Most college kids love two things: money and food. Food is one of our biggest expenses. We are stuck somewhere between wanting to eat out every night and wanting to have money to go out with friends when Friday comes. The struggle has never been more real.
When you get down to the last $20 in your bank account but your friends all want to go downtown to get sushi, try suggesting a fun make-your-own sushi night. You and your friends can crack open a bottle of wine, relax, and have a blast attempting to make customized sushi. Did I mention you will spend half of what you would going out to eat? In total, you won’t spend over $20 and you can split the cost of it all.
Keep reading for a step by step guide on making some sushi.
What you will need:
Sushi rice (this is sold at publix in the ethnic food aisle, next to the ramen noodles)
Rice wine vinegar (located near the dressing)
Nori wraps (typically, you will find these by the seafood section)
A bamboo roller or a kitchen towel (you can get a bamboo roller for less than $3 at any oriental market, but if you don’t have a way to get there, a kitchen towel works just as well)
Cling wrap
Filling for your roll (you pick this based off your personal taste)
Soy sauce
Wasabi (I use sriracha instead)
Step 1:
Cook rice according to instructions (hint: 1 cup dry makes about 4 cups cooked). Remove from heat and add 1 capful of the vinegar. Mix and let cool to room temperature.
Step 2:
Wrap your roller (or towel) in cling wrap
Step 3:
Lay the nori wrap shiny side down. Scoop 1 1/2 to 2 cups of rice onto the wrap. Roll out the rice so it creates a thin layer, make sure you cover the whole wrap. If you like the rice on the outside, now would be the time to flip the wrap over.
Step 4:
Fill that bad-boy up with your favorite fillings (my favorite is tuna, jalapeno, japanese breadcrumbs, and scallions). Be sure to lay the ingredients so that they are in the middle of the wrap.
Step 5:
Here comes the hardest part: rolling. This takes practice, so don’t feel bad if it’s not perfect the first time. Grab the end of the bamboo (or towel) and pull it over the top of the filling. Tuck it so that it squeezes the filling tight. Now continue rolling and squeezing until you have reached the end of the roll. It should look something like this:
Step 6:
You are now ready for phase 6, cutting the roll. Start by cutting it in half. (Your goal is to have 10 pieces.) From there, make four even cuts to each half (hint: try gliding the knife through instead of chopping down on it, this will help keep the shape).
Step 7:
Instagram the heck out of it and enjoy!
HCXOXO,
Jade Isaacs