Are you craving to relish the World’s Best Sushi right in your home? Explore Oriental Cuisine and master the art of Japanese cooking. Review our Michelin Star Chefs’ Recipes and learn how to make authentic Japanese food. Here is the complete guide to cook the perfect sushi rice that’ll help you cook an assortment of sushi dishes.
What is Sushi Rice?
Japanese rice outside Japan is famously known as sushi rice. Su-meshi and sushi-meshi are two other names for classic sushi rice used in Japan. The basic ingredient for sushi rice is steamed short-grain rice, which is seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Nevertheless, the term sushi literally means rice with a sour flavor. There are many ways to give perfect sweetness and savour to these sticky sushi rice.
The Origin of Vinegared Rice:
Historically, Japanese people used to wrap fish bites with fermented rice to prepare the delectable sushi. When sushi was ready to be served, the fermented rice went bad. Therefore, people used to discard fermented rice and they only eat fish. This unpleasant experience led them to try and increase the shelf life of sushi rice.
Consequently, they came up with the idea of using vinegar that was already being used to preserve food. The vinegar not only kept the Japanese short grain rice fresh, but they also tasted even better. Furthermore, it is vinegar that adds the ultimate umami flavor to sushi rice, further accentuated by kombu.
How To Make Sushi Rice: Simple Tips On Your Fingertips
Interested in learning how Michelin starred chefs prepare sushi rice? If so, then, put a glance at the following tips and instructions before you begin cooking.
What Kind Of Rice For Sushi Should We Use?
If you want to achieve that real Japanese flavor, then opt for the best short grain Japanese rice. Make it clear that long grain rice will not provide you the perfect stickiness, consistency, flavor and presentation. Therefore, only opt for the best quality of short grain Japanese rice. Rice cultivars such as these contain high moisture content that gives your sushi rice just the right amount of stickiness and flavor.
According to our survey and Chef’s preference, we have listed the top 5 brands for the premium quality short grain rice. You can opt for any of these brands to make sushi rice that tastes delicious.
- Koshihikari short grain rice
- TamanishikiShort Grain Rice
- Kijima Tsuyahime Yamagata Japanese SushiRice
- Hitomebore Japanese Short grain Rice
- Akitakomachi Japanese Sushi Rice
How to Prepare Sushi Rice For Cooking?
To perfectly cook rice for sushi, wash the translucent short grains in water. Do this rice rinsing for about 3-4 times or unless all starch gets washed away. It is an essential step to get the exact stickiness and consistency of sushi rice. After rinsing, soak the sushi rice for about an hour to achieve a buttery soft texture and to cook them fast.
Sushi Rice Seasoning
The classic sushi rice seasoning uses a sushi vinegar to give your sushi rice the ultimate umami flavor. You can prepare the traditional sushi seasoning by adding sugar and salt to rice vinegar. In addition, you can bring sweetness to saltiness by using coconut sugar, honey, or granulated white sugar.
Kombu is another great way to obtain the taste of Michelin Star restaurants’ sushi rice. It’s a seaweed that is used as a natural taste enhancer. You can get the essence of deliciousness by using kombu in your sushi rice recipe.
Ideal Sushi Rice Cooking Utensils
There are multiple cooking utensils you can use to cook sushi rice. For instance, a saucepan, instant pot, and a cooker. What I prefer is to use a Zojirushi sushi rice cooker since it is engineered to cook sushi rice perfectly. It has a capacity of cooking 3 cups of sushi rice at once.
Also, you will need a wooden hangiri to pour your cooked sushi rice. Furthermore, to delicately toss sushi rice with sushi rice vinegar seasoning, you probably need a wooden rice paddle. Japanese Chefs use a hand fan in their one hand while tossing sushi rice to remove steam. This technique is another great tip to prevent mushy sushi rice.
How To Make Sushi Rice In Rice Cooker?
Open the lid of your cooker, put rice and pour water. Then, place kombu on the top and set the pressure according to your cooker. Cook the sushi rice until it’s soft and slightly sticky. Remove the kombu and serve.
Instant Pot Instructions:
In an instant pot, put the rice, water, and kombu in the same way. First cook the rice on high pressure for about 5 minutes and then release the pressure for 10 minutes. Discard kombu and serve sushi rice in bowls.
Stovetop Cooking:
As you cook sushi rice on the stovetop, add two and a half cups of water to three cups of short grain rice. Place kombu on the top of rice and cover the saucepan with a lid. Cook the sushi rice on high flame for about 5 minutes until the water simmers. Then, lower the flame and cook sushi rice until tender for about 15 minutes. Turn off the flame and let the rice steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove kombu, add sushi rice vinegar, and serve.
Ingredients For Different Sushi Rice Servings:
Ingredients for Sushi Rice:
| Ingredients | Measurements |
| Japanese short grain sushi rice | 2 cups |
| Water | 2 cups or 360 ml |
| Rice vinegar | 2 tablespoons |
| Kombu (Optional) | One 4 inches square |
Ingredients for Sushi Rice Vinegar:
| Rice vinegar | 2 tablespoons |
| Granulated white sugar | 1 tablespoon |
| Sea salt ( measure less with iodized salt) | Half tablespoon |
The Michelin Star’s sushi rice recipe: steps to follow
#1 Gather and Measure Ingredients:
Working orderly and in a sequenced manner with no hassle and mess around greatly affects cooking. Before you begin preparing a dish, always gather ingredients and accurately measure them. Therefore, while cooking you will only need to put them at the right time.
