How To Make Sushi Rice

The trick to great sushi is to make great sushi rice. There are many factors that can ruin a good pot of rice but if you follow these steps, you can make sushi rice that turns out perfect every time.

Things you’ll need:

Sushi Rice (1 ½ cup)

Water (2 cups)

Sesame oil (optional)

Sauce pan with lid

Baking sheet

Spatula

1. Buy the right rice. When you go to the super market there are a lot of different types of rice: short grain, medium grain, long grain etc. Sushi rice is its own type of rice. It’s short grain and on the bag it will say: sushi rice. You don’t have to use it for only sushi. It makes a great side dish to soups or cooked meats. And to those who aren’t to steady with their chopsticks, it sticks together nicely so you don’t look like a fool! Often times in chain grocery stores it is more expensive but it is worth it or you can buy big bags of it at Asian grocery stores. A 5 lb bag is about $8. When you make sushi rice, don’t cut corners. You need the real deal.
2. Figure out how much sushi you plan on making and measure appropriately. 1 cup of rice= 1 roll. You don’t want to run out of rice. If you make too much sushi rice, you can always use it in stir fry over the next couple days.
3. Unlike pasta, mix rice and water together in the sauce pan and then bring to a boil.
4. After it boils, turn down the stove to low and cover with a lid. Turn the heat to low as soon as the sushi rice starts to boil. Otherwise you’ll get a burnt mess at the bottom of the pan.
5. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Don’t open the lid when you’re make sushi rice. It’s important to keep the steam in. After 20 minutes remove from heat.
6. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold in 1 tsp of sesame oil for every cup of rice. This gives the sushi rice a nice flavor and aroma.
7. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool until room temperature. Once it has cooled, you’re ready to roll.