Temaki Sushi (Hand Roll) 手巻き寿司

INGREDIENTS FOR 5/6 PERSONS

• 3 rice cooker cups uncooked Japanese short-grain rice - to be cooked in a rice cooker (one sushi roll requires 90-135 g of sushi rice)
• 550ml water
• 1 piece kombu (dried kelp)
• 1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• Sashimi grade fish such as salmon, tuna, uni, yellow tail, salmon roe
• Cucumber
• Daikon
• Avocado
• Japanese Mayonnaise
• Soy sauce
• Ponzu
  
  

METHOD 

Before You Start: Please note that we measure the uncooked rice with a rice cooker cup; 1 rice cooker cup is 180 ml, ¾ US cup, or 150 g. Measure the Rice: Overfill a plastic rice cooker cup with uncooked short-grain rice and level it off. Put the rice in a large bowl. Repeat until you have the amount of measured rice needed.

1. Make sure the rice is washed and rinsed a few times until no more starch comes out from the water. Then let the rice be soaked for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the rice grains to yield a better texture.

2. Cook the rice with Kombu. This is not a must, but definitely one of the top secrets for aromatic sushi rice. Kombu (dried kelp) is used extensively in Japanese cooking for its many benefits. Check the kombu to see if there are any dirt particles. If needed, gently wipe it off with a damp cloth (it's a traditional method but these days kombu is pretty clean). Do not wipe off the white powdery substance, which contributes to the umami flavor. NEVER wash the kombu!

3. Soak and Cook: Put the well-drained rice in the rice cooker bowl and add the measured water to just under the 3-cup line for White Rice. If your rice cooker has a Sushi Rice mode, add water up to that line. Place the kombu on top of the rice and let the rice soak in the water for 20-30 minutes. Then, start cooking. If you don't have a rice cooker, cook the rice in a pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe with the amount of water I specified in this recipe. Tip: Since we'll be adding sushi vinegar to the steamed rice, cook the rice a little bit on the firm side. To achieve this, use a rice-to-water ratio of 1 to 1 for sushi rice (instead of 1 to 1.1 or 1 to 1.2 for regular steamed rice).

4. To Make the Sushi Rice. When the rice is cooked, discard the used kombu (or repurpose it to make simmered kombu) and transfer the cooked rice into the sushi oke. Spread out the rice evenly so it will cool faster. While it’s hot, pour the sushi vinegar over the rice. Tip: You can still use this same amount of sushi vinegar whether you are making a bit more or less sushi rice. Take note that we add roughly 8-10% of the cooked rice weight in sushi vinegar.

 5. With a rice paddle, gently “slice” the rice at a 45-degree angle to incorporate the sushi vinegar mixture and separate the chunks of rice. Do not stir or mix the rice because the grains may break and the rice will become mushy. While using this slicing motion, vigorously fan the rice with a paddle fan or another type of fan. This cools the rice and takes away the excess moisture. Fanning makes the rice shine and keeps it from becoming mushy.

6. Then, gently flip the rice in between slices. Repeat this process until the rice is cooled to the temperature of human skin. To Keep the sushi rice covered with a damp towel (or paper towel) for a few hours at room temperature. To keep it for a longer time, see below.

7. If your raw fish comes as a block, slice the raw fish into long sticks.

8. Right before you start eating, cut the nori in half (restaurant-style) or quarter (home-style; makes 40 taco-style rolls) and keep it in the bag as it becomes stale easily. Before you start, make sure your hands are dry in order to keep nori dry and crispy. Place the seaweed on the palm of your hand (shiny side down) and put a thin layer of rice on left third of nori. If you're using a ¼ sheet of nori, then put the rice and filling in the center and roll up the sides like taco.