How to make California sushi roll? Step-by-step recipe

Most people love sushi. This Japanese way of serving rice, seafood and vegetables is one of the most preferred and appreciated dish. Does not matter whether it is Europe, Asia, North or South America, Australia or Africa, sushi bars are in almost all capitals and bigger cities. Sushi is considered to be an elegant and sometimes also an exclusive meal. Although, in many places it has already been highly popularized and less spectacular than before, still a good sushi restaurant is pricy and not affordable for everyone. The main sushi boom is already over in many parts of the globe, but still, there is plenty of places, where these Japanese eateries attract many rich persons.

As sushi is not the cheapest meal in most countries, many people decide to buy ingredients and make sushi at home. Of course, usually the final product will neither be nor look as the professionally made sushi. However, home-made nigiri, maki or California rolls will be a good alternative, that would definitively be cheaper.

While maki or hosomaki sushi rolls are relatively easy to be done, then California rolls are much more complicated. What means, that if someone does not have an experience in making them, then most of them will only be a poor imitation of them. Probably, your first uramaki will only be similar to real California rolls and definitively will not be looking exactly the same. They will probably not keep the proper shape, rice might be falling apart, and sesame seeds will not cover the roll evenly. But, if you practice more and more, you will improve your skills. So, do not give up! Do not think that it is not for you! Even if your first tries, or even dozens of tries are successless, it is still worth continuing.

Origin of Sushi California rolls

One funny thing is the name of that sushi type. You might wonder why is it called like that? California has nothing to do with Japan? Am I right? Well, partially it is true, however, not totally. It is true, that California is in the United States of America, and no one can deny it. On the other hand, sushi comes from Asia, actually from Japan. So, what is the connection between sushi and California? The answer is quite short and simple – Japanese chefs. As their emigration was relatively big, they tried to incorporate their cuisine to the local, American one.

In order to find balance between Japanese and American preferred food tastes, they invented a dish, that was integrating the best from both countries. Thanks to that, they could conquer Americans’ hearts and place sushi among one of the most favorite dishes.

California sushi rolls with chicken, fish or vegan California rolls

Although California rolls look difficult from the first glance, if you make a couple of attempts and do not give up too early, you will definitively manage to learn how to make them quite quickly. As in many cases, do not stop trying after the first failure. Remember, it is never perfect at the beginning.

To get some practice, start at the beginning with regular and simpler maki, hosomaki or nigiri. Thanks to that you will practice how to form rice (nigiri rolls) or how to make complete sushi rolls.

And one thing more, remember that if you serve California rolls to your friends, you will definitively impress them! It is really worth seeing an enormous surprise on their faces!

While usually California rolls are made with chicken, tuna, or salmon, you can put inside whatever you want. Replace meat or fish with pickled, yellow radish or with tofu cheese. Choose vegetarian or vegan alternatives, and experiment with different flavors and textures. Apart from that, add to your California sushi rolls avocado, cucumber, and a creamy sauce. Do not limit yourself to an only one type or pattern of filling, as after a couple of times, you might get tired of it.

What is the difference between a Japanese mayonnaise and a regular, American one?

Although there are many options for replacing a real Japanese mayonnaise it is better to use am original one. Of course, in case you are avoiding dairy products or in case you cannot get it in the shop, there is a workaround too. Try using a vegan mayo alternative or a Philadelphia cream cheese instead. While a vegan mayonnaise might be harder to get, then a creamy, Philadelphia style cheese is easily replaceable. Just go the nearest shop and see what is on shelves.

However, if you want to follow exactly the recipe, you should try to buy a bottle of an original Japanese mayonnaise. You might ask whether you could replace it with a regular one. Well, yes and no.

Why yes? Because it is also a mayonnaise. There is no other reason for doing it and using it.

In comparison to the American mayonnaise, the Japanese one is not only creamier, but also denser, what is important when you make California rolls. Apart from that, it is sweeter, and the flavor is intensified by eggs yolks. That is because in the American mayonnaise, you use whole eggs, while in the Japanese one, only yolks.

How to cook rice for sushi rolls?

