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February 4, 2020

Caterpillar Roll

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This Caterpillar Roll recipe is made with delicious unagi and crunchy cucumber rolled in seaweed sheet and sushi rice, with an avocado topping. You can customize the roll with other delicious fillings. It’s so easy to make and I’ll share with you the secrets on how to make an avocado wrapper!

This Caterpillar Roll recipe is made with delicious unagi and crunchy cucumber rolled in seaweed sheet and sushi rice, with an avocado topping. You can customize the roll with other delicious fillings. It’s so easy to make and I’ll share with you the secrets on how to make an avocado wrapper! #CaterpillarRoll #CaterpillarSushiRoll #CaterpillarMakiRoll

The caterpillar roll is a popular item in many sushi restaurants. My family love Japanese sushi rolls such as Sweet Potato Sushi Roll, California Roll and this delicious caterpillar roll. They’re great for lunch or evening snack!

Table of Contents

  • What is a caterpillar roll?
  • What ingredients go into a caterpillar sushi roll?
  • How to make caterpillar roll
    • Cooking the perfect sushi rice
    • Making the roll
  • Pro tips:
  • How to make an avocado topping?
  • Caterpillar Roll {with an Avocado Topping}

What is a caterpillar roll?

Similar to dragon rolls, the caterpillar roll is an inside-out sushi roll, where nori seaweed sheet wraps around the filling inside, and the sushi rice is on the outside. The thinly sliced avocado is then placed on top of the roll, making it look like a caterpillar. 

Japanese unagi (eel) in a package.

What ingredients go into a caterpillar sushi roll?

  • Avocado: You need to use the perfectly ripe avocado for this recipe. Avoid overripe avocado as it can get too mushy when squeezed. Look for avocados that have dark skin and yield to firm gentle pressure.
  • Unagi (eel): Traditional caterpillar roll recipe contains unagi, a cooked fish flavored with teriyaki sauce or unagi sauce. It’s available in the frozen section at the Japanese supermarket, or you can order canned unagi online from Amazon. Substitutions include shrimp, salmon, tuna or other veggies. 
  • Cucumber: You can use pickled cucumbers or fresh ones. If you use American cucumber, make sure to remove the seeds as they contain too much water. 
  • Nori (Seaweed Sheets)
  • Sushi Rice: I recommend using short-grain sushi rice for the best fluffy texture. To add some flavors to your rice, you can mix it with a small amount of rice vinegar and sugar. 

You’ll also need a sushi rolling mat to assemble the sushi. It’s fairly inexpensive, and you can buy it at Asian supermarkets or online. 

This Caterpillar Roll recipe is made with delicious unagi and crunchy cucumber rolled in seaweed sheet and sushi rice, with an avocado topping. You can customize the roll with other delicious fillings. It’s so easy to make and I’ll share with you the secrets on how to make an avocado wrapper! #CaterpillarRoll #CaterpillarSushiRoll #CaterpillarMakiRoll

How to make caterpillar roll

The caterpillar roll looks fancy, but it’s easier than you think with a few simple tips! 

Cooking the perfect sushi rice

Wash the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Then add the rice and water to the rice maker. The 1:1 ratio is great for making sushi rolls as more water can result in mushy rice when squeezed. 

Photo collage showing how to make the roll with step-by-step photos.

Making the roll

First fold the nori sheet in half to split it and place half of the nori on top of the bamboo mat. Spread rice evenly over nori and flip everything so that rice is facing down. Place the fillings on top of the nori.

Start rolling using your bamboo mat and firmly keep the roll in place. Apply some pressure to tighten it up.

This Caterpillar Roll recipe is made with delicious unagi and crunchy cucumber rolled in seaweed sheet and sushi rice, with an avocado topping. You can customize the roll with other delicious fillings. It’s so easy to make and I’ll share with you the secrets on how to make an avocado wrapper! #CaterpillarRoll #CaterpillarSushiRoll #CaterpillarMakiRoll

Pro tips:

  • To prevent rice sticking to your hands: Use Tezu to wet your hands when handling rice. It’s a hand dipping liquid made with 1/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons rice vinegar. 
  • To prevent sushi rolls from falling apart: You’ll need to squeeze the roll gently while rolling. Once you finish, you can place the bamboo mat over the sushi roll and gently squeeze the roll again. 
Placing the sliced avocado layer on top of the roll.

How to make an avocado topping?

  1. First slice a ripe avocado in half and remove the pit and skin. Then cut each piece into 1/8-inch half-moon slices. 
  2. Spread the layer on the counter. Then use a large knife to lift it and place on top of your sushi roll. 
  3. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top, and cover with the sushi mat. Squeeze gently to shape the avocado around the roll. 
  4. Remove the mat and keep the plastic wrap, then slice the roll into bite-size pieces. Remove the plastic wrap and enjoy!

