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Natto Maki Sushi Roll (+ Step-by-step Photos!)

Natto maki roll being held by chopsticks, being dipped into soy sauce.
Delicious natto maki sushi roll, with step-by-stop photos to make it even simpler. Get ready to roll with this healthy Japanese natto roll!
Jem @ The Fruity Jem
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling Down Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Serving Size 3 people

Ingredients

Sushi Rice

  • ½ cup white short-grained sushi rice 110 grams uncooked
  • ½ cup brown rice 105 grams uncooked, feel free to sub with regular sushi rice as above for a more traditional recipe
  • 1.5 cups water or according to package instructions
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar 60ml (see notes for substitutes)
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar 30 grams (see notes for substitutes)
  • 1 teaspoon salt 5 grams

Fillings

  • 4 nori sheets cut into half
  • 75 grams natto
  • (Optional) 1 small green onion or chives
  • Soy sauce or vegan mayo for serving

Instructions

Cook the rice and prepare rice vinegar mixture

  • In a medium saucepan or pot, combine the sushi rice, brown rice, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer according to package instructions, probably for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes to steam.
    Note that you can also cook it in a rice cooker.
  • While the rice is cooking, prepare the rice vinegar mixture by mixing the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. They don’t have to be completely dissolved although the more evenly dissolved they are, the better.
    If you see clumps, microwave the mixture, in 10-15 second increments.
  • Optional: Chop some green onions or chives.
  • Once the rice is cooked, cover with a lid to let it steam for an additional 5 minutes.

Mix rice with the sushi rice seasoning

  • After about 5 minutes, transfer the rice to a baking sheet or a large plate. This is important to get a sticky but fluffy sushi rice. Gently flatten out the rice.
  • Directly afterwards, pour the rice vinegar mixture to the rice. Then use a rice spoon or spatula to fold over the rice to mix it evenly with the seasoning. Continue mixing in a ‘slicing’ motion until all grains of rice is coated.
  • Now leave the rice to cool down for about 10-15 minutes. You can also use a fan to do this to speed it up.

Roll, roll, roll!

  • Once the rice cools down, place a nori sheet on the bamboo sushi mat with its shiny side down.
  • Using a (rice) spoon, spread the rice evenly over the nori, leaving an inch (2.5cm) at the top. Be sure to fill in the left and right sides completely. If the rice sticks too much to the (rice) spoon, wet the spoon slightly but note that you don’t want water to be dripping from the (rice) spoon.
  • Add the natto in a horizontal line, about an inch (2.5cm) from the bottom. Be careful not to add too much so you can roll them nicely.
  • (Optional) Add the cut green onions/chives if using.
  • Roll the sushi tightly using the sushi mat, applying gentle pressure by pressing the sushi roll (and sushi mat) to keep it secure. If needed, seal the roll by moistening the edge of the nori with a bit of water.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining rice, natto, and nori sheets.
  • Once all the sushi rolls are prepared, use a sharp knife to slice them into bite-sized pieces, about 6 pieces per roll.
  • Serve the Natto Sushi rolls with soy sauce for dipping!

Notes

Ingredients Notes:
  • Brown rice: You can substitute this with regular sushi rice such that you’re only using white short-grained sushi rice for this recipe. This is the more traditional way of making this natto sushi roll, but it will then contain less fiber and protein.
  • Rice vinegar: You can replace this with diluted white vinegar (2 parts white vinegar to 1 part water). If substituting with other types of clear vinegar, you will taste a hint of flavor (such as that apple-like aroma if using apple cider vinegar)
  • Sugar: If you don't have sugar, you can use another flavorless sweetener of choice. If you use a sweetener that has an intrinsic taste such as honey or maple syrup, they will impart a slightly different flavor to the rice (e.g. that honey and mapley taste), so you can proceed while being mindful of this effect!
 
Storage and Meal Prep Notes:
  • It is best to consume these natto maki fresh, or at least within 12 hours.
  • If you want to meal prep though, you can make the rice separately, but only roll the sushi when you want to consume them.
 
Other Notes
  • The calorie calculation is for 1 serving, excluding the toppings and dipping sauce.