How to Make Sushi Rice

Choose a pot with a snug-fitting lid and a heavy bottom for cooking sushi rice. The size of the pot depends on how much rice will be cooked. Sushi rice swells and increases its volume by 2 1/2 – 3 times. For the amounts listed below, a pot that holds 1 1/2 liters (6 cups) is sufficient.

The amount of water necessary to cook the rice depends on the kind of rice that is used. Too little water produces dry rice that is still hard in the center. Using too much water creates a starchy rice soup. Generally, sushi rice from California uses about 20% more water than rice, whereas Japanese sushi rice is closer to a 1:1 ratio. Impurities in tap water can also affect the outcome of sushi rice; using distilled water creates more consistency.

One final bit of advice – use a timer to manage the times.

Difficulty: simple
Yield: makes about 700 grams (3 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

300 grams (1 1/2 cups) sushi rice
330 ml (1 1/3 cups) distilled water
1 postcard-size piece of kombu
6 tablespoons (about 60 grams or 1/4 cup) of prepared sushi vinegar

Method

• Wash Rice: Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer in a bowl with water. Wash the rice well by gently circulating your hands through the rice. Discard the milky water. Repeat the procedure until the water is clear…this takes 5-7 minutes. Drain the rice and let it sit undisturbed in the strainer for about 30 minutes to dry.
• Cook Rice: Soak the kombu in a small amount of water until it softens – about 5 minutes. Cut 3-4 slices into the kombu with a sharp knife or scissors. Put the drained rice in the pot, add the water, and place the softened kombu on top of the rice. Cover the pot. Bring slowly to a boil using medium-high heat, and do not remove the cover. Once the rice begins to boil – you should see steam escaping from the pot – reduce the heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat again to the lowest setting and allow the rice to slowly simmer for 9 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and leave it covered and undisturbed for 10 minutes.
• Finish Rice: Remove the cover and discard the kombu on top of the rice. Transfer the rice to a large non-reactive bowl. Pour a little of the sushi vinegar over the rice. Spread evenly and add more sushi vinegar. Gently mix the rice and fan it a bit to cool quickly. Continue to add the sushi vinegar in small amounts, and gently toss the rice until it is glossy. Cover the rice with a moist towel until ready to use.

sushi rice – rice cooker method

Sushi Rice – Rice Cooker Method

Use the same measurements as described above in the stovetop method. Follow the instructions for washing and drying the rice, then place the rice, water, and kombu into the rice cooker insert. Turn the rice cooker on to cook the rice, then pay attention until the rice cooker switches off the cooking setting and flips to the warm setting. Unplug the rice cooker at this point, then allow the rice to sit covered and undisturbed for 10 minutes. Follow the instructions for finishing the rice.

brown sushi rice

Using Brown Sushi Rice

Brown sushi rice tastes more intense than white sushi rice. The finished rice will also have less surface starch than white sushi rice, and it may not hold as well in compact forms. The whole grain rice tastes sweeter than white sushi rice, so I recommend using much less sugar in the sushi vinegar mixture – 1/2 of a tablespoon instead of 2 tablespoons of sugar. Brown sushi rice is ideal when making ‘scattered sushi’ bowls.

Cooking brown sushi rice requires soaking it in enough water to cover it completely for 20-30 minutes. Do this after rinsing the rice. Add 50% more cooking water to the ratio when cooking the rice in either a rice cooker or when using the stovetop method – 495 ml (2 cups) of water instead of 330 ml (1 1/3 cups). The finishing process for brown rice is the same, except for using a more acidic sushi vinegar mix.