California Roll Sushi Recipe [+VIDEO] 🍣 MasalaHerb.com (2024)

Homemade California roll prepared with imitation crab (surimi) is an inside-out sushi.

This is yours to make if you LOVE sushi just as much as I do and Japanese food.

The California roll is part of my Japanese food series, which I prepared with my Japanese food expert.

This post is part of a series of Japanese recipes.

This includes traditional Japanese dishes such as miso soup as well as modern meals and recipes.

📕 What's a California Roll?

California roll is a variation of sushi, created and popularized on the American continent.

There are creation claims from sushi makers in Vancouver Canada and Los Angeles US.

This sushi has become a trend in Japan too over the last 20 or so years.

The sushi is a modern inside-out maki sushi variation, filled primarily with surimi, so-called imitation crab meat.

A maki is a sushi wrapped in nori seaweed. That means the seaweed is on the outside.

The inside-out sushi has a layer of rice on the outside and the nori seaweed between 2 layers of rice.

An inside-out sushi is known as uramaki sushi. The regular seaweed out maki sushi is known as a futomaki on the other hand.

🍙 Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients ready to make this recipe:

• nori seaweed sheets
• cooked sushi rice
• fresh avocado and cucumber
• surimi sticks - imitation crab meat
• Japanese Mayonnaise (kewpie)
• Sesame Seeds

To see if you can substitute sushi rice and Japanese mayo, click on the recipes for more info.

🔪 How to make it?

Making sushi is easy but you need to follow the recipe to the tee!

The instructions below will give you an idea of what to expect before you start out.

You will find the complete printable recipe further below with measurements and step details.

Step 1

Spread a layer of cooked rice over nori sheet.

Turn the sheet and spread remaining rice over ⅓ of the sheet.

Step 2

Pour mayonnaise in one line over the center.

Arrange cucumber, avocado and surimi over the mayonnaise and rice part.

Step 3

Start to roll in sushi slowly and press down with both hands carefully while rolling steadily to create a tight sushi roll.

Spread some sesame seeds over the bamboo mat and roll in so that the outside is covered with sesame seeds.

Step 4

Cut sushi into 8 thick slices, serve up!

📜 Flavor variations

You can switch out the surimi with tuna, real crab meat, smoked salmon, cooked shrimp, tobiko, or masago (fish roe).

However, in that case, it can't be called a California roll anymore but the maki sushi tastes great too!

To make it vegetarian skip the seafood together or add other ingredients such as mango, shiitake mushrooms, fresh spinach, carrot sticks, bell pepper, and teriyaki cooked tofu.

For spicy California rolls, use spicy Japanese mayonnaise. Just add some sriracha or other hot sauce to your mayo mix and use that in your sushi.

🥣 Serving ideas

Garnish with fish roe for taste and aesthetics. Japanese like to garnish with a square folded Japanese omelet too.

Serve up with soy sauce, wasabi paste. Those two are mixed together and used as a dipping sauce.

With or instead of soy sauce, you can opt for a citrus ponzu sauce.

I also LOVE pickled Japanese sliced ginger with my maki. So good!

💭 FAQs

👁️ More Sushi Roll Ideas

• Spicy Salmon Roll - spicy mayonnaise
• Boston Roll - with tobiko fish roe
• Rainbow Roll - rainbow color topping
• Dragon Roll - with avocado
• Philadelphia Roll - with cream cheese
• Cucumber Beet Mango Avocado Sushi Roll

📖 Recipe