Rolling Sushi At Home With Kids
Rolling Sushi at home with kids may not sound like the most popular dinner idea. But I'm here to tell you that my kids LOVE sushi and have even starting requesting the sheets of seaweed from Costco! How did I do it?
We MADE IT TOGETHER! There's something about being a part of the cooking process that really encourages kids to take a risk and try something new like a homemade California Roll.
California Rolls Sushi Ingredients
- Japanese Rice
- Imitation Crab meat – flaked
- Cucumber strips
- Avocado strips
- Seaweed sheets {or sub soy paper}
- Sushi mat
- Soy sauce or coconut aminos
- Optional
- Pickled ginger for serving
- Wasabi for serving
- Wax paper
I knew this sushi was perfect when it said “Excellent for sushi” right on the package and had a recipe for California rolls on the back! I was already planning on making Cali rolls so this was a nice little guide….although I didn't really follow the instructions.😂
Make the rice according to the instructions, slice all your ingredients, buy or borrow a sushi mat and you are ready to go!
Method 1: Rolled Sushi Rice First
Right out of the gate I didn't follow instructions since we prefer the rice on the outside of the roll. BUT sticky rice will mess your mat up so lay a piece of wax paper over the top if you're going to try this method.
Use a scant cup of rice to spread in a square. Although my kids loved the extra rice, it's a bit thick so spread your layer out thinner that ours!
Add Seaweed
Sushi seaweed is roasted with a little oil and sometimes salt. If the seaweed flavor is too much for you, try soy paper sheets as an alternative. You need the structure of the sheet to hold the sushi roll together.
California Roll Toppings
A California roll is a great way to introduce sushi to beginners. The Krab meat is cooked with a better texture to start. Over time you'll get used to the raw fish texture but it might take a few tries.
Traditional California rolls only have krab and avocado but additions can make it more fun for your family. Try it alone or add a few ingredients like:
- Cucumber
- Asparagus
- Carrot shreds
- Cream cheese
Rolling Sushi At Home
The wax paper makes rolling a little awkward cause you have to fold it down as you go but the mat makes it SO easy to get a tight roll.
Voila! And here it is. When cutting make sure the pieces aren't too thick. Sushi pieces are meant to be eaten all at once. At least I'm assuming so, as they are impossible to bite! So make it easy on yourself and use a SHARP knife to cut small pieces.
You guys these don't look very good! My knife wasn't sharp enough so squished them a bit but they sure taste delicious. If you don't want to deal with the mess of the rice you can try having seaweed on the outside in the next method.
Method 2: Rolled Sushi Seaweed First
Starting with the sheet of seaweed is nice as it gives you a simple boundary. Using a scant 1 cup of rice spread it out evenly over the seaweed. The rice bag recommends leaving a strip empty of rice so you don't end up with a pinwheel. {like mine, oops}
You also get a cleaner seam! See all that rice poking out!? I really should start following directions. 🤣 But why start now? Clean up your edge and cut in smallish pieces with your SHARP knife.
Then serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and if you enjoy the heat, wasabi. Just don't let your 4 year old mistake wasabi for avocado and put the whole lump in his mouth! Yikes. That was a bad one…..
At Home Sushi
Now that you're done take a minute to appreciate the edible art you've just created. And be patient with yourself. This second roll is WAY better looking than the first.
Practice makes perfect and it's a great excuse to keep trying new recipes and see what your family likes best. Is rolling sushi at home something you're brave enough to try? I sure hope so!! Cause if I can do it with 3 “kitchen helpers” so can you!
If you do, please share and tag us @partieswithacause on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. We love seeing all your hard work!
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I’ve had a class on how to make sushi. It is not as difficult as one thinks it might be. But there is a learning curve.
I’ve been to a few sushi classes too and I was surprised as well. It was so much fun and I’m happy to share it with my kiddos. I made my rice too thick – so next time we’ll adjust a bit.
This is great! Can not wait to try it out with the kids.
It was way easier than I anticipated but it is definitely a recipe that required practice to make perfect. But I don’t mind eating these “mistakes”😉