#2 Rinse Uncooked Sushi Rice:
Thoroughly wash and rinse Japanese short grain rice for about 3 to 4 times. Rinsing helps you wash away any debris and removes excess starch from the grains. For this purpose, gently move your fingers in a circular motion through the rice and water in a bowl. Then, strain the sushi rice to remove starchy water. Moreover, healthy cooking begins with hygienic preparation.
#3 Soak Sushi Rice:
For even and rapid cooking of sushi rice, it’s essential to soak them for about an hour before cooking. It helps sushi rice to soak enough moisture that helps them become tender easily upon cooking.
#4 Cooking Sushi Rice:
Put the uncooked sushi rice in a large saucepan and add measured water. Then, place kombu on the top, cover the lid and cook the rice. Firstly, cook the sushi rice on high flame for 5 minutes then lower the heat and cook until the sushi rice gets softened (in 18 minutes). The usual cooking time for sushi rice is about 23 minutes.
Furthermore, if you are using an instant pot or sushi rice cooker then prepare sushi rice according to the labelled instructions. Add water according to the sushi scale graded on the inside of the cooker. Also, make sure the sushi rice water ratio should be 1:1. In this recipe, we are taking 2 cups of water for 2 cups of uncooked sushi rice.
#5 Sushi Rice Vinegar:
To prepare sushi rice vinegar on the stovetop, take a saucepan and add measured amounts of rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Simmer the sushi rice seasoning on a medium flame and use a whisk to gently stir till the sugar dissolves. For instant cooking, you can put all the ingredients in a bowl and microwave for one to two minutes. Set aside and cool it at room temperature. Sushi rice vinegar is ready to drizzle.
#6 Sushi Rice Seasoning:
Take out your traditional Japanese serving dish known as sushi hangiri or sushi oke. If you don’t have one, you can still serve your delicious sushi rice in a glass bowl. Grease the bottom of a wooden hangiri or spread parchment paper. Then, transfer the cooked sushi rice and spread evenly using a rice paddle. Drizzle the sushi rice seasoning on top of warm sushi rice and fold to evenly season them.
#7 Remove the Steam:
Using a rice paddle, turn and toss the sushi rice with sushi rice seasoning. Mix , slice up, and flip sushi rice at a 45 degree angle in one direction to remove steam. To aid the cooling process, you can use a fan in one hand to help accelerate steam removal. This mixing technique helps you avoid ending up with mushy rice. Indeed, a great tip by a Michelin Star Chef.
#8 Cover Before Serving:
If you have time before serving sushi rice to your guests, cover the hangiri with a damp towel or cloth. Covering sushi rice helps avoid evaporation of required moisture, stickiness, and gloss.
#9 Tips to Store Cooked Sushi Rice
Refrigerating cooked sushi rice makes them hard and dehydrated. You can store cooked sushi rice for about a month in an airtight jar and place it in the freezer. Air tight containers help avoid frosting of food. Moreover, defrost the sushi rice overnight in the refrigerator before consuming. You can also defrost sushi rice in a microwave, but make sure to bring it to room temperature. Hence, excess heating in the microwave will make sushi rice mushy. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate it if you want to consume sushi rice tomorrow.
#10 Serving Tips:
You can either serve sushi rice with fish or can use sushi rice to make a variety of Oriental dishes. Tantalize your taste buds with wasabi dip, soy sauce, and avocado puree to spruce up the umami flavor of sushi rice.
FAQ’s:
What kind of sushi dishes can be prepared with sushi rice?
You can prepare a number of Japanese dishes with the classic sushi rice. Moreover, you can add sushi rice in any recipe to make an innovative dish. Use sushi rice to make dragon roll, onigiri, california roll, spicy tuna roll, mochi, inari sushi, temari sushi, and temaki sushi. You can also eat sushi vinegared rice with pickled vegetables, wasabi, avocado, and soy sauce.
How To Tell Perfectly Cooked Sushi Rice?
After you cook and steam your sushi rice, they should be fluffy with a nice bite. Also, each rice should retain its shape well, should have a pleasant luster, and should be soft. For this purpose, make a perfect sushi rice water ratio and do not let your sushi rice become mushy rice.
The Time Guide On How To Cook Sushi Rice
Time is not an issue when you are using a highly engineered cooking device. For instance, cooking sushi rice in an instant pot or electric cooker that comes with a timer and pressure setting for each dish. When cooking on the stovetop, you should cook sushi rice on high flame for 5 minutes to let the water simmer. After that, boil the sushi rice on medium to low heat for about 18 minutes. Finally, let the rice steam for 5-10 minutes and discard kombu before serving.
Why Do We Soak Sushi Rice Before Cooking?
Soaking short grain Japanese rice for sushi rice dishes is an essential step. If you want to cook sushi rice like a Michelin Star Chef, soak the premium quality sushi rice for about 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. Also, always use room temperature water to cook sushi rice. In a nutshell, you will get soft yet firmly-shaped glowy sushi rice.
What is the Nutritional Value of Sushi Rice?
Count the calories before you begin cooking and eating anything. It is essential to watch what you eat and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
| Nutrients | Weight (grams) | % Daily value |
| Proteins | 1.7 | 3 |
| Total Carbohydrates | 23.5 | 8 |
| Fats | 1 | 2 |
| Iron | 0.4mg | 2 |
| Magnesium | 6.2mg | 2 |
| Sodium | 158.2mg | 6 |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.9mg | 7 |
* % Daily values are based on a diet of 2000 calories. Data given does not include nutritional value of each ingredient used in the recipe. Kindly consult a dietician in case you are on a restricted diet due to medical reasons.