What exactly is a California Roll? I’m pretty sure 99% of us who live in USA have been to a Japanese restaurant and tried it. You can probably guess by the name that it wasn’t invented in Japan. A California Roll was invented in the late 1960’s in Los Angeles, California. It has crab meat (or imitation crab), avocado, cucumber rolled together with some Japanese rice and seaweed (nori). It is my husband’s favorite rolled sushi (makisushi). Today is our anniversary so he had this idea that instead of going out for some fancy dinner, we should make rolled sushi at home. So, yesterday we went to our local Asian grocery store, got all the ingredients. Now we’re ready to roll! Literally.
I also like Miso Soup and Seaweed Salad. We’re gonna make them to enjoy with our California Rolls.
Speaking of California Roll, we have to talk about sushi rice first. I am obsessed with rice, we eat rice 3 times a day in Thailand, where I’m from. I remember it like yesterday, first thing I bought when I moved here in 1999 was a 20 lbs. bag of Jasmin rice and a rice cooker which I still use to this day. The best investment ever! There’s no must no fuss. Just one button, cook button and the light will switch to warm when it’s done cooking. Simple as that.
First of all, the rice for sushi rice is different than Jasmin rice. Jasmin rice is a long-grain rice, it has dry and fluffy texture. The rice for sushi, which is a Japanese rice, is short-grain rice. It is more starchy and stickier which is easier to bind together when making sushi. Additionally, to making sushi rice, you will need to add rice vinegar, sugar, salt and water.
Let’s cook some food!
First, we’re going to make sushi rice. Rinse the rice until water is mostly clear. I just put 1 cup of rice, tap water into my rice cooker pot, stir with my fingers and carefully pour the water out as much as I can and repeat a couple times.
Add 1 ½ cups of water.
Then, cook it according to rice cooker’s instructions. Mine is super simple, I just need to push cook button and that’s it.
If you cook it on the stove, turn on the heat to high and bring the rice to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and cover with a lid. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the rice steam for another 10 minutes.
While waiting for the rice to cook, combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.
After rice is cooked, it should be firm but the core should not be crunchy. It should be sticky, but each grain should hold its own shape.
Scoop the rice into a large bowl, gently spread it out to cool it a little.
Pour the vinegar mixture over the hot rice.
Use a spatula or flat wooden spoon to gently combine everything together.
Let it cool. The rice should be fluffy, not wet and slippery. It should still be a little warm. Cover it with a damp towel until you’re ready to roll it.
Now for the filling, the key ingredients in a California Roll are crab meat (or imitation crab if you live in the Midwest like us where it’s hard to find fresh crab meat), avocado and cucumber.
Now it’s time to roll!
Cover your bamboo mat with plastic wrap to keep rice from sticking to the mat. Have a small bowl of water to dip your fingers to keep rice from sticking to them.
Carefully fold a sheet of seaweed in half, it should split. If not, cut it with kitchen scissors.
Lay half a sheet of seaweed towards the bottom of the bamboo mat.
Scoop a small amount of rice on the seaweed. Lightly wet your fingers in water and gently spread the rice out to the edges of the seaweed in a thin even layer. Don’t use too much pressure, otherwise it will turn into mushy rice.
Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the rice.
Flip the rice and seaweed over.
Place a few strips of cucumber, avocado and crab meat (or imitation crab) across the roll. Be careful not to add too much filling, otherwise you won’t be able to seal your roll.
Start rolling by tucking your thumbs under the bamboo mat and use them to lift the mat and rice over the filling, while using other fingers to hold the filling in place.
Keep rolling until the rice has folded over and stuck to the seaweed on the other end.
Peal the mat back away as you continue to roll.
Once the roll has been completely rolled into a cylinder, give the mat a firm press to compress the rice to make sure the roll is tight so it doesn’t fall apart when you cut it.
Here it is, the fresh California Roll!
Gently move the California Roll onto a cutting board. To slice the roll, dip a sharp knife into water. Gently slice the roll into about half inch thick pieces, start from the middle.
You may end up with small weird ends but that’s ok. They are still good. However, if you have some guests and you want to make your plate pretty, you can just eat them. I mean, taste test your creation. Hey, someone has to try if it tastes good or not.
Serve with some soy sauce, I prefer light soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.
I hope you give this California Roll a try. The recipe card is below.
- 1 cup sushi rice
- 1½ cup water
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ avocado, sliced into thick strips
- 1½ cut crab meat or 4 long sticks of imitation crab
- ½ large cucumber, seeds removed and cut into thick strips
- 2 sheets unseasoned seaweed (nori), split in half
- Toasted sesame seeds
- To make sushi rice, rinse the rice until water is mostly clear. Put 1 cup of rice and cold tap water into rice cooker pot, stir with your fingers and carefully pour the water out as much as you can and repeat a couple times. Add 1 ½ cups of water. Cook it according to rice cooker's instructions.
- While waiting for the rice to cook, combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.
- After rice is cooked, it should be firm but the core should not be crunchy. It should be sticky, but each grain should hold its own shape. Scoop the rice into a large bowl, gently spread it out to cool it a little.
- Pour the vinegar mixture over the hot rice. Use a spatula or flat wooden spoon to gently combine everything together.Let it cool. The rice should be fluffy, not wet and slippery. It should still be a little warm. Cover it with a damp towel until you're ready to roll it.
- Cover your bamboo mat with plastic wrap to keep rice from sticking to the mat. Have a small bowl of water to dip your fingers to keep rice from sticking to them.
- Carefully fold a sheet of seaweed in half, it should split. If not, cut it with kitchen scissors. Lay half a sheet of seaweed towards the bottom of the bamboo mat.
- Scoop a small amount of rice on the seaweed. Lightly wet your fingers in water and gently spread the rice out to the edges of the seaweed in a thin even layer. Don't use too much pressure, otherwise it will turn into mushy rice.
- Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the rice. Flip the rice and seaweed over.
- Place a few strips of cucumber, avocado and crab meat (or imitation crab) across the roll. Be careful not to add too much filling, otherwise you won't be able to seal your roll.
- Start rolling by tucking your thumbs under the bamboo mat and use them to lift the mat and rice over the filling, while using other fingers to hold the filling in place. Keep rolling until the rice has folded over and stuck to the seaweed on the other end. Peal the mat back away as you continue to roll.
- Once the roll has been completely rolled into a cylinder, give the mat a firm press to compress the rice to make sure the roll is tight so it doesn't fall apart when you cut it.
- Gently move the roll onto a cutting board. To slice the roll, dip a sharp knife into water. Gently slice the roll into about half inch thick pieces, start from the middle. Serve with some soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.
One of my favs! Happy anniversary!
Thank you so much, Gina!