I want to make sushi but i really have no idea what to do....and i dont want it to be that expensive?

Question

I really want to make sushi for my birthday dinner but i dont really have any idea what i am doing can someone help me....also i dont want it to be really expensive...any help would be great.

Answer 1

Sushi is a great choice for a party dinner. And it isn't expensive. You first need to cook the rice, then let it cool. Then you moisten the wrappers (sheets of seaweed that you can buy at any oriental food store, or other specialty stores) place a spoonful of rice on the wrapper, put something else in the middle - a sliver of smoked salmon, a stick of cucumber, a slice of red pepper - whatever you wish, either singly or in combination, and then you roll the wrapper tightly.

Sushi makers usually use a bamboo mat to roll the sushi - it's something like rolling cigarettes. The tighter you can get the wrapper, the better the sushi.

When you buy your supplies, don't forget to get the ginger that goes with it. You're on your own when it comes to wasabi mustard. Most stores that sell sushi put a dab of the green mustard and a few slices of ginger in with it - everyone eats the ginger but not many people are brave enough to tackle the wasabi, which is hot, hot hot and will clear our your sinuses.  

Answer 2

There is a big learning curve to making sushi. The important thing is having the right rice, cooking it just so, and then mixing it with exactly the right amount of su. I suggest you read several different recipes, then practice several times before the big day.  

Answer 3

From what I learned making sushi for a going away party in Japan, there are some things that are needed in order to make it taste right as opposed to just rice with a bunch of stuff in it.

First of all I recommend you get sticky rice (they sometimes have it on sale at Walmart in huge bags!) and use a rice cooker. I got mine from a Japanese exchange student for free so if you live in a College town you might be able to find someone who would easily part with it instead of lugging it back home. Otherwise there are American alternatives. Purchase some nori, aka seaweed wrappers either from an Asian market or on base. If you have any friends that have access to on base facilities it will save you a great deal. Sometimes Walmart carries them in the Asian food section.

Steam the rice, place it in a bowl (chances are you don't own a bamboo container) and fan it until it cools down. Either you can purchase sushi vinegar powder from the Asian store or you can make your own sushi vinegar. You can buy rice vinegar, boil about two cups of it with half a cup of water and three table spoons of sugar (I usually just add ingredients until I like the taste) and let that simmer for about 8 minutes. Then begin adding it to the rice while mixing it until you like the flavor. If you had the powder it would be quicker. Use something like a spatula and your hands, unroll the seaweed and place it on a bamboo roller if you need to, otherwise I find it easier to do this by hand, and spread the sticky rice on the seaweed. Note that the moisture of the rice will soften the seaweed so you must not soften it before placing the rice on the seaweed or it will be difficult to roll. then place the filling (tuna, chunks of shrimp, chicken, tempura, fish etc...) in the middle making sure that you make a line about an inch thick through the length of the nori. The stuffing should touch the sides. Then roll it.

Or you could just watch this youtube video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X81KBBUsQ...

This video shows you how to make those inside out rolls but the concept is the same, and, you can look up pretty much any roll on youtube and chances are there will be a video for it.

Either way, the key is to season the rice correctly (trust me on this. It will taste disgusting if the rice is bland and lacks the vinegary sweetness that's needed to offset the bland nature of the fish!) and use sashimi/sushi soy sauce otherwise it will taste weird. ALSO DO NOT REFRIGERATE IT!!! Make it right before it is served otherwise it will become hard. The rice makes a whole lot of difference. I once attended a sushi making workshop at the University (run buy American students) and I heard the Japanese students talk about how it didn't taste right. With the wrong kind of rice you cannot make it sticky (and also trying to cook sticky rice in a pot sometimes results in a mushy mess) so just so you don't waste time and money on something like this make sure you have the right ingredients.

PS, YOU MUST WET YOUR HANDS EVERYTIME YOU PICK UP THE RICE OR IT WILL STICK TO YOUR HANDS... NOT THE NORI.