Makisushi, rolls, poppies - these are subtypes of dishes in Japanese cuisine that differ in cooking technology - the ingredients are combined using bamboo rugs (makisu) by twisting. Subsequently, the product is cut into pieces (as usual, into six to eight identical pieces) and served on the table in portions. Today, the Japanese curiosity is quite popular in the post-Soviet open spaces, so we will tell you how to cook rolls at home. Nothing super complicated, but the savings are substantial. In addition, store sushi is often overdried (sorry for the tautology) and, frankly, are not the first freshness. And to constantly order them with delivery (well, if you are an ardent fan of Japanese cuisine) - you won’t save enough money. Therefore, one of the best options to treat yourself to your favorite exotic for non-professional cooks is to cook rolls at home.
A little bit about twisting technology
The dish is quite ancient, so the method of preparation, although authentic, is, in general, simple. Fillings are wrapped in nori (pressed and dried type of algae). Less common are makushi, pre-twisted by this method: a sheet of algae will be placed inside, the filling - outside. There are also "mosaic", as well as other types of this dish.
Roll Categories
So, have you seriously thought about how to make rolls at home? Then you need to know what we will, in fact, be cooking. There are several modern varieties.
- Traditional recipes of classic Japanese cuisine. They, as a rule, are thin rolls, and as a filling here one component is used (salmon or crab, perch or eel). It is covered with prepared rice and wrapped tightly in nori sheets.
- Branded. Numerous Japanese restaurants are developing their own specialty makushi recipes, so to speak, from the chef. This is the most extensive category of recipes.
- "California". By the way, this dish is not found in Japan (invented in the USA). Mandatory components for the filling: avocado, crab meat, and outside the rolls are sprinkled with caviar (tobiko). This dish is also prepared with cucumber (fresh, not salted) instead of an avocado fruit, with mayonnaise, with salmon fillet or tuna, with shrimp meat.
- "Philadelphia". Also absent in the Japanese islands, except in American restaurants. This is one of the most popular varieties of “inverted” rolls (rice up). The filling is flavored with soft Philadelphia cheese, and greens with cucumber and eggs with avocado fruit can be added. Outside, these maki sushi are wrapped in quite thin slices of salmon fillet.
- There are varieties, characterized in that their heat treatment is carried out in deep fat.
Main ingredients
To cook rolls at home, you will need special rice, pressed algae, various filling ingredients. They are rolled in nori, then cut into bite-sized pieces. They are intended to be eaten in one fell swoop and are often dipped in soy sauce. Wasabi (Japanese spicy horseradish) and pickled ginger are also used. Makizushi is perfect for party or restaurant snacks. In Japan, they are often prepared for the holidays. Versions of makushushi with vegetable or pickled fillings can also be included in a classic Japanese lunch. And canned tuna, vegetables and even eggs can also be used as fillers.
Rice Wisdom
Rice for rolls at home is one of the most important elements. It is recommended to use only a special one, because it is more sticky than the other, and will not fall apart. Sushi rice can be prepared at home with a few ingredients. Many stores also offer pre-prepared dry mixes in bags. You will also find bottled and seasoned sushi vinegar in the markets that typically sell Japanese food.
The first roll is lumpy!
And when you already have the “right” rice, you need to learn the skills of rolling rolls at home. Bamboo sushi mat is a very important tool that makes this process much easier. It also needs to be purchased - it costs quite inexpensively, if you take the usual, everyday option. Twisting looks relatively simple, but it will take some practice to work properly. Do not worry about making any mistake: your blunders will still be present, and poppy-sushi can just crumple or fall apart. It will be useful for you, for example, to watch several videos to see the technique in action. And remember: the first pancake (in our case, the roll) is always lumpy!
Rolls at home. Step by step recipe
The specificity of the dish consists mainly in the method of its preparation. How to make rolls at home? Photos illustrating the process of creating homemade sushi roll can be viewed below. Key points: inside the maki sushi should be only rice and fillings. Nori should not be coiled inside the manufactured sushi roll. To ensure this, when you put rice on the seaweed, do not dump it right in the middle. So, let's start?
1. Place a nori leaf on a bamboo mat with extra space. The free edge will be further away from you.
2. Distribute the rice along the nori. Leave about 5 millimeters of clearance between the rice and the algae at the edge closest to you. The other side needs a much larger supply: about 3 centimeters from the edge. Put the rice in a layer about 5 millimeters thick. Align it so that the grains at the ends are slightly thicker than in the middle.
3. Cut thin strips of filling and lay them in one line in the middle (not in the center of the nori). Fillers should occupy no more than one third of the rice.
4. Take the edge of the mat that is closest to you and start rolling it in the opposite direction from you. When the mat is ready to curl up, pull it by the edge and align it to the far end. Then you can use the thin bamboo strips to complete the roll formation. And at home, as you see, it is quite possible to cook such a yummy ..
5. Gently but firmly squeeze the poppy sushi inside the mat while you are working on the dish. By the time you reach your goal, you should get a well-formed and packed sushi roll.
6. Typically, maki sushi is cut into six to eight equal parts.
At home
To prepare the rolls we will need: one and a half glasses of rice, sheets of nori seaweed - eight pieces, a pound of fillet of fillet or minced salmon, fresh cucumber, rice vinegar, pickled ginger, soy sauce, salt with sugar - according to individual taste.
How to cook
To make the rolls “correct” at home, take a bamboo mat. Let's try to cook thin. This is the easiest meal option.
- How to make rolls at home? Place the nori sheet on the mat with the shiny side down. Rough should remain at the top.
- Wet hands a little with water, to which we add vinegar.
- We take four tablespoons of finished rice (you can with a slide), distribute it on the surface of the sheet and leaving a free strip in the upper edge. At the bottom, we also retreat slightly from the edges of the mat.
- Do not forget to wet your hands to distribute the rice evenly across the plane. The height of the rice layer will be 5-7 millimeters.
- Put the filling on top. In this case, fish with cucumber and pickled ginger. But you can use other options. In general, do not be afraid to experiment.
- We begin to twist the roll gradually, without rushing. And so that it does not tear and does not crumple, we constantly compress the mat.
- Cutting maki sushi is also an important thing. Rice or filling should not be allowed to fall out of them. How to cook everything in an ideal way? Just dip the knife into the water with the addition of vinegar. Thanks to this simple method, the knife will slip through the filling and rice. By the way, Japanese sushi masters recommend cutting the roll in the center, then additionally each fragment into another 3 parts. Let's hope you succeed!