More Sushi Rolls You May Also Like:

  • Spicy Salmon Rolls
  • Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
  • Oshinko Rolls
This Caterpillar Roll recipe is made with delicious unagi and crunchy cucumber rolled in seaweed sheet and sushi rice, with an avocado topping. You can customize the roll with other delicious fillings. It’s so easy to make and I’ll share with you the secrets on how to make an avocado wrapper!

Caterpillar Roll {with an Avocado Topping}

This Caterpillar Roll recipe is made with delicious unagi and crunchy cucumber rolled in seaweed sheet and sushi rice, with an avocado topping. You can customize the roll with other delicious fillings. It’s so easy to make and I’ll share with you the secrets on how to make an avocado wrapper!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 32 pieces (4 rolls)
Calories: 49kcal

Ingredients 

For Sushi Rice

  • 1 cup sushi rice short grain sushi rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon optional sushi vinegar or mixing 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon sugar

For Caterpillar Rolls

  • 4 oz unagi or you can substitute canned eel, shrimp or tuna
  • 1/2 cucumber cut into 1/2-inch strips
  • 2 sheets nori (seaweed sheet)
  • 2 avocado ripe but still firm

Instructions 

  • Cook sushi rice: Wash the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Then add the rice and water to the rice maker. Once cooked, transfer the hot rice to a large bowl and let it cool down slightly. When it’s still very warm, stir in optional sushi vinegar (or the mixture of rice vinegar and sugar).
  • Prepare unagi: take the unagi from the package and bake at 360F for 10-12 minutes or according to the package instruction. Then cut it into 1/2 inch strips.
  • Make caterpillar rolls: Lay out the bamboo mat with an optional piece of plastic wrap on top (this will make clean up easier).
  • Fold the nori sheets in half and split them by hands or using a pair of scissors.
  • Place half of the nori sheet on top of the bamboo.
    Place half of the nori sheet on top of the bamboo.
  • Take 3/4 cup of cooked rice and evenly spread over nori. (You can dip your hands in vinegar water to prevent sticking.)
    Spread rice evenly on top of the nori sheet.
  • Flip everything so that rice is facing down.
  • Place unagi strips and cucumber on top of the nori.
    Place unagi strips and cucumber on top of the nori.
  • Place the thumbs underneath the bamboo mat and lift the edge up and over the filling.
  • Roll the bamboo mat away from you and apply some pressure to tighten it up. Keep rolling until the ends meet.
    Roll the sushi away until the ends meet.
  • Make avocado topping: Slice a ripe avocado in half and remove the pit and skin. Then cut each piece into thin half-moon slices.
    Cutting half of the avocado into thin slices.
  • Spread the layer on the counter.
    Spread the layer on the counter.
  • Use a large knife to lift them up and place it on top of your sushi roll.
    Placing the sliced avocado layer on top of the roll.
  • Place plastic wrap on top, and cover with the sushi mat. Squeeze gently to shape the avocado around the roll.
    Place a piece of plastic wrap on top of the avocado.
  • Remove the mat while keep the plastic wrap, and slice the roll into bite-size pieces. Remove the plastic wrap and enjoy!
    Cutting the roll with plastic wraps on top of the avocado.

Notes

  • It’s best to eat the dragon roll the same day. You can squeeze a small amount of lemon juice over your avocado to prevent it from browning for a few hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 49kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 153IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Author: izzycooking
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Caterpillar Roll, Caterpillar Sushi Roll
Tried this recipe?Follow or tag us on Pinterest @izzycooking
This Caterpillar Roll recipe is made with delicious unagi and crunchy cucumber rolled in seaweed sheet and sushi rice, with an avocado topping. You can customize the roll with other delicious fillings. It’s so easy to make and I’ll share with you the secrets on how to make an avocado wrapper! #CaterpillarRoll #CaterpillarSushiRoll #CaterpillarMakiRoll

Filed Under: Appetizer, Dinner, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: avocado, cucumber, seaweed sheet, sushi rice, unaqui

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenni says

    February 12, 2020 at 7:09 am

    5 stars
    This is my favorite sushi roll! I am so excited that I can now make this at home instead of going out to get it! This recipe is SO good, and all the pictures helped make it great! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Liz says

    February 12, 2020 at 7:15 am

    5 stars
    I love making sushi at home and this was definitely a new version to try!! The avocado sold me and this was delicious!!!

    Reply
    • izzycooking says

      February 12, 2020 at 8:52 am

      Thanks Liz!

      Reply

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