| 50 ml Rice Vinegar | 15 ml Sugar |
| 10 ml Salt | 15 ml Sesame oil |
| 2 cups of Sushi Rice | 2 ½ cups of Water |
| 6 sheet of Nori (seaweed wrap) | Soya Sauce |
| Garnish | |
Smoked salmon, wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
Asparagus, pickled ginger
Egg yolk, red lumpfish | |
Put the rice in a sieve and submerge in a large bowl of water. Wash it thoroughly and discard the milky water. Keep washing and changing the water until the water is clear. |
| Mix the washed rice with 2 ½ cups of water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to boil over medium heat. Resist the temptation to lift the lid, and listen for the sound of boiling instead. When the water boils, turn the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes, then remove from heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes. |
| Heat the ingredients for the vinegar mixture in a non-aluminium saucepan, stirring until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Don’t let it boil. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. |
| Transfer the cooked rice to a pre-soaked wooden rice tub or a glass salad bowl (china will do as well). Pour a little of vinegar mixture over a spatula and into the rice. |
| Spread the rice evenly in the tub. Slowly add a little more of the vinegar mixture, using a slicing action to coat the grains of rice and to separate them. |
| Fan the rice gently to cool it. Continue to fold the vinegar mixture into the rice with the spatula until it begins to look glossy and has cooled to room temperature. |
| To roll your maki, lay a bamboo mat on your work surface and place a sheet of nori shiny-side-down on it. Dip your hands in water, form two handfuls of rice into log shapes and place at the center of the Nori. |
| Spread evenly across the whole width of the nori, leaving a 1 ¾ inch margin on the edge of the Nori furthest from you. |
| Lay your favourite garnish in the center of the rice. Place your thumbs under the rolling mat and lift the near edge of the mat with your thumbs and index fingers. Hold the fillings in place with the rest of your fingers. |
| Hold the small flap of Nori at the top of the mat and bring the near side of the roll over so that it covers the fillings. |
| Bring the rolling mat down to meet the strip of Nori, and gently squeeze along the length of the nori to tuck in the near edge of the Nori. |
| Lift the front edge of the mat slightly with one hand and use the other to gently push the roll forward so that the strip of Nori covers the rice, and the roll is sealed. |
| Pull back the mat and neaten the ends. Set aside in a cool place, but not the refrigerator, while you prepare the remaining rolls. Use a knife moistened with water to cut the roll in half. Cut each half into six slices. |
| Enjoy in your favourite soy sauce! |
| Note: Sushi and maki roll are not only delicious, it's also very good for your health. It is a wonderful bonus to be able to eat food you love without paying the price for your indulgence. Great claims have been made for the health benefits of the typical Japanese diet of fish and rice. For example, average life expectancy for both women and men in Japan is one of the highest in the world. |
