Homemade Tempura Sushi Rolls with Crab and Cream Cheese

Delicious, tender, creamy, fried and breaded! Making tempura rolls at home is quick and easy. The recipe describes the process in detail, so even a beginner can handle it. These Japanese rolls are fried in oil until crispy and served like regular sushi. Try it, itʼs delicious!
cook time: 1h 15 min
Zoe Kendrick
Homemade Tempura Sushi Rolls with Crab and Cream Cheese

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

344
Calories
31g
Fat
17g
Carbs
5g
Protein

Ingredients (4 portions)

Main ingredients:

Salt 1 tsp
Sugar 2 tsp
Water 225 ml
Mayonnaise 1 tbsp
Round rice 225 g
Crab sticks 180 g
Cream cheese 300 g
Nori 8 g
Rice vinegar 4.5 tbsp

Ingredients for tempura:

Salt 1 tsp
Wheat flour 7 tbsp
Water 320 ml
Breadcrumbs 150 g

For frying:

Vegetable oil 0.5 l

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
How to make tempura rolls? Prepare all the necessary ingredients and equipment for making rolls. Inventory you will need is a bamboo mat, cling film, deep fryer or frying pan. Determine the amount of salt and sugar according to taste — in the composition I indicated the volumes that suit me. For some they may be insufficient or, conversely, excessive.

Step 2

Step 2
Prepare rice for rolls. Use round rice or special rice for sushi and rolls, since this type of rice has the necessary gluten. Using other rice, the rolls will most likely fall apart. Pour the rice into the container and rinse it 4 times until the water runs clear. Next, place the rice in a saucepan and fill with water in a 1:1 ratio. Cover the pan with a lid and place it on the fire.

Step 3

Step 3
Bring the water to a boil (do not open the lid during the entire cooking process). Once the water boils, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking the rice for 15 minutes. During this period of time, all the liquid will evaporate. Afterwards, turn off the heat and let the rice stand under the lid for another 10 minutes. This will allow the rice to reach the desired consistency. Ready rice doubles in volume.

Step 4

Step 4
Now in a separate saucepan, mix rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Place the saucepan, but on low heat, and dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar, without bringing the contents of the saucepan to a boil. Take a wooden container and wipe it with wet paper towels. This is done so that the rice does not stick to the container itself.

Step 5

Step 5
Place the cooked rice into this container. Gradually pour the prepared vinegar mixture onto a wooden spoon, then from the spoon, carefully pour this mixture into the rice in a thin stream throughout the rice. Using a wooden spatula, gently stir the rice into the dressing. Then cool the rice completely by covering the bowl with a wet towel.

Step 6

Step 6
Wrap the bamboo mat for forming rolls with cling film. This ensures a high degree of hygiene and is done so that it is convenient to work, nothing will stick to it and the mat will remain clean. Also, using cling film is an opportunity to extend the life of a bamboo mat. It protects it from getting between the rods of rice and filling, and allows you to wet the mat less often.

Step 7

Step 7
Prepare the filling. Take a piping bag and fill it with cream cheese. When using, cut off the spout of the bag. It is advisable to remove the cheese from the refrigerator in advance to make it easier to work with. Cut the crab sticks into small pieces, place it in a bowl and mix with a tablespoon of mayonnaise (heaped spoon).

Step 8

Step 8
Prepare batter for future and tempura for future frying of rolls. To do this, pour cold water into a container, add salt to it and mix them. Then add a heaping spoonful of flour and mix the ingredients. Thus, adding the entire volume of flour, mix so that there are no lumps, obtaining a homogeneous batter. Pour the panko breadcrumbs into another container (use one that will be convenient for rolling the rolls).

Step 9

Step 9
Start assembling the rolls. Place the nori on the mat, shiny side down. Prepare liquid to wet your hands. To do this, pour the rice bite and water in a ratio of 1:3 into a small bowl. Wetting your hands in this solution will make it comfortable to work with rice. It is better to use filtered water, as it goes directly into the consumer product.

Step 10

Step 10
So, distribute 1/3 of the cooked rice evenly over the nori sheet, leaving 2/3 of it empty. Place 1/3 of the cream cheese and a mixture of crab sticks and mayonnaise on the rice.

Step 11

Step 11
When the filling for the roll is laid out, begin to form the roll. To do this, roll it up and press the roll with a mat. Blot a sheet of nori without rice with water to securely attach the entire structure. Give the roll a round shape. Putting the roll to the edge, tuck its side. Do this on one side and the other. Thus, form 2 more rolls.

Step 12

Step 12
Cut the rolled rolls in half. Now dip the edges of the rolls into the previously prepared batter, then dip the roll itself into the batter. Next, roll them in breadcrumbs. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan, saucepan or deep fryer. Heat the oil to 150-160°C and fry the rolls in it one by one for 30-40 seconds.

Step 13

Step 13
Fry until golden brown. I used a deep fryer and the rolls were completely covered in oil. If you fry in a frying pan and the oil does not completely cover the rolls, then rotate them while frying so that they are evenly fried and have the same golden color on all sides.

Step 14

Step 14
Place the fried rolls immediately on a dish or, after cooling a little, cut each roll into pieces (for convenience). Serve the rolls with wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger.