Learn how to make authentic Oshinko vegan sushi rolls as the Japanese do. Follow this simple recipe with step by step photo instructions.
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Oshinko rolls are little bite-size sushi pieces filled with pickled radish that make a perfect bento filling or light lunch. These delightful little rolls are healthy, vegetarian-friendly, and have a nice crunch and a subtle saltiness that is perfectly balanced with the soft rice. Plus they’re great for beginners because they have just one filling, making them much easier to roll!
What is Oshinko Roll?
Also known as Oshinko Maki in Japanese. It is a type of Hosomaki sushi roll that has one filling rolled in half of a nori seaweed sheet with sushi rice. This makes the roll thinner than a Futomaki Sushi roll. Oshinko Roll filling is, you guessed it, Oshinko, which is a Japanese name for quick pickled daikon radish.
Ingredients for Your Oshinko Roll
Sushi Rice – you need perfectly made sushi rice because the sushi rice plays an essential role in making any type of sushi and it determines the result of the sushi you are making. So no more mushy sushi rice when you follow Chopstick Chronicles’ how to make perfect sushi rice post.
Nori dried seaweed sheets – Standard size of Nori dried seaweed sheets are 8.3 x 7.5 inch (21 x 19cm). To make an Oshinko roll, you only need 1/2 of a sheet. Cut the 8.3inch (21cm) longer edge in half in order to have two thin but long sheets of nori.
Oshinko – is quick pickled daikon radish. Even Japanese people get confused and are not quite of the sure difference between Oshinko and “tsukemono (also pickled goods)” because both are pickled food. The name oshinko is derived from an aristocratic play back in the Heian era (794-1185). reference: https://hakkousyoku.com/tsukemono/
Where Can I Get These Ingredients?
Any Japanese grocery stores or Asian stores should have stock of Japonica short-grain rice, Nori seaweed sheets, and Oshinko. I usually use “Koshihikari” rice but if you don’t access to that type of rice grain, you can buy rice packaged and labelled “sushi rice” from supermarkets. Nori sheets also can be purchased from supermarkets nowadays.
Oshinko Substitution
However, Daikon Radish Pickles can be a difficult ingredient to get. Not quite same flavor but you could make and use rice bran pickled carrots. Or for achieving a similar look (but completely different taste), you could substitute Oshinko daikon radish with rolled egg Tamagoyaki for a similar colour. But Tamagoyaki will not make it vegan of course.
How to Roll Oshinko Maki Perfectly in Centre?
Sometimes you see a spiral in sushi rolls in Pinterest, Instagram or any social media. Authentically rolled Japanese sushi does not spiral. This is how to roll sushi authentically and perfectly with a Makisu Bamboo sushi rolling mat
. Spread sushi rice over a nori sheet evenly leaving about 0.6 inch (1.5cm) gap along one side of the nori sheet to be sealed. Place one evenly cut Oshinko on the centre of the spread rice. Place your fingers over the Oshinko so that it will not shift. Lift the rolling mat with your thumbs and fold and roll the sushi away from you onto the side lined with the water/vinegar. Gently press the mat to seal the sushi and then release.
You can also purchase cheap hosomaki roll mold from shops such as Daiso. Lightly wet the mold to avoid the sushi rice sticking to it. Spread half the amount of sushi rice across the bottom of the mold. Place oshinko in the center, top with the remaining sushi rice. Press the mold with top lid firmly. Remove the mold and push the roll out onto the nori sheet. Swipe some water or vinegar down the side, then roll all together and seal at the end.
4 Tips To Make It Successfully
- Make sushi rice perfectly following my recipe and instructions from a previous post. Portion the rice into 80 grams (1/2 cup) evenly beforehand.
- Cut the oshinko to a uniform size.
- Toast nori sheet – Briefly roast the nori sheets by placing and turning each side over the heat, but be careful not to burn it. This step gives the sushi a toasted aroma and also makes it easy to cut.
- Cutting sushi is quite tricky as the rice is sticky. To have a clean-cut, you need a sharp knife to start with and slice forward or back, instead of pressing the knife down. Also, after every cut you make, wipe the knife with a damp kitchen cloth.
How to Serve Oshinko Rolls?
Usually, Oshinko rolls are cut into 6 small pieces. Serve them upright onto a plate diagonally for a visually pleasing display. Garnish with sushi ginger “gari”, grated wasabi, and a small bowl of soy sauce to dip.
What to serve with?
- Miso Soup
- Japanese clear soup
- Egg drop soup
- “Gari” sushi ginger
FAQ
Q: Can I make it ahead and store?
A: No not really, the sushi rice tends to dry out in the fridge so it is best served freshly made.
Q: I don’t have a bamboo rolling mat or a hosomaki sushi mold. Is there any other way to roll the sushi?
A: You can use a sheet of cling wrap. But the bamboo sushi rolling mat and molds are inexpensive. If you are going to roll sushi frequently, it is a good investment to get your own.
Replated recipes
- Chopstick Chronicles’ Ultimate Sushi Guide 寿司ガイド
- Sushi Rice – How to make it perfectly
- Sushi Cake – Easier To Make Than a Sushi Roll
- Hosomaki 細巻き Homemade
Stay Connected
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Recipe measurement notes
Oshinko roll
Learn how to make authentic Oshinko vegan sushi rolls as the Japanese do. Follow this simple recipe with step by step photo instructions.
Course: Appetiser, Dinner, Lunch, Rice
Cuisine: Japanese
Prep Time 0 minutes minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 rolls
Calories: 148kcal
Author: Shihoko | Chopstick Chronicles
Rate this recipe
5 from 2 votes
PrintPin
Equipment
bamboo sushi rolling mat
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked rice *1
- 1.9 cups water
- 1 piece Kombu Kelp *2
- 4 tbsp rice vinegar *3
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 5 Nori seaweed sheets cut in half
- 1/4 Oshinko pickled Daikon
- 2 tbsp water or rice vinegar *4
Instructions
Wash the uncooked rice and drain the washing water completely.
Place the washed rice in a rice cooker with the water and the piece of kombu kelp
Cook the rice according to your rice cooker.
Combine all sushi vinegar ingredients and let the sugar and salt dissolve completely while the rice is being cooked.
When the rice is cooked, remove the kombu kelp, and place the rice in a large mixing bowl or Hangiri wooden tub (if you have) and combine with sushi vinegar. *5
Divide the sushi rice 80g (1/2 cup) each and set aside covered with a kitchen cloth so that the rice will not dry out. *6
Cut the nori seaweed sheets' longer side in half.
Toast the nori seaweed sheet by passing sheet over a medium flame to make it crispier. *7
Cut the Oshinko pickled daikon about 0.2 inch (5mm) square sticks matching the length same as the long edge of the nori sheets length.
Place the nori sheet on a bamboo sushi rolling mat.
Spread 1/2 cup of the sushi rice already divided previously over the nori seaweed sheet evenly leaving 0.6 inch (1.5cm) at the top of the nori seaweed.
Place the oshinko pickled daikon on the centre of the sushi rice.
Wet the far edge of the nori sheet with sushi vinegar with your finger tip.
Place your fingers on the oshinko pickled daikon, lift the edges of the bamboo sushi rolling mat with your thumb and index finger and bring the one edge of nori sheet and sushi rice over to meet the other edge of the sushi rice.
Firmly press the bamboo sushi rolling mat over the sushi roll with your hands.
Repeat the above process for the rest of the ingredients.
Cut each roll in sixths with a sharp knife. Clean the knife with a well moistened kitchen cloth between each cut.
Serve with sushi ginger, wasabi and a small bowl of soy sauce.
Notes
*1 This recipe makes 10 oshinko rolls. Use sushi rice calculator, if you would like to make more or less. You need rice to make 4 regular sushi rolls for 10 oshinko rolls.
*2 If you don’t have kombu kelp, you can omit this ingredient, though, the kelp adds umami component.
*3 If you don’t have access to rice vinegar, see Japanese food substitution post for alternatives.
*4 Works as glue to seal nori seaweed sheet together.
*5 Do not mix sushi vinegar and rice in your rice cooker. This will damage the rice cooker coating. Read the important mixing technique in how to make perfect sushi rice post.
*6 This step is for making the rolling process smoother.
*7 This step also makes it easier to cut, mentioned in the above post tips.
Nutrition
Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 471mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg
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