• Prep all your ingredients. Have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you begin to assemble your rolls.

Prepare Sushi Rice

• Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. A strainer works well for this. Just add the rice to the strainer and rinse under running water.
• Transfer the rice to the rice cooker and add the water. Cover with the lid and follow your rice cooker’s instructions for cooking rice. It might say white rice or basic rice. Choose that setting and press start.
• Add the granulated sugar, rice vinegar and pinch of kosher salt to the rice. Gently stir the rice to combine making sure not to mash the rice.

How to Make Sushi with the Nori on the Outside

• Prepare Nori Sheet
• Once your rice is done and seasoned, make your first roll by laying your sheet of nori on a flat surface or cutting board. Notice that one is a rough side. Keep the rough side in and smoother side out.
• Dip your fingers into a small bowl of water so the rice does not stick to them. Layer rice on the nori seaweed about a quarter of an inch thick, leaving about an inch of space at the top of the roll for sealing.
• Layer the Ingredients
• Next, layer in your ingredients on top of the rice. You will want to do this about an inch and a half from the bottom of the roll. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds. In a horizontal line, layer in ingredients such as; crunchy cucumber or carrot, creamy avocado and cream cheese, crab stick pieces, and any other flavors you want inside of your roll.
• Rolling Sushi
• Next, lift the nori and roll it around your ingredients, giving a slight squeeze to tighten up the roll, then continue rolling until you reach the top inch. Moisten the top of the seaweed lightly and finish rolling your roll. This will seal the roll and prevent it from unraveling.

How to Make Sushi with the Rice on the Outside

• Place plastic wrap over the bamboo mat.
• Spread a generous amount of cooked sushi rice onto the sheet of nori with wet fingertips to keep the rice from sticking to your hands (about 1 cup of rice). Leave about ½ inch of the nori sheet uncovered with rice at the bottom.
• Once the rice is evenly over the surface of the seaweed sheet, place rice side down on the bottom end of the plastic covered bamboo mat.
• Next, layer in your ingredients on top of the rice. You will want to do this about an inch and a half from the bottom of the roll. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds. In a horizontal line, layer in ingredients such as; crunchy cucumber or carrot, creamy avocado and cream cheese, crab stick pieces, and any other flavors you want inside of your roll.
• Next, use the bamboo mat the roll the bottom edge of the nori over the ingredients making sure to tuck it firmly to enclose the ingredients. Pull the mat back and lay it over the roll again, this time apply even pressure and tighten as you roll.

Serving Sushi

• Lastly, cut your sushi roll with a very sharp knife, moistening the edged of it to help keep it from sticking each time you cut through. Serve with your favorite dips and sauces.