1English cucumber,peeled and sliced into thin strips
1mediumcarrot,peeled and sliced into thin strips
1avocado,sliced
4sticksimitation crab,cut in half, longwise
Instructions
For the sushi rice
In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
Combine the rice and the water in the bowl of an Instant Pot. (You can also cook the rice according to the directions on the package.)
Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
Allow the pressure to release naturally for 12 minutes before opening the instant pot and fluffing the rice with a fork.
In a small saucepan, combine the rice wine vinegar and the sugar and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
Fold the rice vinegar mixture into the prepared sushi rice.
Allow the rice to cool to just above room temperature before using.
To assemble
Place a sheet of nori over a bamboo sushi mat.
Wet your fingers with warm water. This will help keep the rice from sticking to your hands. I like to keep a bowl of warm water near me when I making these rolls.
Press about ¾ cup of prepared sushi rice over the nori. Use your hand to press it into an even layer to cover the nori.
Stack 1 row of English cucumber, 1 row of carrot, 1 row of imitation crab, and 1 row of avocado on top of each other in a line at one end of the mat.
Fold the nori and rice over the filling and squeeze the bamboo mat over the filling to create a tight cylinder. Continue to fold the roll over itself, squeezing it into a cylinder after each fold until you get to the end of the roll.
Repeat steps 8-12 with the remainder of the ingredients.
Wet a sharp knife with warm water and slice the rolls into ½ inch slices, wetting the knife between slices if it starts to get sticky.
Use sushi rice. For sushi, it's best to use short-grain rice because it's rich in starch and sticky enough to hold the shape of sushi.
Seafood: Feel free to use raw salmon, tuna, or halibut, but always make sure the fish is sushi-grade. You can also use cooked or smoked fish if you do not have access to sushi-grade seafood.
Add Fruit: I like to add mango or pineapple to my maki rolls.
Dipping Sauce: Dipping maki rolls in soy sauce mixed with a bit of wasabi is excellent, but you could also dip it in teriyaki sauce, unagi sauce, or sweet chili sauce.
If you don’t have a bamboo mat, use a thick towel covered with plastic wrap.
Keep a bowl of warm water near you as you assemble the rolls. It will help keep the sushi rice from sticking to your hands. Wet your fingers before spreading the rice over the nori.
When rolling up the maki, squeeze between each fold. You want the rice and nori wrapped tightly around the filling.
When cutting a maki roll into slices, use a sharp knife dipped in warm water. This will help you make clean cuts.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.