Futomaki are Makizushi sushi rolls (seaweed wrap on the outside) that contain two or more ingredients. In Japan, futomaki are generally made with vegetables, such as a mix of pickled radish, marinated shiitake mushrooms, and blanched spinach, and are especially popular during Japanese festivals like Obon. They have also become popular in American restaurants, including California rolls (crab stick, avocado, and cucumber) and Philadelphia rolls (smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber).

Futomaki- Japanese Sushi Rolls

Makizushi, or sushi rolls, are very simple to make and can be filled with an array of ingredients, from raw fish to assorted vegetables. Once you've made the sushi rice and armed yourself with a bamboo mat and high quality nori sheets, the possibilities are endless.

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Course: Hand Food, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Japanese

Prep Time: 30

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

Bamboo mat
Rice maker or Instant Pot (optional)

Ingredients

4 sheets Nori (Japanese seaweed)
1 RECIPE Sushi rice
12 oz ¼-inch strips of cucumber, avocado, and tamagoyaki (egg omelet)
Soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger (optional condiments)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prep – Make sushi rice and tamagoyaki in advance. Toast nori for 5 seconds over a flame on in an oven to make pliable.
Assemble Futomaki – Lay 1 sheet nori shiny side down over the bamboo mat, leaving 1-inch of mat exposed along the bottom edge. Wet hands with water and gently spread 2 cups of sushi rice evenly across the nori, leaving a 2-inch border across the top. Be careful not to compact the rice. Lay fillings across the bottom third of the nori, being careful to resist the urge to overstuff.
Rolling Futomaki – Slip your thumbs under the edge of the bamboo mat closest to you. Using thumbs, lift mat and flip edge of nori and rice over the fillings. Use finger to press filling towards you. Roll rice and nori into a cylinder by pulling the mat's edge towards you. When rolled, seal edge of nori with wet fingers. Continue rolling to seal and gently compress while rolling.
Serving Futomaki – With a very sharp knife, cut roll in half crossways. Lay halves next to each other and cut three equal slices across both. Overlap pieces in a vertical row on a plate and serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

Notes

Fillings are really your choice. Other filling options might be carrots, asparagus, faux crabmeat, raw tuna, and pretty anything that fits you fancy and can be julienned.
Be gently when working with rice and be careful not to overstuff.
It’s more than reasonable to expect your first roll to be a mess. They become quite easy once you get the feel.