If you are a fan of sushi and would like to try to make it at home, you’re in luck! In this recipe post, I’m going to outline how to make some homemade sushi from scratch at home!

About Sushi

First things first, what is sushi? Sushi 寿司 is originally from Japan, and is made of vinegared rice with nori and a variety of ingredients such as seafood (usually raw fish) and vegetables.

Sushi, as we know it today, is believed to be created by Hanaya Yohei around 1824 in the Edo period. A dish known as narezushi 熟寿司 might be where sushi got it’s early influences.

Narezushi was where fish was fermented with vinegar, salt and rice, and then after which the rice was discarded. Later on folks started eating it with the rice, and vinegar rice started being used rather than fermented rice.

Of course today, there are so many types of sushi and with various ingredients, it’s hard to find someone that doesn’t like any type of sushi!

About Sushi Rice

Sushi rice is not just normal cooked rice, it’s referred to ‘vinegared rice’ but it’s not just vinegar plus rice either. Sushi rice is made with Japanese short grain rice, water, unseasoned rice vinegar, salt and sugar.

I’ll be providing exact instructions in the recipe below!

About Nori

Nori is a dried edible seaweed very often used in Japanese cuisine. It has a strong and distinctive flavor, and is often used in various types of sushi.

Nori is made by shredding edible seaweed and then pressing it into thin sheets, similar to how paper is made! You can find Nori sheets in Asian grocery stores or even online on Amazon! I’ve also seen it in Whole Foods before.

What sushi is cooked?

Though sushi is usually made with raw seafood such as salmon and tuna, there are also a lot of sushi today that is fully cooked.

Some cooked sushi include:

• California Roll – This popular sushi is usually rolled inside-out, and contains cucumber, crab or imitation crab, and avocado.
• Volcano Roll – Volcano roll usually consists of seafood such as imitation crab or shrimp, and cucumber. Because it’s also topped with a baked spicy and creamy crab salad that looks like lava, it’s known as volcano roll!
• Dragon Roll – The dragon roll is usually made of avocado, unagi (eel), cucumber, and shrimp tempura. The way it is made with the avocado on top makes it looks like scales of a dragon.
• Eel / Unagi Roll – Eel aka Unagi is cooked, so this roll is also fully cooked.
• Caterpillar Roll – Caterpillar rolls filled with unagi and cucumber and then topped sliced avocado. Similar to the dragon roll, the avocado on top makes it look like a caterpillar.
• Philadelphia Roll – Philadelphia roll sushi consists of smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber in nori seaweed sheet and seasoned rice. One thing about smoked salmon tho – depending on if it is hot smoked salmon or cold smoked salmon, it could be considered cooked or raw.
• Tamago Sushi – Tamago sushi is made with the rolled egg omelet (tamagoyaki) so it is 100% cooked.
• Cucumber Avocado Roll – This is a simple roll, but actually one of my favorites! It’s 100% vegan and doesn’t include any fish (cooked or not)

In today’s Homemade Sushi Recipe – I will be showing you how to make sushi with Unagi, Shrimp, and Smoked Salmon, so it is also 100% cooked!

How to make sushi at home

Okay let’s get on with this Homemade Sushi recipe then! Here are the equipment or supplies you need to make sushi at home:

• Bamboo Sushi Rolling Mat
• Rice Paddle
• Something to make the rice – this can be a pot with lid, rice cooker, or instant pot!

By the way – check out my Asian cooking tools article to learn more about the various tools!

As for ingredients, you will need:

• Sushi rice:
  • 2 cups short grain rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
• 1 pack of unagi
• 1 pack of smoked salmon
• 8 medium cooked shrimps
• 1 avocado
• 1 cucumber
• 1 pack of nori sheets
• Soy sauce (optional)
• Wasabi (optional)

Cooking the sushi rice

Rinse the rice with cold water. We do this by filling a large bowl or pot (such as the pot of your rice cooker/instant pot) with rice and enough cold water to submerge all the rice. Using your hand, swirl the rice around to rinse. Pour out the water (be careful not to also pour out the rice) about 2 times. You can also rinse the sushi rice in a fine mesh strainer under cool running water for a few minutes. Drain well.

Cook the rice. These steps will vary depending on if you’re using stove top, rice cooker or instant pot. By the way, while the rice is cooking, you can prepare the sushi fillings.

• Rice Cooker version (this is what we do) – To make it in the rice cooker, add rice and water in to the rice cooker bowl/pot. Cover with rice cooker lid, and cook according to the rice cooker instructions.
• If you’re cooking on Stovetop, add rice and water in a pot. Cover with a lid. Cook on medium high until the water reaches a simmer. Then reduce the heat to medium low so it continues simmering for another 15 minutes or so, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. The rice should now be cooked and tender. Remove from heat and keep the lid on for another 10 minutes.
• If you’re using an Instant Pot, add the rice and water in the instant pot. Cover and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Once completed, let it naturally release the pressure for 10 minutes. Then, quick-release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.

After the rice is done and still hot, add the rice vinegar, sugar and salt, and using a spatula combine well so that all of the rice has all of it. You want the rice still very hot so that the sugar and salt melt.

Cover the bowl/pot with a damp towel and set it aside, allowing it to cool. This way the rice won’t dry out. Allow it to cool to room temperature.

Prepare Sushi Fillings

I usually do this while I’m waiting for the rice to cook. All this entails is making sure everything is thin and long if possible.

• Cucumbers – cut cucumbers length-wise in to strips.
• Unagi – cut unagi in length-wise in to strips.
• Smoked Salmon – cut unagi in length-wise in to strips.
• Shrimp – slice in half length wise.
• Avocado – slice the avocado in to strips.

Roll the Sushi!

Lay the bamboo mat with the bamboo sticks horizontal to you. Place the nori sheet with the shinier side down (rougher side facing up).

Using a rice paddle, spread the rice over the nori sheet. But leave a little bit of space to the edge. On the side furthest from you leave a bit more space (like an inch or so).

Now start placing the ingredients on the rice about an inch or two away from you. Place the ingredients horizontally. Don’t put too much or else it will be hard to wrap. I usually put 3-4 ingredients in. For example, shrimp, cucumbers and avocado.

Starting from the side closest to you, carefully lift up the sushi mat to bring the rice over the fillings. Begin rolling and giving it a little squeeze in between rolls to make sure the ingredients are packed well.

Remove roll and set aside, and make your next rolls. When all the rolls are complete, using a sharp knife, cut the sushi roll in to small sushi.

Serve with soy sauce and wasabi (optional)! Some folks also love eel sauce, so you can try that too.

If you end up trying this Homemade Sushi Recipe out and you end up with a buttload of extra sushi, I recommend taking it to work for lunch the next day! If you do this, make sure to eat it when it returns to room temperature.

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