Kappa Maki (cucumber sushi rolls)
Simple yet delicious, these kappa maki, or cucumber sushi rolls, are a crowd-pleaser! This recipe only requires simple ingredients and is incredibly easy to make.
Servings: 4 rolls
Calories: 203kcal
Equipment
- Instant pot optional
Ingredients
For sushi rice
- 1 cup uncooked short-grain rice (or short-grain brown rice)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar (any granulated sweetener will work)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Other ingredients
- 4 nori sheets
- 1 medium cucumber sliced into thick strips
Instructions
Making sushi rice
- Start by rinsing the short-grain rice a few times until the water runs clear.1 cup uncooked short-grain rice
- Pressure cook the rice with water in the inner pot of an Instant Pot for 10 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally.1 cup water
Making sushi vinegar
- While the rice is cooking, make sushi vinegar by combining rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- Heat the mixture in the microwave until the sugar and salt dissolve completely.
- Pour the vinegar into the cooked rice and gently mix until well combined.
- Let the sushi rice cool to room temperature before using.
Rolling sushi
- To roll the sushi, place a nori sheet shiny-side up on a bamboo mat.4 nori sheets
- Add ¾ cup of sushi rice to the center, spreading it evenly and leaving a 1 inch gap at the top.
- Layer a strip of cucumber on top of the rice, then fold the bamboo mat over the filling while holding the cucumber strip to keep it in place.1 medium cucumber
- Continue rolling while applying pressure until reaching the other end.
- Wet the edge of the nori with water and roll over to seal it tightly.
- Using a wet knife, slice the maki roll into bite-sized pieces. Your kappa maki is now ready to be served!
Notes
Other ways to cook sushi rice
Rice cooker - Place water and rice into your rice cooker. Select white rice and start cooking. (Depending on your rice cooker, it might have different buttons.) Cook until the indicator switches color.
Stovetop - Add rice along with 11/4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, lower the heat to the lowest setting, and let it cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let it steam with the lid on for 10 minutes before fluffing them.
Helpful tips
- Allow rice to cool - Let sushi rice cool to room temperature before wrapping. The steam from hot rice might cause the nori sheet to become soggy.
- Making without a bamboo mat - You can use a piece of parchment paper to roll your sushi like you would using a sushi mat.
- Cut sushi with a wet knife - This is to prevent the rice from sticking to the blade. Do also use a sharp knife to cut your cucumber sushi rolls!
- Use wet hands and utensils - Short-grain rice is quite sticky, and this helps prevent them from sticking to your hands and utensils.
- Leftover sushi - Wrap leftover sushi rolls with plastic wraps, and store them in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 24 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 203kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 302mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