Ingredients

• 2 cups sushi rice (white, short-grain rice)
• 2 cups water
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup Mirin
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar

Instructions for cooking sushi rice

1. Take uncooked rice and put in a large bowl.
2. Soak it in plenty of water for a about half an hour (20 to 30 minutes). If you do not have time for it and you are in a hurry, skip it.
3. Pour out water, so that in the bowl stays only rice.
4. Take a strainer and put into it soaked and drained rice.
5. Rinse it well under cold water. Do it for a couple of minutes.
6. Take a large cooking pot and put rice into it.
7. Add a little bit of salt.
8. Add water and cover it.
9. Put the pot on heat. Let it boil for about 15 minutes.
10. Remove from fire and let the rice stay inside for about 20 minutes. Keep it covered.

Seasoning rice

In the meantime, prepare the sauce for flavoring rice.

1. Take another pot and pour into it rice vinegar.
2. Add sugar.
3. Heat it, till it almost starts boiling.
4. Add Mirin and let it reach the same temperature, just below the boiling point.
5. Remove from fire.
6. Add it to the rice.
7. Mix it well and let it stay under cover for the next couple of minutes.
8. Mix it from time to time, allowing the whole rice to absorb the vinegar and Mirin sauce.

TIPS: You can prepare rice for sushi 4 to 6 hours before you start making rolls. If you decide to do that in advance, cover the prepared rice with an aluminum foil.

How to make California rolls – a step-by-step sushi recipe with video

Ingredients

• 6 nori sheets
• 3 cups sushi rice (sumeshi)
• 1 small, fresh cucumber
• 200 gr chicken or fish
• 1 avocado
• Japanese mayonnaise or Philadelphia cream cheese
• 25 gr toasted white sesame seeds
• 25 gr toasted black sesame seeds

For serving

• Soy sauce
• Wasabi
• Pickled ginger

Step-by-step sushi California rolls instructions

Prepare chicken

Ingredients

• 200 gr chicken breast
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tbsp. oil for frying
• favourite spicy sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Slice chicken breast into long, thin stripes
2. Take a pan and put oil on it
3. Place it on the heat
4. When the oil is hot, add chicken slices
5. Fry it quickly on both sides
6. If needed, add spoon by spoon water, so that the chicken stays in a broth like sauce. Do not let it over-fry and get extremely dried. Keep it soft, tender, and juicy
7. When it is ready, remove the pan from the heat
8. Remove chicken slices from the broth
9. Let it cool down in a separate bowl. Keep it covered and do not let it become too dry
10. When the chicken’s temperature is as the one in the room, remove it from the bowl and put on a kitchen board
11. Chop it finely so that you get handful of an almost minced meat
12. Add to the finely chopped chicken some Japanese mayonnaise or Philadelphia cream cheese (use as much of it as is needed to obtain a plain paste) and mix it well
13. Optionally, add some extra spicy sauce to tune it up

Or

Prepare fish

Ingredients

• 200 gr fresh tuna steak
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• Lemon
• ½ tsp. sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ onion
• 2 cm ginger
• 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp. peanut oil

Instructions

1. Place the steak in a plastic box or in a bowl for marinating
2. Start preparing the marinate by pouring soy sauce into another bowl
3. Add sugar, oyster sauce and oil
4. Mix it well
5. Add lemon juice and mix it again
6. Cut finely onion, garlic cloves and ginger
7. Add all of them to the marinate and mix once again
8. Pour the whole marinate over the tuna steak
9. Cover the box or the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (You can start marinating your fish even the day before. The longer you do that, the tender the fish is and the more marinate flavor it absorbs.)
10. When it is ready, remove tuna from the marinate
11. Cut the steak into long, cube-shaped stripes. Stripes should not exceed 0,7 cm height and width

Or

Prepare tofu

Ingredients

• 200 gr firm tofu
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• Lemon
• ½ tsp. sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ onion
• 2 cm ginger
• 2 tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp. peanut oil

Instructions

1. Place tofu in a plastic box or in a bowl for marinating
2. Start preparing the marinate by pouring soy sauce into another bowl
3. Add sugar, oyster sauce and oil
4. Mix it well
5. Add lemon juice and mix again
6. Cut finely onion, garlic cloves and ginger
7. Add all of them to the marinate and mix it once again
8. Pour the whole marinate over tofu
9. Cover the box or the bowl and place it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (You can start marinating even the day before. The longer you do it, the more aromatic it becomes)
10. When it is ready, remove tofu from the marinate
11. Cut it into long, cube-shaped stripes. Stripes should not exceed 0,7 cm height and width

Instructions for making sushi rolls

When you already have boiled rice, prepared chicken or marinated fish or tofu, it is finally time for making California sushi rolls. Before you start making rolls prepare the cucumber and avocado.

