Description
Gunkan Sushi, also known as Battleship Sushi, is a delightful Japanese dish featuring small cylindrical rice balls wrapped with nori seaweed and topped with a variety of fresh and flavorful ingredients like natto, corn mayo, and cucumber. This recipe provides a simple and authentic way to prepare this unique sushi style at home, perfect for sushi lovers looking to explore a fun and creative presentation.
Ingredients
Scale
Sushi Rice
- 2 cups Sushi rice (or 8.5oz/240g)
Toppings
- 1 baby cucumber
- 1 pack Natto
- ½ cup Corn kernels (or 2.5oz/70g)
- Japanese mayonnaise (quantity to mix with corn kernels, approx 2 tbsp)
Wrap
- 2 sheets Nori seaweed sheets
Instructions
- Cook Sushi Rice: Prepare the sushi rice according to package instructions or your preferred method. Once cooked, let it cool slightly to a manageable temperature for shaping.
- Shape Rice Balls: Divide the cooked sushi rice into 12 small cylinders, each about 0.7 oz (20g). Shape them firmly into cylindrical forms and set aside.
- Prepare Toppings: Thinly slice the baby cucumber. Open the natto pack, add the accompanying sauce sachet and mustard, and stir vigorously until well mixed. In a separate bowl, combine the corn kernels with Japanese mayonnaise and mix thoroughly.
- Cut Nori Strips: Cut the nori seaweed sheets into approximately 1.25 inch (3 cm) wide strips along the natural lines of the sheets to obtain about 6 strips from each sheet.
- Wrap Rice Balls: Take one rice ball and wrap a nori strip around about one-third of its height, making sure to align the edges neatly. Secure the nori ends by wetting one end with water or vinegar, or by pressing a grain of rice at the overlap as glue.
- Form Wells and Add Toppings: Gently press the center of each rice cylinder to create a shallow well. Fill the well with your prepared toppings: place two cucumber slices on one side and spoon in the natto or the corn mayo mixture, filling to the top of the nori.
- Repeat and Serve: Repeat the wrapping and filling process for all rice balls. Serve the gunkan sushi with traditional accompaniments such as soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger for an authentic experience.
Notes
- Ensure sushi rice is sticky but not mushy to hold shape well.
- Wet your hands before shaping rice balls to prevent sticking.
- You can substitute toppings with other ingredients like fish roe, chopped seafood, or avocado for variety.
- Use fresh nori for the best texture and flavor.
- Serve immediately after assembly to enjoy the texture and freshness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sushi
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
Keywords: Gunkan sushi, Battleship sushi, Japanese sushi, sushi rice, natto sushi, corn mayo sushi, nori sushi, homemade sushi
