Shrimp Tempura Hand Roll

Learn how to make a shrimp tempura hand roll at home! This version consists of shrimp tempura rolled with sushi rice, cucumber, avocado, Bibb lettuce, drenched in a delicious eel sauce.

If you love sushi, you absolutely have to try my Sushi Bake with Spicy Crab, Dragon Roll Sushi Bowl or my original Crab Sushi Bake!

WHAT ARE HAND ROLLS?

If you are new to the craze, let me introduce you to a fun and enjoyable way to consume sushi without the intimidation of rolling traditional sushi. Also known traditionally as Temaki Sushi, hand rolls have similar ingredients to sushi but "rolled" slightly different.

Typically prepared with sushi rice, simply "roll" your desired ingredients; sashimi, imitation crab, veggies, etc. and wrap with seaweed! Hand rolls fit their name perfectly, these cone shaped, hand-held treats are bitten into and enjoyed in just a few bites!

HAND ROLLS VS SUSHI

While the ingredients are almost identical, there are slight variations when comparing sushi versus hand rolls.

1. Preparation. Traditional sushi has rice rolled into "logs" on the outside of the roll. All of the tasty ingredients are inside of the roll. However, hand rolls are "sandwiched" and wrapped with seaweed paper on the outside.
2. Serving variation. Sushi is sliced into 6-8 pieces or slices while a hand roll is served similar to a wrap, individual serving.
3. Differentiation of consumption. Sushi rolls are served with chopsticks while hand rolls are eaten with your hands.
4. Shelf life. While sushi can be made ahead of time and consumed within two hours at room temperature or up to 48 hours if stored properly, hand rolls are best eaten in real time. Depending on the fillings, the seaweed can begin to wilt.

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE THIS HAND ROLL

The fillings are endless when preparing hand rolls. In this recipe, we are preparing shrimp tempura hand rolls which are absolutely delicious. Here is what you will need:

1. Sushi Rice. This recipe is incomplete without first preparing a simple sushi rice recipe. There are simple, household ingredients that you'll need such as short grain (sushi rice), rice vinegar, salt, sugar and oil.
2. Nori Sheets/Seaweed Sheets. These large, square sheets can be found at any Asian store or on the international aisle at your local grocery store.
3. Avocado. A fresh and satisfying addition to these hand rolls!
4. Shrimp. Fresh or frozen, peeled, deveined and the larger the better. Ideally we will use one large shrimp per hand roll.
5. Spring Roll Wrappers. Instead of battering the shrimp with a coating similar to traditional shrimp tempura, we are wrapping the shrimp in spring roll wrappers and frying for easier use.
6. Cooking oil. We are frying the coated shrimp, any cooking oil will do, use your favorite.
7. Cucumber. For a nice crunch, add freshly sliced cucumber.
8. Kewpie Mayonnaise. If you have access to an Asian market, always purchase kewpie mayo, slightly tangier and sweeter than traditional mayo, it pairs perfectly with all Asian style recipes.
9. Furikake. A nice seasoning that pairs perfectly with hand rolls (or sushi), made with toasted sesame seeds, nori, sugar and salt.
10. Bibb Lettuce. For nice color and crunch and for overall health benefits, we are adding fresh Bibb lettuce to these rolls.
11. Unagi or Eel Sauce. If you are a sauce lover, you have to make this quick eel sauce which pairs perfectly with the shrimp tempura hand rolls.

HOW TO MAKE SHRIMP TEMPURA

First, preparing the tempura shrimp is most important. You will need to clean, peel and devein the shrimp. Pat dry and lay flat on a lined surface (cutting board with paper towels or kitchen towel).

Next, take a small pairing knife and cut slits into the shrimp to lengthen and "open" the shrimp, releasing its natural curve. You can also slightly "pull" the shrimp stretch them a bit so that the shrimp becomes elongated, creating the perfect sized shrimp for the hand rolls.

Now, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Then, on the flat surface take the spring roll wrappers and slice diagonally in half, this will create two triangle shaped wrappers. Carefully wrap the shrimp with the spring roll paper using water to close in the end of the spring roll paper.

