Kappa Maki – An Easy Cucumber Sushi Roll (Only Three Ingredients!)

This quick kappa maki, also spelled kappamaki or kappa-maki, features cucumbers, seasoned sushi rice, and nori (dried seaweed). Water goblins provide the name for this dish.

A kappa, in Japanese folklore and mythology, is a slender, amphibious humanoid imp with a shell like a turtle whose favorite food is cucumber. These green creatures are mischievous tricksters who love sumo wrestling and lure people into rivers and lakes to wrestle, and sometimes to their deaths.

They are thought to have a conical indentation on the top of their heads, which they keep filled with water. If a person meets a kappa on land, they are to bow and hope that the kappa bows back, spilling the water and losing much of its power.

To this day, people warn children away from bodies of water with threats of the kappa, and you can see signs warning of kappa near rivers and lakes in some Japanese towns and villages.

To see some artistic representations of these creatures, check out their Wikipedia page.

In order to make this kappa maki recipe, you only really need three ingredients: prepared, seasoned sushi rice, cucumber, and nori. However, you can customize it however you wish to add more flavor. Any extra veggies leftover in your fridge can be added. This dish is fairly light and healthy, so feel free to double it for more rolls.

Do I really need sushi rice?

No, any short grain rice (like arborio rice or pearl rice, for instance) will work very well, and honestly, any rice will be fine. Sushi rice is nice because it has more starch and gluten that hold the rice together. If you use a different kind of rice, your sushi might fall apart more easily. However, it will still taste great! Once you add in the sugar, salt, and vinegar, the rice becomes extra sticky, which makes it easier to shape.

Do I really need Japanese cucumbers?

No. If you can’t find them, Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers are similar, but any cucumber will work if that’s what you have. Japanese cucumbers don’t have developed seeds, so they can be easier to work with. Moreover, they aren’t bitter as some regular cucumbers can become. This is why they are preferred.

Kappa Maki Ingredients

Before you begin, you will need:

• 1 cup uncooked sushi rice
• 1 cup water
• 4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
• 1 cucumber (Japanese, Persian, or English preferred, as they are less bitter)
• 2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus a pinch for cooking the rice
• Soy sauce or liquid aminos for dipping
• A pot to cook the rice in (I used my Instant Pot)
• A wooden spoon to stir, scoop, and flatten the sushi rice (metal spoons will often smush the grains of rice in half)
• Vegetable peeler
• Knife and cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons

How to make kappa maki

Make the sushi rice

1. First, cook the rice. I put equal parts rice and water in an Instant Pot with a pinch of salt.
2. While the rice is cooking, wash, peel, and cut the cucumbers into long sticks.
3. Next, mix the sugar and salt into the rice vinegar until dissolved. You may need to heat it slightly to speed it up. A minute or so in the microwave should do the trick.
4. When the rice is done, add the vinegar mixture and stir well to combine.

After that, Set up your rolling station

1. Meanwhile, you will need a clean, flat surface to place your nori sheet shiny side down. If you have a sushi rolling mat, great, but it is not necessary. Depending on the size of your nori sheets, you may want to halve them. The half sheets, with the amount of filling I added, just barely sealed. This is fine for hand rolls, aka sushi burritos. However, if you want pretty rolls you can cut easily, a whole sheet gives you more room to work with. If you wish to halve the nori sheets, you can do this by simply folding them in half. They are brittle enough to break just from folding.

Roll the Kappa Maki

1. Now, use a wooden spoon to add a wide strip of rice to the nori, and flatten it with the back of the spoon. Anywhere the rice touches the nori, the moisture will help the nori become more pliable and easier to work with. For this reason, feel free to cover half the nori sheet if you are using a full sheet. It should still close.
2. After that, add your sliced cucumber down the middle of the rice.
3. Next, begin rolling up your sushi roll. When you get to the end, brush water or soy sauce on the edge of the nori so it will seal to the roll. If you want your sushi to be a specific shape (round, square, etc.), now is your chance to shape it. Press down on it for a square, then turn and press the other side.
4. To slice, use a serrated knife like a bread knife, and run it under water first. The water will help prevent it from sticking to the rice and tearing the nori. Now, cut into slices about an inch wide.
5. Finally, serve with soy sauce or liquid aminos for dipping. Garnish with wasabi or radish sprouts if desired, and, most importantly, enjoy!

Variations on kappa maki

Don’t like seaweed? Use soy paper instead!

I like adding avocado and carrots to this recipe. The fat in the avocado makes it more satisfying, and the carrot brings a nice contrast in color and texture. As with the cucumber, try to cut them into sticks.

You could also add vegetables like asparagus, shitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes, radishes, red bell peppers (or any color bell peppers), etc.

If you don’t need it to be vegan, you could add cream cheese and jalapeno, pine nuts, or sprouts.

Similarly, try adding tofu strips for a heartier meal.

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If you have leftover cucumbers, try my marinated Arabic salad recipe!

I hope you enjoy this kappa maki recipe for delicious vegan cucumber sushi rolls!