Who knew that making California Sushi Rolls at home was easy? Ditch the sushi restaurant and make your own California Rolls in the convenience of your own home! (This post is sponsored by the California Avocado Commission)
Instead of getting sushi at a restaurant, save money and make California Sushi Rolls in the convenience of your home! It’s easy and I’ll show you how in this post!
I’m teaming up with the California Avocado Commission again this year and I’m super excited about it! Once a month you’ll get a new avocado recipe with a theme. March’s theme is iconic California recipes. I immediately thought of California Sushi Rolls! The first time I had a California Roll was right after I moved to California. I know you don’t have to live in California to get them (duh) but it definitely feels nostalgic when I do eat them. They remind me so much of why I love it here. They’re fresh, delicious and filled with California Avocados!
So last week, I set out with my friend to check out a new grocery store she had been raving about. It’s called H Mart and it’s shelves are stocked with all these really great Asian foods and groceries. I bought all the things necessary to make my very own California Rolls at home. It didn’t cost much to buy the ingredients and you have enough to make tons of rolls!
I was nervous to attempt making California Rolls but my friend has made them tons of times and said she would teach me her technique. (Thanks Anne!) She came over to help me one afternoon and we were able to make a bunch of rolls. One of the most important parts of sushi rolls is making the rice. It needs to be nice and sticky to hold it’s shape once it’s rolled. You add rice vinegar with a little sugar and salt to cooled sushi rice until it’s sticky. Next, you put a layer of rice down on your sushi wrapper and top with a layer of seaweed. Then lay out some Persian cucumbers, crab meat and California Avocados in a row on the lower half of your rice/seaweed.
Rolling is the trickiest part of making any sushi rolls. Lucky for me, my friend taught me how to do it and I was rolling them pretty good by my third try. 😉 The result was a crazy delicious California Roll that cost very little, tasted incredible and really brought me back to when I first moved to California so many years ago! I hope you’ll give these California Sushi Rolls a try! I don’t know if I’ll order them from a restaurant again now that I know how easy it is to make them from home. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 3 cups sushi rice I used Calrose brand
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar I used Kikkoman brand
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 2 tsp. Kosher salt
- Roasted Seaweed Sheets I used Nagai's brand
- California Avocado sliced & squirted with lemon juice (to prevent browning)
- Imitation Crab Sticks
- Persian Cucumbers peeled and sliced into sticks
- Bamboo Sushi Rolling Mat covered in plastic wrap
Instructions
- Cook 3 cups of sushi rice with 3.5 cups of water in a thick bottom pot or rice cooker. Let rice cool down to room temperature (never in the refrigerator).
- Heat rice vinegar with sugar and salt in a stove pot or by using the microwave. Heat until sugar and salt are fully dissolved.
- Transfer cooled rice to wooden or plastic container. Do not cover. Pour seasoning a little bit at a time over rice and mix with wooden spoon in a cutting motion. Add mixture until rice is glossy and will stick together and tastes to your preference.
- Place a layer of rice onto sushi rolling mat, about 1/4" high. Press down, using wet fingers, to get the rice to stick together and be level. Place a seaweed sheet, rough side down, on top of rice.
- Place cucumber sticks in a row, about 1/3 of the way up the mat. Lay crab sticks on top of the cucumbers and then add the California Avocado behind the cucumber & crab.
- Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder. Pull away the mat and set aside. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Repeat until all of the rice has been used. Cut each roll into slices and serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. Enjoy!
If you liked this recipe, you might like these too:
Healthy Brown Rice Bowl with Shrimp & Avocado
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(Thank you to the California Avocado Commission for sponsoring this post!)
It looks so good that I’m gonna make that.
This recipe is the best sushi I ever had, try it now!!!