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–+ servings

The PERFECT Sushi Rice!

The only sushi rice recipe you'll need to make professional, restaurant-grade sushi! All done in a pot on the stovetop so there's no need for a rice cooker!
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Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course Japanese
Cuisine Sushi
Servings 5 cups (approx 8 rolls/64 pcs)

INGREDIENTS
 

Tools/Supplies:

  • Medium to large sized pot with a tight-fitting lid ideally with a heavy/thick bottom and no spouts or steam holes
  • Sushi oke/hangiri wooden sushi mixing bowl or a large bowl (used to mix rice and vinegar)
  • Shamoji rice paddle
  • Large bowl to wash rice in
  • Fine strainer if using a non-mesh, make sure the holes are smaller than each rice grain

Ingredients:

  • 2 ¼ cups 3 rice cooker cups - Japanese short or medium grain rice (see chart)
  • 2 ¼ cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

Cooking Rice

  • Wash the rice in a large bowl with cool running water. Gently swirl the rice around and drain the water. Repeat the washing process 4 to 5 times until the water is clear.
  • Transfer the rice into a mesh strainer and let sit for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, transfer the rice into the medium/large pot and add the correct amount of water to the pot (see page 81). Ensure the rice is fully submerged and level. Let the rice soak for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Now it’s time to cook! Place the pot over medium-high heat, close the lid, and wait for it to boil (about 4 to 5 minutes). After the water boils, turn down the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Make sure the lid is closed tightly and set a timer!
  • After 12 minutes, quickly open the lid to check if the water has been completely absorbed. Don’t leave the lid open for long. If there is still some water, close the lid and cook for another 2 minutes. Keep cooking in additional 2-minute increments if needed. Try to leave the lid closed as much as possible.
  • Take off heat and let sit with the lid CLOSED for 10 minutes. Don’t skip this step!
  • After 10 minutes the rice is done! At this point, you have plain steamed rice and you can eat it however you’d like. Next, we’ll mix in the sushi vinegar, which will officially make it sushi rice.

Making Sushi Rice

  • Dampen the shamoji and carve around the outer edge of the pot first to transfer cooked rice into your sushi oke. Lightly scrape off any rice that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Don’t include any burnt or hard parts of the rice (if any).
  • Next, pour the sushi vinegar onto the rice as evenly as possible.
  • Mix the vinegar by using a “slicing” and “folding” motion. Imagine chopping with a knife but at an angle and then scoop the paddle underneath the rice and flip it over. The goal here is to evenly mix in the vinegar with the rice while breaking down any large chunks. Try to keep the rice as fluffy as possible. Continue until evenly coated and there are no chunks of rice.
  • Place a clean, damp towel over the sushi oke and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.

NOTES

If you’re using store-bought seasoned sushi vinegar, then make sure to follow the measurement directions on the label. If there are no directions, a general rule of thumb is to use equal parts vinegar to the number of (rice cooker) cups you are cooking. For example, if using 3 rice cooker cups of rice, 3 ounces of sushi vinegar should be used.
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