1. Wash and peel cucumber
2. If needed, remove seeds (all depends on the cucumber you have, if seeds are tiny, leave them; if large and relatively hard, then remove them)
3. Slice it finely
4. Wash avocado
5. Remove the seed
6. Peel it or just take the whole avocado flesh out of the peel (The method depends on how ripe the avocado is – the more delicate and softer, the better it is. However, the softer it is, the harder it is to nicely cut or finely slice the fruit.)
7. Take a small bowl and pour into it some lukewarm water
8. Use this water for softening nori sheets
9. Place one nori sheet on a bamboo sushi rolling mat (if you want to avoid extra cleaning, use some clinging foil – wrap it over the bamboo rolling mat, to prevent from sticking food chunks to it)
10. Use some lukewarm water from the bowl to soften sushi sheets. Do it cautiously, so that you do not temper their delicate structure; repeat the softening process as long as the sheet becomes flexible (remember to do that evenly on the whole nori sheet surface)
11. Take some rice and put a thin layer of it on the rice. Try to place it evenly and not leave any empty space (however, remember to avoid uneven areas, try to make it as ideally flat as possible) *(11)
12. If the rice sticks to your hands too much, before taking another portion of rice, soak your hands in the water
13. Use your hands to press the rice to the nori sheet so that the rice does not fall apart when you try to take up the nori sheet
14. When it is ready, turn it upside down, so that the rice is in the bottom and is covered with the nori sheet
15. Place a relatively narrow stripe of the rice (more or less 2 cm wide) close to one side (I recommend putting it close to you) *(15)
16. Place avocado and cucumber slices or stripes on the rice, cover the whole length of the nori sheet where the rice is placed (this 2 - 3 cm wide stripe) *(16)
17. If you are not using chicken, put a thin layer of the Japanese mayonnaise or Philadelphia cream cheese on the avocado and cucumber layer
18. On top of it, place a chicken paste (if you are making California sushi rolls with chicken, remember not to add any extra mayonnaise or cream cheese on top of the rice, as chicken already includes it), fish or tofu

*(11)

*(15)

*(16)

Now is the most difficult part:

Rolling California sushi rolls instructions

1. When all ingredients are on the upper part of rice, it is time for rolling it
2. Do it cautiously, starting from the topped side *(2)
3. Help yourself with the bamboo mat and try to roll it as narrowly as possible *(3)
4. Press the roll after each turn *(4)
5. When you reach the end of the nori sheet, once again compress it trying to glue all ingredients *(5)
6. At the same time, try to form a nice round-shaped roll *(6)
7. Mix black and white sesame seeds together
8. Put them on a wooden board and form a long, about 10 cm wide stripe
9. This will serve for decorating your California sushi
10. Place your roll on one edge of the sesame stripe and start rolling it, so that sesame seeds decorate the sushi roll (or sprinkle it with mixed sesame seeds - see point 11) *(10)
11. You can also go with an easier method, by putting mixed sesame seeds into a bottle with a narrow upper part, and by starting to sprinkle your California roll keeping it in one hand and turning it when the side is already decorated *(11)
12. Finally, at the far end, cut the roll into two *(12)
13. Then into next two and next two, so that from one nori sheet roll you get at least eight California sushi rolls known also as uramaki *(13)
14. Serve it on a plate (or pack into a plastic or lunch box ) with some wasabi, pickled ginger, and a small portion of soy sauce *(14)

*(2)

*(3)

*(4)

*(5)

*(6)

*(10)

*(11)

*(12)

*(13)

*(14)

If you still have doubts, how to make it, go to the restaurant where you could watch the production live. Or, go to the fresh food Asian Street Food Market close to you. If you are on holidays, check the Sunday morning market in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic!

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