Maki Sushi Recipes

MAKI SUSHI RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook the rice according to the package instructions, or use our Instant Pot Rice recipe (use 2 cups sushi rice and 2 1/2 cups water). While the rice is cooking, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly while the rice continues to cook. Pour the sauce over the just-cooked rice, tossing, fanning, and fluffing it with a rice paddle. Be careful; the rice is hot. Let the rice cool to room temperature before using.
• In a small nonstick skillet, combine the sugar, soy sauce, and mirin and bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar dissolves, then add the tuna and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the liquid evaporates. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before using.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and salt until well blended. In a small nonstick skillet, heat half of the neutral oil over medium low heat until shiny and shimmering. Pour the egg mixture in and let sit until the edges start to set, about 30 seconds. Push the edges in, toward the center of the pan, with a silicone spatula while tilting the pan to allow the uncooked egg to spread out. Turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes, until almost all the egg has set, then carefully flip the entire omelet over, adding the remaining oil to the pan right before you flip. Cook for a minute or so, with the lid off, then remove from the heat and let cool before cutting into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
• Prepare an ice-water bath by filling a bowl with a handful of ice cubes and water, and set aside. Bring a small pan of water to a simmer over medium heat and quickly blanch the carrots by cooking them in the simmering water for 1 minute, then plunging them into the ice-water bath. Remove the carrots from the bath after a minute or two, reserving the ice-water bath for the watercress. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, and rice vinegar and add to the carrots. Let sit for 15 minutes; drain the pickling liquid before using.
• Bring the water in the saucepan back to a simmer over medium heat and blanch the watercress by cooking it in the simmering water until it's wilted, about 30 seconds. Immediately transfer it to the ice bath and let sit until cooled, a minute or two. Drain the watercress and soak up any extra water from the watercress with a couple of paper towels.
• Place a sushi rolling mat or other flat roll-able item (we used a place mat) on a clean work surface, with the bamboo running horizontal. Add a sheet of nori, shiny side face-down, and align the bottom edge with the edge of the rolling mat. Spread the sushi rice in a thin layer, about 1/2-inch thick, leaving a 1 1/2-inch margin on the end farthest from you. Leave a 1/2-inch margin of rice on the end closest to you, and arrange your fillings in a row in this order: omelet, carrots, watercress, and tun, with each row touching the previous row. (See the photo above.) Carefully roll the sushi away from you, using the mat to apply pressure. Use one hand to keep the filling in place until you get to the point when the mat touches the rice. At this point, lift the mat away from the rice so that you can continue until the sushi is completely rolled. Repeat this process until all the rice has been used.
• Cut the rolls into 1/2-inch-thick slices, fan them out on a platter, and serve. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and Spicy Mayo (optional).

PANDA MAKI RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix the ground sesame seeds and yukari into the sushi rice.
• Prepare the five 1/4 sheets of nori.
• Place 1 oz, of the sushi rice on two of the nori sheets from Step 2, and make two rolls as in Photo2. (This will be "nori roll 1.")
• Place 1.5 oz. of the sushi rice from Photo 2 on top and make a circular roll, as in Photo 4.
• Cut the left-over nori as shown in the photo. (This will be "nori roll 2.")
• Using a 1/4 sheet of nori from Step 2, cut a burdock root to the same length, and wrap it as the nori roll core. Cut any extras away with a knife.
• Wrap 1 oz. of sushi rice in a circular shape, as shown in the photo. (This will be "nori roll 3".)
• Reshape "nori roll 1" into a teardrop shape.
• Cut "nori roll 3" in half.
• Prepare the 1/2 and 1/6 sheets of nori and connect them using sushi rice, as shown in the photo.
• Spread 3.5 oz. of sushi rice atop the connected nori, leaving 1.5 inches of space at both ends.
• Place 1.5 oz. of sushi rice in the center of the sushi rice, as shown in the photo.
• Place the teardrop-shaped "nori roll 1" and the burdock root on top.
• Place 0.5 oz. of sushi rice on either side of the burdock root.
• Place "nori roll 3," which was cut in half earlier, on top as shown in the photo, forming the panda's nose.
• Place 0.75 oz. of sushi rice on the panda's muzzle section.
• Lift the nori at both ends as you form the roll.
• Cut the panda's face section to 0.6 inch thick. (It is less prone to coming apart if wrapped in plastic wrap.)
• Cut "nori roll 2" 0.6 inch thick the thickness should be same as that of the panda's face and adjust/set it to the ear positions.
• Thinly slice the burdock roots, place them on the panda's eye section, and you're done.

TOFU MAKI (VEGETARIAN SUSHI)

Steps:

• Drain the tofu and slice in half width wise and then slice each half in half so you have 4 short pieces.
• Holding your knife parallel to the cutting service, slice the tofu blocks in half.
• Take each piece and cut in half again to yield 32 short pieces of tofu.
• Cut off top quarter of each nori sheet along short end.
• Place one sheet of nori with the shiny side down on a sushi mat.
• The long end should be toward you.
• Moisten your hands and mold 3/4 cup rice in a tube like line over nori, leaving a 1-inch border on one long end of the sheet.
• Place 2-3 pieces of tofu, 2 carrot strips, 2 slices avocado, 1 green onion top, and 2 cucumber strips along top third of the rice-covered nori sheet.
• Lift the edge of the nori closest to you and fold it over the filling.
• Now lift the bottom edge of the sushi mat and begin to roll toward the top edge.
• You need to press firmly on the roll to keep it tight.
• Continue rolling to the top edge and press the mat at the top to seal the roll.
• Let the roll rest for 5 minutes with the seam side down.
• Repeat the procedure until all 6 sheets of nori are filled and rolled.
• Slice each roll into 8 pieces and serve.
• Note: Save any extra tofu pieces for another batch of avocado rolls or use in a salad or fry them up and serve as a crispy treat.

SPICY SALMON MAKI

Steps:

• Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water until water runs clear. Combine rice and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, combine rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove and allow to cool. Stir vinegar mixture into the cooked rice - rice will dry as it cools. Allow rice to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Place a sheet of nori onto a sushi mat. Place about 1/2 cup rice on top and, using a rice paddle, spread rice onto the nori sheet.
• Flip nori over so rice is facing down. Arrange 3 to 4 avocado slices, about 2 ounces salmon, 1 strip green onion, and 2 teaspoons Sriracha mayonnaise down the middle of the nori sheet.
• Carefully, but tightly, roll nori up by closing in on the ingredients to form a roll. Drizzle each roll with hoisin sauce and more Sriracha mayonnaise and sprinkle with both types of sesame seeds.
• Slice each sushi roll into 8 pieces. Serve with a dollop of wasabi and pickled ginger on the side.