Honestly making sushi at home is simple - to make your life simpler buy a bamboo rolling mat. After that its just takes time!
Sushi rice - Yeah, buying the best grain glutinous Japanese rice will be suggested (Nishiki is a good one). If your making for fun, first time, just experimenting - don't do it as if it ends up in the bin your going to be kicking yourself. Buy some short grain (sticky rice) - Egyptian rice is often a quarter of the price of the Japanese stuff and when your making for fun - who cares.
WASH the rice until the water becomes clear - dont stress just rinse it, use a cup of rice to say a cup and a bit of water. Boil your water first then add rice, let it boil for a bit give it a few stirs, cover and then turn down the heat to low as possible and forget about it (no need to add anything). Keep your eye one it and when the water has vanished give it a few more mins - give it a scrape with a spoon, if still liquidy, cover give it a few more mins - if dry to the bottom of the pan pour its ready to pour into a clean bowl.
Add some rice vinegar, give it a stir and leave to cool (Do not make sushi when rice is not cool). (that is a very basic recipe for sushi rice, not technically correct buy works fine for home).
To make
Bamboo rolling mat in front of you with the lines going from left to right /not upside down - if you want you can cover with cling film but not really needed. Your should have ready your sheet of Nori (seaweed sheet) your bowl of 'cold' rice. a bowl of water to dip your hands in, your fillings and a sharp knife.
Working from the bottom of the sheet, nearest you, spread a thin layer of the rice 3/4 of the way up the sheet of nori - put your filling into the sushi (start just over a quarter of the way up of the sheet - stop just after half way (keep it thin). If the rice is sticking to your hands, use the water - when all is spread out,use the water to wet the top of the sheet of seaweed (the stuff that has no filling. rice on it).
Now take the bottom of your bamboo sheet and start rolling - just after half way up , push the top bit in a bit to make the roll a bit tighter, continue this until roll is made (like a normal rolling mat).
Serve with wasabi / pickled ginger!
Easiest things to fuck up - too much rice/filling, not leaving enough space at the top of the roll for the sushi to stick together. Using a bread knife to cut it :D
DO NOT waste money on expensive fillings etc when your learning - like I said above, I make the majority of mine with Tuna Mayo. If you dont like tuna mayo, or fishy stuff etc, use red peppers with mayo (chop it up small), cucumber strips, pickled jalapenos etc. IF when rolling it all goes horribly wrong - get a square of the nor(one sheet cut into four) - turn it so it looks like a diamond to you, put your fucked up roll in the middle and fold it over on it self and serve as hand rolls :D.
(one other thing I should add - if you go to a Japanese store the bamboo mats can be a couple of quid each - I bought a pack of four bamboo place mats cheaper than one of the rolling mats :D - also if your on a budget, do not buy the liquid, paste, ready made wasabi and buy the powder - when you need it just add a few drops of water).
Sushi rice - Yeah, buying the best grain glutinous Japanese rice will be suggested (Nishiki is a good one). If your making for fun, first time, just experimenting - don't do it as if it ends up in the bin your going to be kicking yourself. Buy some short grain (sticky rice) - Egyptian rice is often a quarter of the price of the Japanese stuff and when your making for fun - who cares.
WASH the rice until the water becomes clear - dont stress just rinse it, use a cup of rice to say a cup and a bit of water. Boil your water first then add rice, let it boil for a bit give it a few stirs, cover and then turn down the heat to low as possible and forget about it (no need to add anything). Keep your eye one it and when the water has vanished give it a few more mins - give it a scrape with a spoon, if still liquidy, cover give it a few more mins - if dry to the bottom of the pan pour its ready to pour into a clean bowl.
Add some rice vinegar, give it a stir and leave to cool (Do not make sushi when rice is not cool). (that is a very basic recipe for sushi rice, not technically correct buy works fine for home).
To make
Bamboo rolling mat in front of you with the lines going from left to right /not upside down - if you want you can cover with cling film but not really needed. Your should have ready your sheet of Nori (seaweed sheet) your bowl of 'cold' rice. a bowl of water to dip your hands in, your fillings and a sharp knife.
Working from the bottom of the sheet, nearest you, spread a thin layer of the rice 3/4 of the way up the sheet of nori - put your filling into the sushi (start just over a quarter of the way up of the sheet - stop just after half way (keep it thin). If the rice is sticking to your hands, use the water - when all is spread out,use the water to wet the top of the sheet of seaweed (the stuff that has no filling. rice on it).
Now take the bottom of your bamboo sheet and start rolling - just after half way up , push the top bit in a bit to make the roll a bit tighter, continue this until roll is made (like a normal rolling mat).
Serve with wasabi / pickled ginger!
Easiest things to fuck up - too much rice/filling, not leaving enough space at the top of the roll for the sushi to stick together. Using a bread knife to cut it :D
DO NOT waste money on expensive fillings etc when your learning - like I said above, I make the majority of mine with Tuna Mayo. If you dont like tuna mayo, or fishy stuff etc, use red peppers with mayo (chop it up small), cucumber strips, pickled jalapenos etc. IF when rolling it all goes horribly wrong - get a square of the nor(one sheet cut into four) - turn it so it looks like a diamond to you, put your fucked up roll in the middle and fold it over on it self and serve as hand rolls :D.
(one other thing I should add - if you go to a Japanese store the bamboo mats can be a couple of quid each - I bought a pack of four bamboo place mats cheaper than one of the rolling mats :D - also if your on a budget, do not buy the liquid, paste, ready made wasabi and buy the powder - when you need it just add a few drops of water).
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. I would be lost without mine when making stuff like papaya salad. You can buy them for a few UK pounds and they save so much time 
- old toy but....)