Set the wrapped shrimp aside and begin to warm the cooking oil. When the oil is hot, simply fry the shrimp tempura on both sides (about 60 seconds). Once the shrimp tempura are cooked, brown and crispy, set aside on a lined, flat surface until further use.

HOW TO MAKE SUSHI RICE

Sushi rice is so simple to prepare. I like to make a big batch at the beginning of the week and use throughout my work week. Here's how to prepare it:

First, measure sushi rice, oil, water, sugar, rice vinegar and salt. Then, rinse rice until water runs clear and place in a stock pot. Next, add water and bring rice to a boil. Cover and allow rice to cook for twenty minutes.

While the rice cooks, combine the oil, rice vinegar, salt and sugar until ingredients are dissolved and cooked through. Lastly, after rice is cooked through, combine sauce mixture with rice stirring until fully combined.

HOW TO PREPARE SHRIMP TEMPURA HAND ROLLS

Now that the shrimp tempura and sushi rice is prepared, we are ready to make hand rolls!

First, depending on the desired size of your hand rolls, you can use a full nori sheet or slice it in half. In this recipe, we sliced each nori sheet in half. Then, using your hand, scoop about 3 tablespoons to ¼ cup of sushi rice onto one side of the nori sheet.

Using water to moisten your hands will help in spreading the sushi rice over the nori sheet. Once the sushi rice is spread evenly across one side of the nori sheet, layer on the furikake and kewpie mayo.

Then, add Bibb lettuce, one piece of the tempura shrimp, sliced cucumber and avocado. Simply roll the stuffed hand roll at a slight angle and enjoy!

BEST DIPPING SAUCE FOR HAND ROLLS

While you can absolutely dip these shrimp tempura hand rolls into soy sauce, I highly encourage you to try preparing unagi or eel sauce. I use this eel sauce recipe on almost all of my Asian style recipes, so much flavor!

If you would like to prepare the eel sauce, here are the ingredients you will need:

1. Soy Sauce.
2. Mirin.
3. Sake.
4. Sugar.

All of these ingredients can be easily found at your local Asian market or the international aisle at your local grocery store.

ALTERNATE FILLINGS IN HAND ROLLS

The toppings are endless with hand rolls so grab your favorite fillings. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. Shrimp Tempura.
2. Sashimi.
3. Imitation Crab Salad (or crab sticks).
4. Spicy Tuna.
5. Salmon.
6. Cucumber.
7. Avocado.
8. Carrots.
9. Watercress.

ARE HAND ROLLS HEALTHY?

While you shouldn't overly consume most foods, if eaten in moderation, hand rolls are mostly healthy! The hand rolls have sushi rice which means this recipe is not low in carbs but to help balance that, the fresh veggies are the perfect addition.

Be sure to watch the sodium intake with this recipe as well, if using soy sauce or eel sauce, be sure to use no more than a few teaspoons of sauce. The great part about either dipping sauce is that a little goes a long way.

HOW LONG DO HAND ROLLS LAST?

As mentioned, hand rolls should be consumed almost right after preparing them. The nori sheets will become slightly wilted after about 15-20 minutes of preparation.

If you are preparing these for a crowd, it is best to prep all the ingredients you will use, including the tempura shrimp and then prepare the hand rolls to order. Or better yet, let your guests get their hands "dirty" and prepare their own. This recipe is not only delicious but so much fun to prepare!

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BEST RESULTS

1. When preparing the hand rolls, have a small bowl of water when spreading the sushi rice onto the nori sheets. The use of water will help the rice to not stick to your fingers when spreading the rice out.
2. Save time and purchase frozen/store bought shrimp tempura and skip the step of preparing the at-home version.
3. Purchase store bough eel sauce if you're crunched for time.
4. Serve immediately or allow guests to make their own hand rolls. Simply prep all ingredients and serve buffet style, so much fun!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS SHRIMP TEMPURA HAND ROLL RECIPE!

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