New Year’s Roll “Christmas Tree”
This unusual roll “tree” will steal the show on the festive table! It’s especially loved by younger guests who aren’t into heavy mayo salads. Plus, it brings people together: everyone eats from one shared platter instead of separate plates.
Updated : 03 March, 2026
Easy
About 1 hour.
Ingredients
Rolls
250 grams
Round rice
250 milliliters
Water
5 teaspoon
Rice vinegar
2 teaspoon
Sugar
1 teaspoon
Salt
5.6 grams
Nori
100 grams
Lašišos
80 grams
Curd cheese
0.2
Cucumber
50 grams
Dill
50 grams
Red caviar
Hands
6 tablespoon
Water
2 tablespoon
Rice vinegar
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare all ingredients and tools for making rolls. You’ll need a bamboo mat and plastic wrap. Buy Japanese short-grain rice or sushi rice. Long-grain and parboiled rice are not suitable: because they contain less starch, they won’t be sticky enough and the rolls will fall apart. For seasoning, use rice vinegar.
Step 2
Pour the rice into a bowl, add cold running water, and rinse gently so you don’t break the grains. Drain the cloudy water and add fresh cold water again. Rinse at least 4 times until the water is clear. Drain the rice in a colander and leave for 10 minutes to let excess water run off.
Step 3
Transfer the rice to a pot, add water, and put it on the heat. It’s important to keep the rice-to-water ratio 1:1. When it boils, cover the pot with a transparent lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. All moisture should evaporate. Do not open the lid while cooking - use a clear lid so you can watch the process.
Step 4
Remove the pot from heat and let the rice steam, covered, for 10 minutes. Do not open the lid; the rice should finish cooking fully.
Step 5
Meanwhile, make the seasoning. In a small saucepan (or cezve), pour in rice vinegar and add sugar and salt. Heat on low, stirring until dissolved. As soon as the sugar and salt dissolve, remove from heat. Do not let it boil, so don’t cook it over high heat.
Step 6
Transfer the cooked rice to a wooden bowl wiped with a damp towel so the rice won’t stick. Ideally, use a sushi tub (hangiri), but any wooden bowl works. Wood prevents reaction with vinegar and absorbs excess moisture while mixing.
Step 7
Hold a wooden paddle above the rice. Pour the vinegar mixture onto the paddle so it spreads gently over the rice. With smooth motions, “cut” and mix the rice carefully without damaging the grains. Cover with a clean damp towel and let the rice cool. Once cooled, you can start shaping sushi and rolls.
Step 8
Prepare water to wet your hands. In a small container, mix rice vinegar and water in a 1:3 ratio. Wetting hands in this solution makes it easier to handle the rice. Use filtered water, because it goes into the food without further heat treatment.
Step 9
Prepare the bamboo mat: wrap it several times with plastic wrap. Cut nori sheets in half. Place half a nori sheet on the mat, shiny side down. Wet your hands, take 120 g cooked rice, and spread it over the nori, leaving 1 cm at the top free of rice, and spreading the rice 1 cm beyond the bottom edge of the nori.
Step 10
Flip the nori so the rice is on the mat. Position it so 1 cm of rice at the top is not covered by nori. Place the filling in the center: pipe creamy soft curd cheese from a pastry bag, then add strips of red fish and fresh cucumber.
Step 11
Holding the filling, carefully roll using the mat. Once formed, shape the roll into a round or square shape by pressing gently from all sides with the mat.
Step 12
Finely chop washed and dried herbs. Roll the finished roll in chopped dill, then place on a wooden board. Wet the knife in the vinegar-water solution, trim the ends, then cut the roll in half. Put the two halves together and cut in half again. Cut each piece once more. You should get 8 pieces. Always wet the knife so rice won’t stick and the rolls won’t deform.
Step 13
Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Build the base of the “tree” from the rolls. Add the next layer on top, placing it slightly deeper toward the center. Continue layer by layer up to the top.
Step 14
To finish, spoon red caviar onto the rolls. The New Year’s “Christmas tree” is ready!
Author note
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