California Maki

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Japanese-style rice (for Filipino viewers, try 1 cup regular rice and 1 cup “pilit” rice)
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (OR regular vinegar alone)
• 1 tbsp. white sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• crabsticks / imitation crab
• nori sheets / seaweed
• mango OR avocado
• cucumber
• flying fish caviar OR sesame seeds
• mayonnaise

 

MATERIALS:

• 1 wooden spatula
• 1 wooden bowl (in absence of this, make sure you use a plasticware bowl. Do not use an aluminum bowl)
• 1 wooden mat / bamboo mat
• cling film

PROCEDURE:
In making Sushi (Japanese) Rice

1.  Rinse rice (1 cup regular rice and 1 cup “pilit” rice) with running cold water in a drainer to remove  debris.
2.  Put in a saucepan with cold water until 1 inch above the rice then soak for 30 min.
3.  Place soaked rice in a drainer and rinse again in a cold running water.
4.  Place drained rice in the saucepan and add 2 1/4 cups of cold water and bring it to a boil. Or you may use a rice cooker instead.
5.  When it boils, lower down the heat. Turn the heat off.
6.  Let it simmer for 20 minutes.
7.  Cool down for 10-15 min.

In making Sushi Vinegar Mixture

1. Mix 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or regular vinegar alone), 1 tbsp. white sugar and 1 tsp. salt in a small saucepan. Add a little a small piece of nori sheet in the mixture for a little add on taste.
2. Wait until everything dissolves. Turn the heat off.

In making California Maki

1. Spread the hot steamed rice into a large wooden bowl. Use a wooden spatula. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold the rice by wooden spatula very quickly. Be careful not to smash the rice.
2. To cool and remove the moisture of the rice well, use a fan as you mix sushi rice. This will give sushi rice a shiny look. It’s best to use sushi right away.
3. Peel a mango OR avocado and cut it into strips (or you may mash the avocado). But I would prefer to cut it into strips. Cut the imitation crabs into strips too if it’s too thick as well as with the cucumber. Make sure all sizes are the same: mango or avocado, imitation crab and the cucumber.
4. Cover a bamboo mat with cling film. Put a sheet of dried seaweed on top of the mat, shiny side down.
5. Spread sushi rice on top of the seaweed and press firmly.
6. Turn the sushi layer over so that the seaweed is on top.
7.  Place 1 slice of imitation crab, next 1 slice of cucumber; and 1 slice of mango or avocado strips (above the imitation crab) lengthwise on the seaweed. Pour mayonnaise along with it.
8. Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi. Press firmly the bamboo mat with hands.
9. Remove the rolled sushi from the bamboo mat. Cut the California Maki into a bite sized pieces.