People who know my mum well enough knows that she has a specialty dish called ‘warm sushi’. It’s actually nothing complicated or too fanciful – Just normal hand rolled sushi but eaten warm right after it’s made, and not cold as usually done in Japanese restaurants. Strangely, many people including me found that a much nicer version compared to the cold ones. I wonder why no restaurants serve it that way.
Two weekends ago, we spent an afternoon at my mum’s place making the delicious warm sushi. The making was super easy and fuss-free, but the preparation may take up more time especially if you are going for variety. It’s so easy that the kids also helped to make our dinner that evening, and everyone had our stomachs filled while making them. You know, we pop them into our mouths while making them. =P
I photographed the entire sushi-making process because I thought of making them at home for the kids because they are so easy to make and eat. So since I did that, I might as well share it with those of you who may be interested to try making them too.
The main ingredients are rice (you can use Japanese rice for greater authenticity, or just normal Thai rice but cooked softer than usual), Jap rice vinegar and seaweed sheets. Once the rice has been cooked, pour in the vinegar and mix well. The general proportion rule is to use 2 tablespoons of vinegar with every cup of rice.
You can use any brands you can find in the supermarkets of course, but I will follow my mummy masterchef’s choices. =P
You also need to have a bamboo sheet ready for the rolling. They can be easily found in Daiso.
The ingredients for the sushi can be anything you like and prefer. Our favorites are usually fried eggs, prawns, cucumbers, crabsticks and sausages. You can be as creative as you like, and add in all your favorite ingredients. Fry them and then cut them into strips for the rolling later on.
My mum also prepared other ingredients that day which were so complicated. I am not planning to replicate, for sure. They are the seasoned seaweed, seasoned scallops and crabstick mayo. Very yummy too!
So, here goes the step-by-step instructions on how to make simple rolled sushi!
1. Lay out the bamboo sheet on a flat table surface. Place a sheet of seaweed on it and lay out a thin layer of rice to cover the entire sheet.
2. Lay out your desired ingredients line by line on the bed of rice. We like to use two strips of cucumbers each time to add more crunch.
3. Use the bamboo sheet to roll the sushi into a nice roll. Apply force to let the sushi roll stick together tightly.
4. Once the rolling is done, use a sharp knife (wet slightly with water or vinegar) and cut into bite sizes.
See how pretty it looks! =D You cannot pop just one into your mouth, that’s for sure.
My mum also made these kinds of sushi, which involved taking a small chunk of rice and molded into a small rectangular bundle. Then, a prawn that’s been cut open from the centre and flattened to be placed on top of the sushi and tied with a thin strip of seaweed. This is even easier to make. Haha!
Jayne also tried making them! Somehow, food tastes more delicious when you make them yourself. =P
Why don’t you try your hand at sushi-making too? I think they make perfect food for little kids and would fit so well into bento boxes for bringing out! Remember, these are best eaten WARM! =D
Have fun!