Tekka Maki is a simple fresh tuna sushi roll. It features fresh ahi tuna wrapped in a bed of seasoned sushi rice and nori seaweed. This easy roll is perfect for beginner sushi makers and makes a great appetizer or side for your next Japanese meal.
Stovetop instructions - Place rice in a saucepan and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine washed rice and filtered water in a medium saucepan. Bring the rice to a low boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
1 cup Japanese short grain rice, 1½ cups filtered water
Rice cooker instructions - Place rice in the electric rice cooker pot and rinse the rice in the sink until the water runs clear, then drain. Combine rice and filtered water in the pot and cook per the rice cooker directions.
Make sushi rice - Transfer rice to a bowl and season with seasoned rice vinegar. Fluff and fan the rice until cool.
1½ tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
Assemble Tekka Maki
Spread rice on nori - Cut the two nori sheets in half widthwise along the perforation. Place the bamboo sushi mat on a clean dry surface. Place a sheet of nori on top of the bamboo mat with the rough side facing up. Wet your hands and place ¼ of the rice on the nori. Use your fingertips to gently spread the rice evenly across the nori, making a thin layer of rice and leaving about a ½-inch of nori at the top. Do not push or squeeze the rice or it will turn mushy.
2 nori sheets
Add tuna - Cut tuna into ½-inch thick strips. Place the tuna strips in the center of the rice making a line of tuna across. Gently lift the mat away from you and roll it over to touch the other side. Gently squeeze with both hands to form the roll. Repeat the steps with the remaining ingredients until you make 4 rolls.
4 oz ahi tuna
Slice - Take a sharp knife and slice the roll into 6 pieces. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
soy sauce, wasabi, pickled ginger
Notes
Top Tips
Make sure you don't add too much water or the rice will become mushy (we want it firm).
When you are cooking the rice, make sure you don't add to much water or the rice will become mushy (we want it firm).
Be careful to not overcook the rice or it will be too hard and not pliable enough to use for sushi.
Make sure to use asharp knife to cut through the roll to ensure each individual piece comes out clean and doesn't get messy.
If you are having a hard time getting the nori to stick to itself when you roll the sushi, you can smash a few grains of rice where the nori needs to stick to itself.
If you slice the roll and the pieces end up deformed or misaligned, place the bamboo mat over the entire roll again andapply gentle, consistent pressure. This will realign and reshape the pieces.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover tekka maki in an air-tight container or plastic wrap for up to 2 days. This tuna roll recipe does not stand up well to freezing.