Hubby made Norimaki Sushi

Hubby made Norimaki Sushi for lunch on 22nd February. Norimaki is a cylindrical rolled Sushi where a sheet of Nori seaweed is tightly wrapped around rice and various kinds of fillings, such as fishes and vegetables.

I cooked rice and mixed a few tablespoons of vinegar, sugar, and salt to the hot rice. Such vinegar mixed rice is used for making Norimaki Sushi. It should be mentioned that although white rice is generally used for making Sushi, we used brown rice as we always eat brown rice at home. Hubby chose various kinds of vegetables and sea-foods as filling ingredients for the Norimaki Sushi. He cut strips of cucumber, avocado, Kanikama crab sticks, and pre-cooked shrimps as the fillings for their complementary tastes and colors. Next, to assemble the Sushi rolls, hubby placed a bamboo Sushi-rolling mat called Maki-sudare on the kitchen work surface. He placed Maki-sudare in such a way that the side with stitched cotton thread ends was on the far side of him in order not to enfold them in Sushi roll. Then he placed a sheet of Nori seaweed with its glossy side facing down on the bamboo mat. He arranged the edges of the Nori sheet and the mat on the near-side of him in the same line.

Hubby cutting vegetables as filling ingredients for making Norimaki Sushi

Bamboo Sushi-rolling mat Maki-sudare

All the filling ingredients cut into proper size and Nori seaweed sheet placed on the bamboo rolling mat

Hubby says ‘let me show my muscles before proceeding’

Next he spread vinegar mixed rice evenly over the Nori seaweed sheet, leaving the upper far-side edge of the Nori sheet by about 1 centimeter as an extra overlapping space to seal the roll tightly after rolling. After that, he laid out the selected filling ingredients in a line at the center across the rice. Also, he slightly moistened the exposed far-side edge of the Nori sheet with rice vinegar.

Hubby spreading vinegar mixed rice over the Nori sheet

Spreading the rice over the Nori sheet is almost completed

Laying the selected fillings in a line at the center across the rice

The fillings lay in the middle across the rice

Next, he rolled up the Nori sheet along with the rice and the fillings inside to form a cylindrical rolled structure. He rolled up the Nori sheet using the base bamboo rolling mat. First he lifted up the edge of the rolling mat on the near-side of him and rolled it over to enclose the ingredients. While rolling, he simultaneously pushed and held the core ingredients with his fingers towards the inside so that the ingredients did not fall out from the sides. After thoroughly and tightly rolling up, the rice vinegar-moistened edge of the Nori sheet towards his far-side met and got attached to the glossy back of the near-side edge (now rolled up) of the Nori sheet. Next he pressed gently around and along the rolled up mat with both hands for a while, and shaped the rolled mat with the Nori Sheet and other contents inside into roundish or cylindrical structure. After that he unwrapped and removed the rolling mat, and a cylindrical rolled Norimaki Sushi was made. It should be noted that the shiny surface of the Nori sheet becomes visible after rolling and making the Norimaki Sushi.

Hubby lifted up the edge of the rolling mat on the near-side of him and started rolling it

Rolling

Rolling completed and is followed by pressing around and along the rolled up mat

Hubby posing with the rolled up mat

Hubby holding the cylindrical Norimaki Sushi

Hubby made one more Norimaki Sushi, which was a bit thinner than the first one. In this case, he used only about half the amount of vinegar mixed rice as compared to the first one. He spread the vinegar mixed rice over the Nori seaweed sheet placed on the rolling mat, and laid out the selected filling ingredients in a line at the center across the rice. In addition, in this case, he spread mayonnaise over the fillings directly from a plastic tube. He rolled up the Nori sheet along with the rice and the fillings inside and completed making the second cylindrical Norimaki Sushi.

Hubby making a thinner Norimaki Sushi with less rice

He spread mayonnaise over the fillings directly from a plastic tube

Ready to be rolled

Hubby rolling up the bamboo mat along with the Nori sheet, rice, and fillings inside

Hubby posing with two cylindrical Norimaki Sushi

Hubby cut the two cylindrical Norimaki Sushi rolls into several pieces. First he sliced a roll in half and then placed the two halves together side by side, and cut them again at about 1/3 intervals to create 6 equal bite-size pieces. So with two cylindrical rolls, he made a total of 12 pieces of Norimaki Sushi. Care should be taken to cut firmly and straight down otherwise the roll may come apart or the round shape may be broken.

Hubby cutting the rolled Norimaki Sushi into several pieces

Arranged the bite-sized pieces on a plate

Looks delicious

Hubby says ‘let me try one’

We had Norimaki Sushi accompanied with Miso soup for lunch. While I enjoyed the Norimaki Sushi pieces without any dipping sauce, hubby had the Sushi pieces by dipping them in soy sauce. It was a healthy and delicious lunch.

Hubby’s lunch of Norimaki Sushi and Miso soup

Hubby ready to eat

Hubby having lunch

It was the first time for hubby to make Norimaki Sushi. The Sushi pieces tasted delicious. It was a nice relaxing day for us.