California Crab Avocado Roll (Print Version)

A delicious roll featuring crab, avocado, cucumber, seasoned rice, and nori with a touch of toasted sesame.

# What You Need:

→ Sushi Rice

01 - 1 ½ cups sushi rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 2 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
04 - 1 tablespoon sugar
05 - ¾ teaspoon salt

→ Filling

06 - 4.2 ounces cooked crabmeat or imitation crab sticks, shredded
07 - 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into strips
08 - ½ cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned
09 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)

→ Assembly

10 - 4 sheets nori (seaweed)
11 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

→ To Serve

12 - Soy sauce
13 - Pickled ginger
14 - Wasabi

# Directions:

01 - Rinse sushi rice under cold water until clear. Combine with water in saucepan, bring to boil, cover, and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest covered for 10 minutes.
02 - Mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Gently fold into cooked rice and cool to room temperature.
03 - Place bamboo sushi mat on clean surface, cover with plastic wrap. Position nori sheet shiny side down on mat.
04 - With wet hands, evenly spread about ¾ cup of rice over nori, leaving ¾ inch border at top. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
05 - Carefully invert the nori sheet so rice faces down.
06 - Arrange crab, avocado, and cucumber in a line along bottom edge of nori. Optionally add a thin line of mayonnaise.
07 - Use sushi mat to tightly roll sushi away from you, pressing gently to shape. Seal edge with a little water.
08 - With sharp damp knife, slice roll into 6 pieces. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
09 - Present rolls with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi on the side.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like celebration but requires no culinary degree, just patience and wet hands.
  • Crab and avocado together are basically magic, and the cool, creamy contrast with crisp cucumber is endlessly satisfying.
  • Once you master the fold, you'll make these constantly for lunch, date night, or whenever friends show up hungry.
02 -
  • If your rice is too warm or too wet, your roll will fall apart or feel mushy—let it cool all the way to room temperature and it transforms into something structurally sound.
  • Wet your hands constantly while spreading rice, and keep a small bowl of water nearby; it's the difference between graceful work and rice-covered frustration.
  • A sharp knife is non-negotiable; a dull one will squash your beautiful roll into a sad, deformed log.
03 -
  • If your nori starts to tear while you're spreading rice, gently press it back together—small tears are invisible once the roll is complete.
  • The sesame seeds add nutty depth and visual polish, but toasting them yourself right before use makes all the difference between ordinary and memorable.
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