Garden Hand Roll Recipe

Rinse and cook

Rinse the sushi rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold water until the water runs clear (3–4 minutes). Drain. Combine the rinsed rice and 1.6 cups water in a small pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Season rice

While the rice rests, combine 3 tbs rice vinegar, 1 tbs sugar and 0.5 tsp salt in a small bowl and stir until dissolved. Transfer rice to a wide shallow bowl or tray and gently fold in the vinegar mixture with a rice paddle or wooden spoon, fanning if you have one to cool the rice quickly. Rice should be slightly warm, not hot. Keep covered with a damp towel while assembling to prevent drying.

Prepare the vegetables: cut the cucumber into long matchsticks (about 3–4 inches long), julienne the carrot into matchsticks, thinly slice the red bell pepper into similar-length strips, thinly slice the scallions on the diagonal, and slice the avocado into long strips. Tear or shred the lettuce into hand-roll-friendly pieces.

Quick-pickle (optional)

If using pickled daikon or quick-pickled onion, combine 2 tbs rice vinegar, 2 tbs water, 0.5 tsp sugar and 0.25 tsp salt in a small jar, add thinly sliced onion or daikon, and let sit at least 10 minutes (longer for more flavor). Drain before using.

Make the spicy mayo: stir together 0.25 cup mayonnaise and 1 tsp sriracha until smooth. Taste and adjust heat or salt (add a dash of soy if needed). Set aside.

For dipping sauce, pour 0.25 cup soy sauce into a small bowl and stir in 0.5 tsp sesame oil. Keep on the side for serving.

Prepare the nori: have 4 full-size toasted nori sheets on a clean work surface, shiny side down. Lightly wet your hands to prevent rice sticking and take about 0.35 cup (a generous handful) of seasoned rice. Spread the rice in a thin rectangle on the left two-thirds of each nori sheet, leaving a 0.5-inch border at the top and bottom and a 1/2-inch edge at the far side (right) free of rice to make rolling easier. Sprinkle a pinch of toasted sesame seeds over the rice.

Layer the fillings: starting at the left edge nearest you, arrange a small handful of shredded lettuce, a row of cucumber matchsticks, carrot matchsticks, bell pepper strips, avocado strips, a few scallion slices and a small spoonful (about 1 tsp) of pickled vegetable if using. Add a drizzle (about 1 tsp) of spicy mayo across the length of the fillings. Add microgreens or cilantro if using.

Hand-roll technique: fold the bottom left corner of the nori up and over the fillings and tuck tightly, rolling along the filled edge to form a cone/hand-roll (temaki) shape. Continue rolling until the seam is on the outside. The empty nori edge will help seal; you can brush a little water or a dot of mayonnaise on the nori edge to help it stick if needed. Repeat for remaining nori sheets.

Finish and serve: brush the outside seam lightly with 0.5 tsp toasted sesame oil if desired and sprinkle extra sesame seeds. Place hand rolls seam-side down on a plate. Serve immediately with the soy-sesame dipping sauce and any extra spicy mayo.