Cook Sushi Rice, Top Recipe for Your Kitchen

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is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger.
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This time I would like to show you my basic sushi rice recipe . In contrast to simple cooking rice, the rice for sushi requires special preparation.

As the main ingredient in sushi, you definitely need this rice prepared. Making sushi yourself is not that difficult – when you know how. I’m crazy about these delicious Japanese bites and love to experiment.

Without rice there is no sushi, so we will first learn how to prepare rice properly. Your kitchen is waiting and I’m ready too. Let’s start cooking.

1. Recipe Sushi Rice

Here is the step-by-step guide. If you have any questions, please use the comment function at the bottom of the page.

Sushi rice

Instructions by chef Thomas Sixt.

Servings 2
Calories 291
Total Time 30 Min.
Preparation Time 20 Min.
Cook Time 0 Min.

Sushi rice recipe simple. Step by step instructions for a successful side dish or sushi base with video.

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sushi rice
Sushi rice recipe image © food photographer Thomas Sixt

Ingredients

sushi rice

370 g Sushi rice (Japanese short grain rice)
540 ml cold water (For cooking rice)
2 EL rice vinegar (I use rice vinegar from the Asian market)
1,5 EL brown can sugar
1 TL primal salt (I use pink rock salt)

Instruction

rice cooker
Prepare rice cooker. The scoop for rice and water is helpful for the preparation.

Rice cooker

-> For the preparation of rice I recommend using an electric rice cooker.

This makes the rice cooking result perfect.

I also use the measuring cup and rice spoon from the accessories.

The latter protects the coating of the cooking bowl in the rice cooker and helps with the sushi rice.

Raw sushi rice
Sushi rice uncooked

Japanese short grain rice

Sushi rice is a special Japanese short grain rice.

Weigh this according to the above specification and have it ready.

water measured
Water in the measuring cup for the right amount.

Measure water

We need a larger amount of water to wash the rice.

To cook the washed rice, we need the above amount.

Ingredients sushi rice
All ingredients for preparing sushi rice: rice, water, rice vinegar, sugar, salt

Ingredients overview

The ingredients at a glance: Japanese rice, water, rice vinegar, sugar and salt.

Sushi rice rice cooker
Put the sushi rice that has been weighed into the rice cooker

Rice in bowl

We start with the rice and put it in a bowl.

The separate cooking bowl from the rice cooker is well suited.

Wash sushi rice
Wash the sushi rice in a large bowl. The water appears cloudy at first.

Wash rice

We add plenty of water to the rice (a good 1 litre).

We move the rice by hand or rice spoon.

This removes the starch from the rice and turns the water milky.

We carefully pour off the water.

We repeat this process until the water runs clear.

Washed sushi rice
Wash the sushi rice until the water appears clear

Washed rice

We drain the rice with clear water in a sieve.

Washed sushi rice
Well rinsed sushi rice without water in the rice cooker

Rice strained

Return the washed rice from the sieve to the pot.

water with the sushi rice
Water is boiled again with the cleaned sushi rice

Water to the rice cooker

Add the amount of water to the rice for cooking as indicated above.

Cook sushi rice
Cook the sushi rice in the rice cooker with the lid

Cook rice

Turn on the rice cooker. The cooker works automatically and there is no need to stir or release steam.

The device automatically switches to “Warm” when the rice is cooked.

Sushi rice spices
Brown sugar and salt as solid sushi condiments

Sugar and salt

While the rice is cooking, we prepare the sushi vinegar.

Measure out the sugar and salt and place in a smaller bowl.

salt, sugar, rice vinegar
Combine all sushi seasonings: rice vinegar, sugar, salt

Rice vinegar for brew

For the Sushi Zu, the seasoning broth, we add rice vinegar to the sugar and salt.

Sushi seasoning
Prepare spice stock for sushi. Dissolve sugar and salt in rice vinegar.

Dissolve for Sushi-Zu

You want the sugar and salt to completely dissolve in the rice vinegar.

rice cooked
Fully cooked sushi rice in the rice cooker

Rice cooked

When the water in the rice cooker is completely absorbed by the rice, the rice is cooked.

Seasoning broth on sushi rice
Pour the seasoning broth over the cooked sushi rice

Sushi zu on rice

Spread the prepared sushi vinegar stock evenly over the rice. The big spoon helps with that.

Spiced sushi rice
Cooked sushi rice mixed well with seasoning stock

Finalize rice

Fold in the vinegar stock with a wide spoon or rice spoon.

Mix well but carefully. The rice should stay fluffy.

Cool the sushi rice
Cover and let the finished sushi rice cool down completely

Cool rice

Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel.

The rice should cool down to room temperature.

Sushi rice close
Sushi rice closeup

Serve sushi rice

Once cooled, the rice is ready for further use in sushi.

Alternatively, the rice can be served separately.

Here in the example decoratively sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Video

If no rice cooker is available, it can also be prepared in a saucepan. I recommend to heat the washed rice with the specified amount of water on the stove. As soon as the rice water is boiling, the temperature can be drastically reduced with the saucepan lid closed. I even tend to switch off the stove completely with an electric stove or ceramic hob. After 18-20 minutes the rice will be perfect.

2. Calories and Nutritional Values

3. Tips for a Perfect Sushi Rice

In any case, get yourself an original Japanese rice for your preparation, which is designated for the sushi preparation. The supermarket already offers good standard varieties. You will find the largest selection of round grain rice suitable for this in the Asian market.

The situation is similar with rice vinegar . It’s already available in many shops. You can also find great aromatic varieties from reddish to white in the Japanese market or generally in Asian markets.

Sushi-Zu is the name of the seasoning marinade for the rice, as we make it here. The sushi rice is never without Sushi Zu.

We wash our rice before cooking until the water runs clear. This is important so that the rice loses starch, otherwise it would stick too much and the sushi will not turn out well.

Rice cookers are perfect for preparing rice. If you don’t have a rice cooker at hand, the preparation in the pot works almost as well. It just needs a little extra attention to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. I recommend the rice cooker.

The rice for sushi should be cool to room temperature . With fish sushi, for example, we definitely don’t want to cook the fish on hot rice.

You can also serve sushi rice separately . I love to eat this rice in an extra portion in a bowl.

4. More Recipe Ideas

Comments, Cooking Questions and Answers

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Below you can write to me directly.
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  • Hi Thomas!

    My rice turned out very fine for the first time!

    Thank you 🙂 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Jones,

      thanks for your delicious feedback.

      You enjoyed it, feel free to come back to my kitchen!

      Kind regards Thomas

      Reply