Spicy Tuna Rolls Recipe
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Recipe Overview
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
Makes: 8 sushi rolls
Ingredients Needed
For rice
- 1 cup/220g/7.7oz sushi rice
- 30ml/1oz rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine or kosher salt
For Filling
- 400g/14oz tinned tuna (once drained, around 300g/10.6oz tuna)
- 4 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- Togarashi seasoning (optional for extra spice)
- 1 cucumber, around 70g/2.5oz
- 8 sheets nori
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1 RICE - Rinse 1 cup of sushi rice in cold water once and add it to a small saucepan with 1.5 cups of boiling water. Bring to a boil and then turn down to the lowest possible heat and leave lid on. Steam for 10 minutes and do not remove lid.
Step 2 SEASONING - When rice is cooked, in a small microwave proof bowl, add the rice vinegar and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir in sugar and salt and dissolve. Stir this seasoned vinegar mixture into the hot rice distributing it well. Allow to cool off (do not refrigerate). It doesn't have to be completely cold and can be warm.
Step 3 TUNA - Make sure to drain the tuna well and press out any excess water or oil. Add the drained tuna to a small food processor along with the mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce. Blend until smooth scraping down the sides if needed. Taste for spiciness, if you want it spicier, add some togarashi.
Step 4 ASSEMBLE - Lay out a sheet of nori on a dry surface. Spread 120g/4ozs of the cooked rice mostly over the sheet avoiding 1/2 inch at the base and an inch at the top as shown. Cover with another nori sheet and then add 1/4 of the tuna mixture as a thick log. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and then in 3 batons so you have 6 batons in total. Add cucumber batons and cut to fit the whole length. Roll up and then cut in half to make two rolls.
Storage: If you aren't eating these within 2 hours, wrap these in clingfilm and then an airtight container and store in the fridge. The cling film helps avoid drying out the rice.
Personal Note
I love spicy tuna sushi and we used to buy it from a place that had a sushi train and ready made rolls. It was my favourite sushi train because the sushi was fresh, well priced and had such a great variety. I'd get the spicy tuna sushi rolls to fill up Mr NQN (he can easily eat 4) and then get other interesting ones for the both of us. It got to be a weekly ritual on Thursday or Friday nights. I even got a punch card that offered you 20% off your order after 20 visits. Normally I never go back anywhere but this place was an exception. And I'm sure I was not the only one as it was always busy and full.
I finally filled the punch card and had it ready and we were driving to get some takeaway sushi. I couldn't stop talking about what I was going to get because if you've got 20% off then you are better off to get a big order. "I'll get four of those aburi salmon ones, and then some of the ones with crab meat and teriyaki sauce and then..." I chattered to Mr NQN. We had saved the sushi feast after a long week of long hours and I was so damn excited.
We pulled up outside the shop. "Is it...closed?" Mr NQN said. And sure enough, there were handwritten signs in the window letting people know that they had closed down. I lamented waiting to use my punch card for a week because they had closed down during that week but this forced me to try and make my own spicy tuna rolls instead!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you buy shopping mall sushi? What is your favourite filling? And do you use punchcards?