Temaki translates to te (hand) and maki (rolled) sushi and is often addressed as a hand roll, as rice and fillings are rolled in a seaweed and eaten by hands. The ingredients in a temaki have a wide variety using your favourite vegetables or use cooked ingredients such as Shrimp Tempura, grilled unagi, salmon or Chicken Teriyaki.
It is easy to make where one just has to prepare all the ingredients separately and combine them together when you are hungry. You just have to keep the vinegared sushi rice and the prepared fillings on the table. Each person can make his own preferred temaki using their desired mix of fillings.
The popular choice for meat lovers includes a combination of kimchi and kalbi, or prawn and avocado; while those that favour fish can go with spicy tuna salad or salmon with cucumbers. Vegetarian options are also available when meat is opted out by using fillings such as leafy greens, crispy cucumbers, carrots, enoki, fried omelette or shiitake mushrooms.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice
- Water
- ⅓ cup of rice vinegar (80 ml)
- 3 Tablespoon of sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- Grilled unagi (2 slices)
- 1 Japanese cucumber
- ½ carrot
- ½ avocado
- 2 slices of Nori sheets
- 1 tablespoon of Japanese soy sauce
- wasabi
Directions:
- Rinse the rice a few times and let it soak in water for 30 minutes. Then drain off the water.
- Cook the rice in a rice cooker.
- Prepare the sushi vinegar by combining rice vinegar, sugar and sea salt in a saucer and boil.
- When all the sugar is dissolved, set aside the sauce.
- When the rice is done, transfer the rice into a wooden tub and spread it out evenly to let it cool.
- Pour the sushi vinegar prepared earlier over the rice while the rice is still hot.
- Mix evenly and use for later.
- Cover the rice with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.
- Prepare the fillings by cutting the grilled unagi into long slices.
- Cut the washed cucumbers, carrots and avocado into thin slices.
- Cut the Nori sheets into half and place it on your palm with its rough side facing upwards.
- Spread the rice diagonally across the nori sheet.
- Roll the nori sheet into a cone shape, and you are ready to eat.
- Serve the unagi temaki with wasabi and soy sauce.