Homemade sushi looks like a project, but vegetable maki only need good rice, a bamboo mat and a little patience. Your first roll might be lopsided. Your fourth one won’t be.
It’s all about the rice
Use Japanese short-grain rice: it turns sticky when cooked, so the rolls hold together. Rinse it until the water runs almost clear to wash off the loose starch, then let it steam off the heat after cooking. That rest is what makes every grain tender.
Season the rice while it’s still hot. It soaks up the vinegar, sugar and salt much better than cold rice does. Fold it in gently and let it cool to room temperature before you start rolling: warm rice makes the nori soggy.
Rolling without stress
- Wet your hands every time you touch the rice. Dry hands and sushi rice don’t mix.
- Spread the rice thinly. Too much rice is the most common reason a roll won’t close.
- Leave the top edge of the nori bare. A dab of water there seals the roll.
- Cut with a sharp, wet knife and use a sawing motion instead of pressing down.
Make them your own
Cucumber, avocado and carrot are a great start, and the rolls are vegan as written. Smoked salmon, cooked shrimp or mango slices all work in the same roll. Avoid raw fish unless it is sold as sushi-grade.
Sushi is best on the day you make it. If you have leftovers, wrap them tightly and keep them in a cool spot rather than in the fridge.
Try it on this recipe card
- Glossary Terms: Hover over "julienne" or "fold" in the instructions for a short explanation.
- Pin Custom Image: Pin Recipe shares a tall Pinterest image instead of the recipe photo.
- Instruction Tips: A tip about wet hands sits between the rolling steps.
- Ingredient Singular and Plural: Set the servings to 1 roll: "4 sheets nori" becomes "1 sheet".
- Cook Mode Popup: Start Cooking shows one step at a time, with the ingredients that step needs.
Basic Sushi
Vegetable maki with cucumber, avocado and carrot. Once the rice is right, rolling them is easier than you think.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Sushi rice
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water, swirling it with your hand, until the water runs almost clear. Drain well.1 1/2 cups sushi rice
- Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it steam, lid on, for another 10 minutes.1 2/3 cups water
- Meanwhile, stir the rice vinegar, sugar and salt together until the sugar dissolves.1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt
- Spread the hot rice out in a wide bowl, sprinkle the vinegar mixture over it and fold it in with a rice paddle without mashing the grains. Let it cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Rolls
- Julienne the carrot. Cut the cucumber into thin sticks and slice the avocado.1 cucumber, 1 avocado, 1 carrot
- Put a sheet of nori on the mat, shiny side down. With wet hands, spread a quarter of the rice over it in a thin layer, leaving a 1-inch strip bare along the top edge.4 sheets nori
- Lay a row of cucumber, carrot and avocado across the bottom third. Lift the edge of the mat and roll away from you, tucking the filling in tightly. Dab a little water on the bare strip to seal the roll.
- Cut each roll into 8 pieces with a sharp, wet knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve with the soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp pickled ginger, 1 tsp wasabi paste
Keep a bowl of water with a splash of rice vinegar next to you and wet your hands before every roll. The rice won’t stick to them.
Nutrition
Notes
Sushi rice is best on the day you make it. Don’t refrigerate the rolls: the rice turns hard in the fridge.
Once you have the technique, try other fillings: smoked salmon, cooked shrimp, mango or a strip of omelette.