Japanese Sushi Rolls

Japanese food tends to be low in fat, and these stylish sushi rolls are no exception. Now that the ingredients are available in grocery stores, it is easy to make them yourself. You must use sushi rice, which is sticky when cooked.

Servings Prep Time Cook Time
32sushi rolls 20minutes 20minutes
Servings Prep Time
32sushi rolls 20minutes
Cook Time
20minutes
Ingredients
Servings: sushi rolls
Units:
Ingredients
Servings: sushi rolls
Units:
Instructions
  1. Cook the sushi rice in a saucepan of boiling water according to the package instructions.
  2. Meanwhile, place the sugar and vinegar in a small pan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. When the sushi rice is cooked, drizzle the mixture over it, then add the green onions and cucumber, and mix. Cover with a dish towel and leave to cool.
  3. Divide the sushi rice into 4 equal portions. Cut the salmon into strips about 1 cm wide. Place a sheet of nori, shiny-side down, on a bamboo mat, or a sheet of parchment paper on a board. Spread a portion of rice over the nori, pressing it down evenly and leaving a 1 cm space at the top and bottom. Place a quarter of the salmon along the middle of the layer of rice, then spread the salmon with 1/2 teaspoon of the wasabi paste.
  4. With the help of the bamboo mat or paper, roll up the nori, rice and salmon into a neat tube. Roll tightly to ensure that the rice sticks together and holds the filling in place. Make 3 more sushi rolls in the same way.
  5. Using a wet knife, cut each sushi roll across into 8 slices and stand them upright on a serving plate. Rinse the knife between cuts. Garnish with pieces of gari and offer a small dish of reduced-salt soy sauce for dipping.
Recipe Notes

Per serving: 109 calories, 3 g protein, 0 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 23 g total carbohydrate, 1 g sugars, 0 g fibre, 187 mg sodium

Like other foods from the sea, nori—a dark brownish seaweed—is a good source of iodine, essential for the healthy functioning of the thyroid gland. It also provides some calcium, potassium and beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body.