Uramaki is the Japanese word for inside-out rolls. They are a little more difficult to make than maki rolls are. These are very similar to maki rolls, only with the rice on the outside instead of inside the nori. There are many types of popular uramaki rolls, several of which will be posted in the near future! So watch for them… they’ll be up soon!
Rolling the Maki
Prepare the rolling mat.
Lay a piece of nori on the rolling mat, shiny side down.
Place about 3/4 cup of sumeshi on the nori.
Wet your hands with water so the rice won’t stick to your hands. I find it’s useful to have a small bowl of water sitting next to my work area so I don’t have to keep running between the sink and my work area to keep my hands wet. Spread the rice over the nori with your hands, covering the entire sheet of nori.
Turn the nori over, so the rice side is facing the rolling mat (this is why we cover the rolling mat with plastic wrap 🙂 )
Place your desired fillings along the bottom edge of the nori.
Using the rolling mat, begin to tightly roll the sushi. Start at the side nearest to you, and roll away from you. Try to roll it without letting the rice stick to the rolling mat. If the rice sticks, try cooling the rice a little more before you make the next roll.
When the sushi is completely rolled, use the rolling mat to squeeze the sushi so it does not unroll when you are trying to cut it.
If you are putting some sort of fish or vegetables on top of the roll, lay thin strips overlapping on top of the roll.
Squeeze the roll again with the rolling mat to press the toppings onto the sushi roll. This will help ensure that the toppings don’t fall off when you cut or eat the sushi.
If, instead, the recipe asks you to roll the sushi in something such as masago or sesame seeds, you can either put the topping on a plate and roll the entire roll in it, or spoon the topping over the roll and press it into the roll so it doesn’t fall off.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the sushi into six or eight pieces, depending on how thick you like your sushi. It helps to have your knife freshly sharpened; otherwise it’s pretty easy to squish your sushi when you are cutting it. This can cause the sushi to fall apart when you are eating it, and become kind of a pain in the butt. Also, it helps to wet your knife before cutting the sushi, so the rice and fillings won’t stick to it.
Eat your sushi! Yum!
WARNING: Please be very careful using the knife! Do not allow children to use sharp knives, and keep fingers and other body parts away from the blade. I am not liable for any injury you might incur while using knives or other sharp objects. Not to mention I don’t want any of you to get hurt (especially during the holiday season!)
