Tekamaki Tuna Sushi Roll: Step by step instructions

Tekamaki (or correctly written Tekkamaki), it’s a type of sushi that uses tuna as filling. The other ingredients involve, of course, white sushi rice and nori paper (seaweed paper). It goes without saying that the love for Japanese cuisine or sushi in particular, is something universal. Let’s find out the step by step recipe to recreate this delicious dish.

Tekamaki Sushi Introduction

Sushi refers to any dish that comprises sushi rice (or vinegared rice) combined with vegetables, seafood, beef and many other ingredients. When we wrap and roll the sushi rice in nori sheets (seaweed paper), we call it a sushi roll.

Sushi rolls (usually called hosomaki in Japanese) are the most basic but quite popular in Japan. Hoso stands for “thin” and maki stands for “roll” (in contrast to futomaki, which means “thick rolls). Hosomaki – the traditional edo-style sushi rolls only consist of one main filling with nori wrapped outside.

This type of sushi is everyone’s favorite thanks to the simplicity of cooking technique and ingredients. It’s suitable for both restaurant food as well as home cooking. Hosomaki are way easier to make than thick sushi rolls. So if you’re an inexperienced cook, hosomaki is the perfect option for sushi practicing before you take it to the next level with Dragon rolls or California Rolls.

There are two most well liked hosomaki: kappamaki (uses cucumber as main ingredient) and tekkamaki (or tekamaki, uses raw tuna as main ingredient). The white rice makes the pretty red color of raw tuna stand out even more. The tuna’s red color also explains the name of the sushi tekka, which means “hot iron”.

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Tekamaki sushi rice Recipe

As easy as it may seem, making the right sushi rice does take some certain skills and techniques. Here are the things you really want for arrangement

  • Uncooked Japanese short-grain rice (2 cups)
  • Water (1 1/2 cups)
  • 2” x 2” Dried kelp or kombu (1 piece)
  • Sushi vinegar (4 tablespoon)

Here are the instructions:

Step 1: Add water and discard

Add water until all the rice is submerged then immediately discard the water. Gently wash the rice for 15-20 seconds in a circular motion. Add water and dispose of then recurrent a similar interaction until the water turns out to be clear.

Add water and discard till the water becomes clear for Tekamaki sushi rice
Add water and discard till the water becomes clear for Tekamaki sushi rice

Step 2: Drain the rice and begin cooking

Utilize a fine-network sifter to deplete the rice and shake off all the abundance water. Put in the rice cooker’s insert the well-drained rice and add water (under the 3-cup line, depending on how much rice you tip in). The rice-to-water ratio should be 1 to 1 for sushi rice.

Place the dried kelp on top, wait for 20-30 minutes for the rice to soak in water, then start cooking. You can also cook rice in a donabe, an Instant Pot or a pot over the stove.

add-water-and-discard-till-the-water-becomes-clear-for-tekamaki-sushi-rice
add-water-and-discard-till-the-water-becomes-clear-for-tekamaki-sushi-rice

Step 3: Pour in the vinegar

If using a hangiri (wooden sushi oke), you should run it over water to moisten and drain well before use. Discard the kombu on the cooked rice and transfer the rice into the hangiri. Help the Tekamaki sushi rice cool down faster by spreading it out evenly. Pour in the vinegar while the rice is still hot. The needed sushi vinegar should be about 8-10% of the cooked rice weight.

Pour in the sushi vinegar while the rice is still hot
Pour in the sushi vinegar while the rice is still hot

Step 4: Incorporate the vinegar to the rice

Incorporate the vinegar to the rice by gently “slicing” the rice with a rice paddle at a 45-degree angle. Do not mix or stir the rice as it can cause the rice to be mushy. While making this “slice” motion, fan the rice to cool it down and reduce the excess moisture. Gently flip the rice and repeat the same process till the rice is cooled to room temperature.

Tekamaki Sushi Recipe

Here comes the most important part: making the tekkamaki sushi rolls.

Step 1: First you need to gather all the main ingredients for the sushi according to the list below:

  • Prepared sushi rice (6 cups)
  • Sushi-grade tune (4 ounces)
  • Nori (4 sheets)
  • Wasabi and soy sauce (for serving)
Gather the ingredients for tekkamaki sushi rolls
Gather the ingredients for tekkamaki sushi rolls

Step 2: Cut the seaweed papers in half (4 x 7 1/2”)

Cut the seaweed papers in half
Cut the seaweed papers in half

Step 3: Slice the tuna into long and thin sticks ( 7 1/2” long and 1/2” thick).

Slice the tuna into long and think sticks (as shown in the picture)
Slice the tuna into long and think sticks (as shown in the picture)

Step 4: Prepare the work surface (a chopping board) for Tekamaki making. Then spread the bamboo sushi mat (makisu) flat on the surface. Remember that the bamboo slats must be from left to right so you can roll mat away from you.

Spread the sushi mat on a flat work surface, like a chopping board
Spread the sushi mat on a flat work surface, like a chopping board

Step 5: Lay a nori paper on top of the makisu in such a way that the nori paper’s long sides close to the edge near you (the front edge of makisu).

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Lay a nori paper on top of the makisu
Lay a nori paper on top of the makisu

Step 6: Spread the sushi rice (about 3/4 cup) on top of the seaweed sheet.

Spread the sushi rice on top of seaweed sheet
Spread the sushi rice on top of seaweed sheet

Step 7: Arrange the tuna on the rice horizontally.

Place the tuna on the rice
Place the tuna on the rice

Step 8: Roll up and press forward the bamboo mat to form sushi roll shape (cylinder shape). Start from the front end of the mat toward the other end. Don’t forget to pull and press the mat firmly to tighten the Tekamaki sushi roll.

Roll up and press forward the bamboo mat
Roll up and press forward the bamboo mat

Step 9: Finally, remove the bamboo mat from the roll and you’ll get the result as shown in the below picture: a beautifully made tekkamaki sushi roll.

A beautifully made tekkamaki sushi roll
A beautifully made tekkamaki sushi roll

Step 10: Before slicing sushi, remember to wipe your knife using wet cloth. Cut the sushi roll into small pieces that are bite-size. This dish is served with wasabi and soy sauce.

Cut the sushi roll into small pieces and serve with wasabi and soy sauce
Cut the sushi roll into small pieces and serve with wasabi and soy sauce

That’s the whole step by step recipe for Tekamaki Tuna Sushi. If done correctly, your recreation of tekkamaki sushi will taste fresh and flavorful. Thank you for reading and see you in Bourbon O‘s next articles!

By Johny

Meet Johny, our exceptionally talented bartender at Bourbono. With an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and an innate ability to mix the perfect drink, Johny is the heart and soul of our establishment’s bar. In addition to his skillful bartending, he also contributes to the Bourbono blog, sharing his love for all things food-related but with a particular passion for beverages and the art of bartending.

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