Mango Dragon Roll Recipe

Rinse and cook rice

Place 2 cups short-grain sushi rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water, stirring with your hand, until the water runs nearly clear (about 3–4 minutes). Drain 10–15 minutes. Transfer rice to a rice cooker or saucepan and add 2.2 cups water. If using a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes; remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes.

Prepare sushi vinegar

While rice cooks, combine 4 tbs rice vinegar, 2 tbs sugar and 1 tsp fine sea salt in a small bowl. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve (slightly warm the vinegar if needed, then cool).

Season rice

Transfer hot cooked rice to a large shallow non-reactive bowl (wood or plastic). Pour seasoning evenly over rice. Using a rice paddle or wooden spoon, gently fold and fan the rice to cool quickly, cutting through the rice rather than stirring to avoid crushing grains. Continue until rice is glossy and slightly sticky but not mushy, about 5–7 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and keep at room temperature while preparing fillings (do not refrigerate).

Prepare mango and avocado

Peel and slice 1 ripe mango. For even slices: halve around the pit, score flesh in a grid, then lift off halves and slice into 1/4-inch thick strips. Reserve about 1/2 cup thin slices for topping; dice or julienne remaining to total 1.5 cups for inside and topping. Peel and slice avocado in half, remove pit, thinly slice lengthwise into strips. Toss avocado slices lightly with a few drops of rice vinegar or lemon juice if not serving immediately to prevent browning.

Prepare crab/shrimp filling

Shred or chop 6 oz imitation crab or cooked shrimp into bite-size pieces. In a small bowl, mix with 2 tbs mayonnaise and 1 tsp sriracha to make a slightly spicy crab mix. Taste and adjust heat. This will be the interior protein.

Julienne cucumber

Peel (if desired) and cut cucumber lengthwise; remove seeds with a spoon, then julienne into thin strips to yield about 1/2 cup. Pat dry to remove excess moisture.

Toast sesame seeds

In a dry small skillet over medium heat, toast 1 tsp each black and white sesame seeds, shaking the pan, until fragrant (about 1–2 minutes). Remove and cool.

Set up for rolling

Place bamboo sushi mat on work surface and wrap with plastic wrap to prevent rice sticking. Place one full nori sheet shiny side down on the mat. Keep a small bowl of water nearby to wet fingers.

Spread rice on nori

Wet your fingertips and take about 3/4 cup seasoned sushi rice. Gently spread the rice evenly over the nori, covering the entire sheet except leave a 1-inch strip along the far long edge (the edge farthest from you) free of rice to seal the roll. Aim for a thin even layer about 1/4-inch thick.

Flip nori (inside-out roll method)

Carefully flip the nori sheet (with rice side down) so the rice faces the bamboo mat and the nori is facing up. This creates the inside-out roll where mango will be on the outside.

Add fillings

Across the center of the nori (the side nearest you), lay a line of the crab/sriracha mayo (about 1.5–2 tbs), followed by a line of julienned cucumber (about 2–3 tbs), and a few slices of avocado. Do not overstuff — keep a compact line about 1 inch from the bottom edge.

Roll the sushi

Lift the edge of the mat nearest you and begin to roll away from you, tucking the filling with your fingers and using the mat to apply gentle even pressure. Roll firmly but not squashing the ingredients, until you form a tight cylinder and the far rice-free edge of nori seals the roll. Give one gentle squeeze along the roll with the mat to compact.

Add mango topping

Place the roll seam-side down. Arrange overlapping thin mango slices along the top of the roll so they cover the length of the roll. Use the mat to gently press the mango slices onto the rice-covered roll so they adhere and form a smooth top layer.

Slice the roll

With a very sharp knife, wet the blade and wipe between cuts to prevent sticking. Slice the roll into 6–8 equal pieces (for 8 pieces, make 7 cuts). Use a gentle saw motion rather than pressing down.

Garnish and serve

Arrange pieces on a platter. Scatter toasted black and white sesame seeds over the mango. Serve immediately with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi on the side.