To prepare beautiful sushi, chefs sushisty traditionally use a bamboo Mat. Home cook who has no special tools for Japanese dishes, have to find alternative ways of handling ingredients.
The best solution to the issue than to replace the Mat for rolls and sushi, is an ordinary kitchen towel and plastic food wrap.

How to make rolls without a Mat



To prepare sushi so spread a towel on the working surface and cover it with a sheet of plastic food wrap.

Lay nori sheets on a baking sheet and heat them in the oven for 1-2 minutes at a temperature of 300 degrees. This will make them more plastic. Place shiny side down on one of the heated sheets on plastic wrap, cover the towel.


Spread 3/4 Cup of cooked rice on the nori so that they cover the entire surface with a thin layer, except for two edges, leaving wide strips about 2.5 cm Add the filling in the center of the rice layer, parallel to the two blank edges.

Grasp one end of an empty kitchen towel and pull it together with tape to the line of filling. Adjust the roll so that the stuffing was covered with rice and nori and roll up the sheet to the end, exerting a slight pressure. As soon as the roll will be curled slightly to press his hands through a towel. Once you are sure the roll is tightly formed, remove the towel and gently peel off plastic wrap.

Mat made from bamboo with his own hands



In addition, you can use mats instead of any bamboo towels, and curtains from this material. If you wish, you can make the Mat yourself from the damaged bamboo things. It is necessary to divide the unnecessary cloth or a curtain of bamboo to separate the stems and trim them to the desired size (any width being created mats).

Take a thick thread and large needle, tie a tight knot in the middle of one of the stem. This will be the starting point. Then apply it to other stems (one at a time, attaching each to the previous tight junction. Once the desired length is reached, secure the thread with a double knot and trim it.

Lay the Mat on the table and check how exactly are the stems. With a dense filament will strengthen the Mat along the edges, fastening elements one at a time and tying knots.