Caterpillar Roll (How to Make an Avocado Topping for Sushi)

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I like to call this a vegetarian avocado roll.

The Caterpillar roll gets its name from the wormlike appearance, and the avocado slices help make it look divided into segments. So, no, there are no actual caterpillars! This overlapping pattern is very easy to create using a sushi mat.

This post is a quick tutorial on how to make an avocado topping for sushi. With this guide and some visuals, you could make that appealing avocado top for sushi, like a chef also known as the caterpillar roll!

What Is a Caterpillar Roll?

You might be wondering what is in a caterpillar roll? A caterpillar sushi roll is an inside-out sushi roll topped with thinly sliced avocado. The fillings are really up to the sushi chef, and can vary from baked eel to imitation crab meat. 

Caterpillar Sushi Roll

The caterpillar roll is very basic. Sushi restaurants typically use unagi (baked eel) to fill and then top it with slices of avocado. As a home cook, my version is very simple. I use avocados inside and out with the addition of cream cheese and cucumbers, which work for kids and non-sushi lovers.  

However, the caterpillar roll stays true to the name as it still resembles the caterpillar’s segmented body. My word of advice is to fill it with whatever you have on hand, such as shrimp tempura, imitation crab sticks, mini California rolls – you name it. 

To make the sweet sauce that sushi rolls are drizzled with, you’ll need to prepare Homemade Eel Sauce, which is not made from eel at all. My homemade version takes minutes to make and lasts a very long time in the fridge. It can easily be used for sushi bowls, sushi bake, rolls, and anything Asian. We love Spicy Mayonnaise as a dipping sauce, too. 

Assembling a Caterpillar Roll:

To make the Caterpillar roll, you’ll need to prepare Sushi Rice and prepare the fillings (bake the eel, cook the shrimp tempura, or chop any desired vegetable fillings or cream cheese). Roll up the sushi rolls ending with the rice outside (sprinkle rice with sesame seeds if desired for more flavor). This is done with half sheets of roasted seaweed. 

Cut around an avocado, twist, and open it to remove the pit. Peel the skin off each avocado half and place it face down on a cutting board. Thinly slice the avocado and rub it with pure lemon juice to prevent browning before serving.  

Watch How To Make Caterpillar Rolls At Home

Ingredients Needed:

• Two fully made inside-out sushi rolls filled with desired fillings. 
• 1 avocado, peeled, cored & cut in half lengthwise
• 1 tsp of lemon juice (to prevent browning)

How To Make A Caterpillar Roll:

1. 1. Slice a ripe avocado thinly vertically. Keep the slices similar in size; otherwise, you can have a bumpy and uneven roll. Place enough avocado slices horizontally over the sushi roll, overlapping each other to cover the top. (Half of an avocado should cover one roll.)
2. 2. Place a piece of Saran Wrap over the roll and place the bamboo mat over it. Then, squeeze the roll with the bamboo mat so that the sushi roll and avocado become one. Don’t smash the avocado, just give it some good tension to stick to the roll. 
3. 3. With the Saran wrap still on, you’ll need to wet your knife and cut, wetting your knife between each cut so that the rolls don’t come apart or stick. Cut about the width of the avocado pieces (about eight pieces). 
4. Arrange rolls onto a tray or plate and serve with your favorite dipping sauces, pickled ginger, or wasabi paste. 

Caterpillar Roll (How to Make an Avocado Topping for Sushi)

5 from 1 vote

By: Alyona Demyanchuk

The caterpillar roll is a sushi roll topped with thinly sliced avocado to resemble a caterpillar's form. Make the caterpillar sushi roll with traditional Sushi Rice, fill it, and press the sliced avocado topping onto it, using a sushi mat. We love sushi rolls with homemade Eel sauce! 

Review Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Servings: 2 sushi rolls

Course: Main Dish, Sushi

Cuisine: Japanese

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• 1 bamboo mat
• 2 pieces of Saran Wrap
• 1 sharp knife
• 1 Bowl of water, (for wetting the knife in between cuts)

Ingredients 

• 2 fully made, inside-out sushi rolls, (filled with avocado, cucumber, and cream cheese)
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, cored & cut in half lengthwise
• 1 tsp lemon juice, (to prevent browning)

Instructions

• Thinly slice the avocado vertically (horizontally works too).
  
• Rub it with one teaspoon of lemon juice to prevent it from browning. Place enough slices over a sushi roll, overlapping each other to cover the top. (Half of an avocado should cover one roll.)
  
• Place a piece of Saran wrap over each sushi roll and squeeze the avocado topping into the roll so that they become one. Don't roll or squeeze too hard.
  
• With the Saran wrap still intact, wet the blade of your knife and cut the sushi roll into eight equal pieces, wetting the blade in between each cut. Carefully remove the plastic wrap and place it on a plate. Serve.
  

Notes

• Cut about the width of the avocado pieces (about eight pieces). 
• Serve with Homemade Eel Sauce (sweet black sauce).

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