vinegar) recipe will give you perfectly plump and seasoned sushi rice that can be topped with fresh slices of fish, temaki (hand rolls), California rolls, or spicy tuna rolls. This recipe will take you from the beginning of making rice in a rice cooker to mixing tasty seasonings properly over plump rice granules using a traditional hangiri (or other more accessible tools at home). You can start sushi rice in a rice cooker, but you need to finish seasoning it out of the pot. Start!
Type of
rice cooker to use
While there are microwave, stove, or steamed rice options that are also PFA-free, but using a rice cooker is still the easiest, fastest, and hands-off with perfect results. To make sushi rice, I prefer to use a rice cooker because it is an easy and hands-off method to get perfectly plump and moist rice grains without worrying about boiling the water or overcooking it. And you know the results will be the same every time, as long as you accurately weigh the rice and water.
Types of rice to use
Traditionally, sushi rice is made with short grain white rice, but in a pinch, you can also
use
medium grain white rice. Rice is made up of two different starches: amylose and amylopectin. The higher the amounts of amylopectin in a grain of rice, the stickier its texture will be after it is cooked.
You want to stay away from long-grain rice because you need a stickier, starchier consistency for sushi rice. Short-grain rice (and medium-grain rice) has very high amounts of amylopectin and is perfect for making sushi rice.
Some of my favorite brands to use for sushi rice are Tamaki Gold short-grain rice, Koda Farms Kokuho (medium grain) rice, and Koshihikari short-grain rice. I like to buy short grain rice at any local Asian grocery store like Mitsuwa or 99 Ranch.
Rice-to-water ratio to sushi rice in a rice cooker
For a perfect sushi rice consistency, stick with an easy-to-remember
rice-to-water
ratio
of 1:1. That means for every cup of sushi rice, you need to add one cup of filtered water. If you want to make more than one
cup of rice, follow the same ratio: 2 servings: 1 cup of short or medium grain rice, 8 fluid ounces of filtered water 4 servings: 2 cups of short or medium grain rice,
- 16 fluid ounces
- filtered water
of
For all the brands of short grain rice we have tested, the above ratio of 1: 1 is the same, However, if you need help fixing the consistency of rice, you may need to adjust the amount of water for future batches.
If your rice is too hard, you should add more water. I like to add water in 2 tablespoons increments and heat the rice in the microwave for 30 seconds (covered with a towel) until it has a plump, smooth texture. If your rice is too soft, unfortunately, you should restart from the beginning and reduce the amount of water by 2 tablespoons or more, depending on how wet your rice’s current consistency is.
Do you need to wash sushi rice?
It is very important to always wash the rice you make before cooking it and, most importantly, sushi rice. I wash my sushi rice several times until the water is completely clear. Washing the rice removes excess residue and starch from the outside of the grains. You want your sushi rice to be plump and ready to spice, not extra sticky or mushy due to excess starch.
Sushi rice seasoning
“sushi rice seasoning mix” />If you’ve ever eaten sushi before, you may notice that the rice is seasoned, not only does it taste like plain white rice, but it’s topped with a sweet, salty, slightly vinegar
seasoning
. For this recipe, we used a basic three-ingredient recipe: rice vinegar, white granulated sugar, and kosher salt with a customizable ratio of 1:3:3.
This ratio for seasoning will give you a slightly sweet taste and vinegar, but if you prefer to have more flavor in your sumeshi, you can add more rice vinegar in teaspoon increments. If you like a sweeter taste, you can add more sugar in teaspoon increments.
Rice vinegar
can be purchased at your local supermarket these days, but make sure it’s labeled as rice vinegar and not “seasoned rice vinegar” because the latter has added sugar, which we don’t need
.
The easiest way to make seasoning is to add everything in a microwave container and heat for about 20-30 seconds until all the ingredients have dissolved. You can also do this over the stove over low heat, but it’s much quicker and easier in a microwave.
Recap: Making
sushi rice in a rice cooker
- Measure all rice and water with a kitchen scale or the appropriate dry and liquid measuring cups, this will help you get the most accurate measurements, also known as foolproof cooking! Use a strainer to help flush off all excess starch and debris in the rice. If you don’t rinse the rice, you could end up with too much starch and a consistency that is too soft or sticky.
- Follow the instructions for your rice cooker. I cook short grain rice in the normal configuration and just press start. After I finish cooking, I like to let the rice stand in the rice cooker with the lid closed for about 5 minutes to remove excess moisture. I open the lid and turn off any heating settings to prevent the rice from overcooking.
- , making sure all sides of the hangiri are saturated with water. Pour the remaining water into the sink.
- Transfer hot rice to hangiri (if you don’t have a hangiri, you can also use a large, shallow bowl and a flat spatula). Pour the seasoning over the rice as evenly as possible and use your rice popsicle as a way to distribute the rice.
- Use your gently cut rice popsicle into the rice to begin mixing the seasoning through the rice grains. Some people like to use a quick but gentle motion to cut the lumps of rice and mix the seasoning. Don’t try to push down the rice because you’ll crush it instead of mixing it.
- You want separate grains of rice that are completely covered with seasoning. After seasoning the rice thoroughly, level the rice and cover it with a damp towel to prevent the rice from drying out or cooling while assembling your sushi. You want the rice to be slightly above room temperature, but not cold.
- Use sumeshi for your next California roll recipe, spicy tuna roll recipe (with kewpie and sriracha) or how to make hand rolls (temaki sushi recipe).
Splash water around the inside of the hangiri
