20 minutes. 

Do not open the lid until the required time. (if there’s still water in the pot, let the rice continue to simmer until it’s absorbed).

While the rice is cooking, place the vinegar, salt and sugar in a saucepan. 

Set it in medium high heat. 

Stir constantly until the salt and sugar dissolved. 

Set aside to cool.

Once the rice has been cooked set aside for 15 minutes.

Dump the rice in a non-metal bowl, spread the rice with the wooden spoon to cool faster.

Pour in the vinegar mixture to the rice. 

Slowly tossing and stirring the rice.

To make maki

Lay nori sheet over the bamboo mat.

Spread the rice on the nori sheet about 1“ thick. 

Make sure to leave 1” on the top side of nori.

Lay crabstick, cucumber, mango, and squeeze some mayonnaise.

Gently roll the mat until it forms a log.

Slice the roll with a wet knife and serve.

Notes

use light soy sauce and wasabe for the dipping sauce. 

wet hands while preparing rice to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.

California and Maki Rolls (Japanese Sushi)

Ingredients

1/2 lemon, juiced
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
4 sheets nori
4 cups sushi rice, cooked (Sushi Rice Made in Bamboo Steamer)
1/3 cup sesame seed, toasted
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchstick-size pieces
4 crabsticks, sliced lengthwise
 

pickled ginger, for serving
wasabi, for serving
soy sauce, for serving

Directions:

Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning.

Cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap.

Cut nori sheets in half crosswise.

Lay 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic covered mat.

To make Califronia Rolls

Wet your fingers with water and spread approximately 1/2 cup of the rice evenly onto the nori.

Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds.

Place the second plastic covered bamboo rolling mat on top and flip the two over so that the rice side is down.

Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet.

Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder.

To make Maki

Spread 1/2 cup of the rice over the surface of the nori, leaving about 1/2-inch of nori on the furthest edge uncovered so you will be able to seal the roll.

Press the rice down firmly but gently.

Sprinkle sesame seeds on the rice.

Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet.

Begin rolling the edge of the bamboo closest to you, using the mat to press down on the sushi roll firmly but gently as you roll.

The nori should stick to itself when the roll is complete; if it doesn't, use a cornstarch slurry to moisten it.

Pull away the mat and set aside.

Cover with a damp cloth.

Repeat until all of the rice has been used.

Cut each roll into 6 pieces.

Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

California Maki Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups Japanese-style rice
3 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
crabsticks
nori
mango or cucumber or avocado
sesame seeds

PREPARATION:

1. After washing the rice well, cook it by pan or rice cooker. Prepare sushi vinegar (sushi-zu) by mixing rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pan. 2. Put the pan on low heat and heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool the vinegar mixture.
3. Spread the hot steamed rice into a large plate (if you have it, use a wooden bowl called sushi-oke) by shamoji (spatula). Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold the rice b y shamoji very quickly. Be careful not to smash the rice.
4. To cool and remove the moisture of the rice well, use a fan as you mix sushi rice. This will give sushi rice a shiny look. It’s best to use sushi rice right away.
5. Peel an avocado and cut it into strips or mash it. Put imitation crab meat in a bowl and mix with salt and mayonnaise.
6. Cover a bamboo mat with plastic wrap.
7. Put a sheet of dried seaweed on top of the mat.
8. Spread sushi rice on top of the seaweed and press firmly.
9. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the sushi rice.
10. Turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top.
11. Place avocado and crab meat lengthwise on the seaweed.
12. Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi. Press firmly the bamboo mat with hands.
13. Remove the rolled sushi from the bamboo mat. Cut the California roll into bite-sized pieces.