Sushi is an easy dish to make, but it’s one that is sure to wow your guests. It is an international dish originating in the country of Japan, but has grown widespread popularity across the world. 

With this recipe, you will learn how to make a simple California roll. This is a popular, basic roll and a great place to start if you are just learning how to make sushi. This recipe makes 4 sushi rolls which is about 6 pieces each.

In my instructions, I will be referring to a sushi roller, but if you do not have one, don’t worry! The roller makes the process a bit easier, but it is totally fine to use your hands and roll the sushi on your own.

Preparation

Get out your ingredients and equipment, wash your hands, and get ready to make some sushi!

Before assembling your sushi, go ahead and prepare all your ingredients. Start by cooking your rice. If you have a rice cooker, that is great! If not, you can cook your rice in a pan on your stove. Just add your rice and twice as much water to the pan and heat it on medium heat until your rice is cooked. Be sure to check in on it periodically. 

While the rice is cooking, you can prepare your cucumber and avocado. Cut your cucumber into small sticks and your avocado into thin slices. Put these to the side to save for later. 

Assemble the Sushi

Grab your rolling mat if you have one, but if you do not, you can just use a cutting board. Place your nori (dried seaweed) on top of the mat with the rough side facing up 

Once your rice is cooked and cooled, wet your hands and grab a handful. Place the rice on top of your nori and spread it evenly. Do not mash the rice, just spread it over the nori. When you are done with this, go ahead and flip the nori over to the other side so that the rice is on the bottom. 

Lay your crab in a horizontal line, one inch from the bottom (the longer side). Next to the crab, lay down a row of cucumber, then a row of avocado. 

Grab the nori and the mat and roll your sushi. Again, having a mat helps with this step, but you can also do this by hand. Be sure to press tightly so the roll keeps its shape. 

Enjoy!

Once you have your sushi rolled up, move the roll to a cutting board and cut it into 6 pieces. Now, you are ready to enjoy!

You can really switch out the fillings to make all different kinds of sushi. Try different filling options to find something you love!

If you follow this recipe, make sure you post a picture of your sushi with the hashtag #chopsecrets. Tag us so we can see what you create!

Ingredients

• 2 cups sushi rice
• 2 half sheets of sushi grade nori 
• 8 pieces of imitation crab
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 avocado