Recipes | October 26, 2026

Hand Roll Sushi Night: Easy DIY Temaki at Home

Salmon temaki hand roll served on a wooden plate

If you've ever been nervous about making sushi at home, this one's for you. Hand roll sushi, or temaki, skips the rolling mat completely. You simply wrap rice and fillings in a cone of nori and eat it straight away, while the seaweed is still crisp.

It's the perfect relaxed dinner for a group. Set everything out in the middle of the table, hand everyone a pair of chopsticks and let them build their own. It's interactive, a little bit messy and a whole lot of fun.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Sushi rice

2 cups sushi rice (short grain)
2 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt

To serve

10 sheets nori, cut in half
200g sashimi-grade salmon or tuna, thinly sliced (or swap for tinned tuna mixed with Japanese mayo)
12 cooked prawns, peeled
1 Lebanese cucumber, cut into thin batons
1 avocado, sliced
1 carrot, cut into thin batons
Japanese mayonnaise, soy sauce, pickled ginger, wasabi and toasted sesame seeds

Method

Rinse the rice. Rinse the rice in cold water, swirling with your hand, until the water runs almost clear. Drain well.
Cook it. Add the rice and water to a saucepan, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on low for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes.
Season it. Stir the vinegar, sugar and salt together until dissolved. Tip the rice into a large bowl and gently fold the dressing through with a spatula, using a cutting motion. Let it cool to room temperature, covered with a damp tea towel.
Set the table. Arrange the fillings on a platter or in small bowls, with soy sauce in little sauce dishes. Pop the rice and nori in the middle of the table.
Roll your own. Hold a half sheet of nori, shiny side down, in your palm. Spread a small spoonful of rice over the left third, add your fillings diagonally, then roll the nori into a cone shape from the bottom left corner. Eat straight away!

Tips from our kitchen

Wet hands help. Keep a small bowl of water nearby. Damp fingers stop the rice sticking to you.
Don't overfill. A small amount of rice and two or three fillings makes rolling much easier.
Give everyone their own chopsticks. A set of chopsticks with matching rests keeps the table neat and makes the night feel extra special.

A gift idea for the sushi lover

Know someone who's always suggesting sushi? Pair a gift-boxed chopstick set with a few sauce dishes, a packet of nori and a printout of this recipe. It's a thoughtful little Christmas present that's ready for their very first sushi night.

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