Wrap a sushi mat or piece of cardstock with a long piece of saran wrap and fold the edges around to seal it nicely.
Lay one half sheet of nori shiny side down* on the plastic wrapped bamboo sushi mat.**
Set a small bowl with a wet paper towel and a little water next to your mat.
Wet your fingers on the paper towel and place about ½ cup of sushi rice in an even layer across the nori sheet.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Carefully flip the nori over so that the rice-sesame side is now facing down.***
About half an inch from the edge, spread spicy carrot mixture in a line from end to end.
Now lay thin uniform slices of cucumber, cream cheese, and carrot strips.
Using the sushi mat and both hands, start rolling from the bottom of the roll, tucking the edge of the roll to fully enclose the filling.
Once you reach the end, use the mat to rotate the roll inside to make sure you have an even and consistent sushi roll.
Now use the wet paper towel to wipe the edge of a sharp knife.
Slice your sushi roll into 6 equal pieces. Cut it in half first, then cut each half in thirds.
Wipe the knife with your wet paper towel in between each cut; otherwise the rice sticks.
Place your sushi on a serving dish and enjoy with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi.
Notes
* To make sushi rice, combine 1 cup of medium grain sushi rice and 1¼ cup water in an instant pot on high for 4 minutes. After it naturally releases, add in 2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp agave or maple syrup, and a dash of salt. Keep covered with wet paper towel. This recipe makes about 8 half rolls, depending how much rice you use on each roll. To make a full roll, spread 1 cup of rice across a full nori sheet and proceed per instructions.** If you don’t have sushi mat, you can try using a thick kitchen towel. Place a piece of saran wrap on top and place your nori shiny side down. Proceed with the instructions.*** Sushi Golden Rule: the shiny side of nori is always placed on the outside of the sushi.