California Sushi Rolls

D loves sushi. I don't mind California rolls once in a while. So, we end up making a few for him with seafood, and a few for me and Ana with avocado, cucumber, and carrots.

The process is really simple, but takes a bit of practice. Five years ago, a library book I borrowed helped me learn the technique, but, there are quite a few good websites with pictures and videos that show the process nowadays.

Urumaki is a reverse sushi roll where the rice is on the outside and Nori on the inside. I like Hosomaki, which is a thin roll of just a few ingredients, with Nori on the outside. And, since I am not really a seafood fan, I skip all the traditional fillings and go with a few trusted veggies like cucumber, avocado, carrot, red bell pepper, daikon radish, small round red radish and such.

Uwajimaya is one of my favorite stores from where we get nori, sushi rice, wasabi and other Asian ingredients when possible. But, most Asian stores these days seem to carry the basic sushi necessities like bamboo sushi mat, nori, sushi rice, sushi vinegar etc.



Ingredients
2 cups sushi rice cooked per directions
2-4 Nori (seaweed) sheets
sushi vinegar
lemon juice
soy sauce
pickled ginger
wasabi (optional)
salt to taste
toasted sesame seeds for garnish
bamboo sushi mat
some plastic wrap

filling:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced thin
1 medium carrot cut into thin sticks
pickled ginger (optional)
imitation crab, if using

Preparation

1. Mix just enough sushi vinegar to cooked sushi rice, hot off the stove, till just wet but not soggy; then lay the rice out on a cookie sheet or large plate to cool; this helps develop a nice sheen on the rice as well; keep it covered till ready to use
2. Drizzle some lemon juice and sprinkle some salt on the veggies and have them handy before starting to roll
3. Many websites show clearly how to roll sushi, so, am deferring to them for good pictures and explanation
4. Lay the bamboo sushi mat on a flat surface, lay a plastic wrap on the mat, then a sheet of Nori, then spread some sushi rice, arrange the veggies at the end closest to you, taking care not to pile on too much
5. Start rolling it tight into a log, pulling the mat towards you as you roll away
6. Take it out of the mat, keep the rolled sushi log in the plastic wrap till ready to cut and serve
7. sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds before serving the sushi

Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, Tsukuri Jyouyu - soy sauce with mirin and kombu, or other dipping sauces to suit your taste.