My 12-year-old daughter was craving for maki last Sunday but the only Japanese restaurant in the mall where we were was one her dad didn’t care to go to. She was so disappointed that, on our way home, I decided to pass by the supermarket. I bought a pack of nori and crab sticks. I figured she could roll her own Japanese-style concoctions. It’s simple enough. I didn’t have to buy Japanese rice since that’s what we eat at home everyday.
Of course, I did some of the work. I cooked and reasoned the rice. She cooked the egg. Then, she assembled the egg, crab sticks and seasoned rice on the nori sheets. Take note that she did didn’t even use a bamboo mat for rolling (our bamboo mat is moldy). Just a plate and her hands. Turned out that I bought too much crab sticks. That’s her fingers in the photo dipping a crab stick in a saucer of Japanese soy sauce with wasabi.
Traditional sushi calls for vinegared rice. But there was this recipe for sushi rice in my new Rice & Risotto cookbook that looked really great. So, I threw in a few extras.
Season 2 cups of cooked and cooled Japanese rice with 1/8 cup of rice vinegar, 1/8 cup of light (Japanese) soy sauce and 2 tablespoonfuls of oyster sauce. Stir to blend well.
Cook two beaten eggs in a little oil. As they set, push the eggs towards the center so that the omelet doesn’t flatten out. Cut the omelet in 3 to 4 portions lengthwise.
Lay a sheet of nori on a plate (or on a bamboo mat if you have one) and spread the seasoned rice over it. Towards one edge, lay the crab sticks and the cooked egg. Roll the nori, jelly roll style, as firmly and as tightly as you can.
Cut each “log” into 3/4 inch slices with a wet knife.
Serve with light (Japanese) soy sauce and wasabi paste.
hi, where do you buy JAPANESE RICE and do we have a local name for that? i intend to buy stuff @ sm supermarket and hopefully i’d be able to find japanese rice & rice vinegar too
At Cost U Less in Libis, they have it, ice. In 2 and 5-kg bags, I think. And it’s simply called Japanese Rice.
I also make california maki at home and it’s always a big hit. You can buy japanese rice in supermarket, and the rice vinegar, you can alter that with just the normal vinegar (it has the same taste and glossiness to the rice. In one of the instructions from a website, they put monosodium glutamate. But you can skip that one. The best soy sauce to combine it with is the lee kum kee.
By the way, as for the sushi mat, you can cover it with clingrap everytime you are using it (to keep it clean) and if you are done with your nori package, get the pack that keeps mold away (silicon) and put it in your sushi mat.
Hi Ms. Connie! Can I ask for the brand of the rice vinegar and the light soy sauce that you used for the maki? Though I have tried making this before, I’m not sure if I got the right ingredients. You’ve mentioned in your chicken stir fry recipe that your light soy sauce is Kikkoman but is it the same for this recipe as well?
The rice vinegar is Mitsukan; the light soy sauce is Kikkoman.
Thank you so much po…
was wondering if i could do away with the vinegar for the rice? can i use regular rice? where do i buy the bamboo mat? ummm, can i use any mat? where do i buy the black paper? is that nori? would hyper mart have it? what part of the grocery will i find it?
merry christmas connie and to your family. and may tanong narin pala ako sa sushi recipe nyo, meron kase akong nakitang recipe na ang hinahanap e rice wine vinegar pero ang nakikita ko lang sa mga groceries e white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar at rice vinegar. pareho lang ba ang rice vinegar at rice wine vinegar? thanks!!!
tsaka yung kikkoman at oyster sauce hindi ba magkaka-apekto sa kulay ng bigas?
Rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar are not the same.
Sauces affecting color: yes, you can opt for a little salt instead.
Thanks! I’ll experiment japanese rolls for our media noche. Merry Holidays ulit to you and your family