Place the rice in a large pot (that has a lid). Thoroughly rinse and drain the rice until the water runs clear, at least 3 times (rinse the rice even if the bag says it's "prewashed"). Drain as much water as possible.
Add the specified amount of lukewarm water to the pot with the rice. Close with the lid, and place on the stove top.
Heat over medium-high heat until the water begins to boil, once boiling cook over medium-high heat for 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. (I move my pot to a smaller, lower power burner for the simmer portion).
After simmering, remove from heat and let the pot stand undisturbed for another 15 minutes. After sitting, follow the instructions below to season the rice.
Rice Cooker Rice Preparation:
Place the rice in the pot of your rice cooker. Thoroughly rinse and drain the rice until the water runs clear, at least 3 times (rinse the rice even if the bag says it's "prewashed"). Drain as much water as possible.
Add the specified amount of lukewarm water to the pot with the rice. Place the pot into your rice cooker and close the lid. Follow your rice cooker's instructions (use a sushi rice setting if available, otherwise "white rice" or just "rice" will work fine). Once the rice cooker is finished, follow the instructions below to season the rice.
Season the Rice:
Scoop the rice into a large non-metallic bowl. Dust with sugar and salt, then pour over the rice vinegar. Using a rice spatula or non-stick spatula, mix everything together and break up all the clumps of rice. Mix until every grain of rice is separated and coated in vinegar, the sugar and salt should dissolve completely. Don't worry if the rice seems too wet at this point, that will go away as it cools.
Allow the rice to cool uncovered or loosely covered, mixing occasionally, until it reaches room temp (about 20-30 minutes). You can speed this process along by fanning the rice if desired. The rice should be slightly sticky once it's cooled.
Notes
When preparing your rice make sure to rinse it thoroughly as described in the recipe even if the rice says it's "prewashed". As the rice shifts around in the bag during transportation, it rubs together and creates a thin powder on the rice. If not removed, this will lead to a gummy texture for your rice and you won’t get the key distinct grains. This may cause other issues when you use the rice in sushi recipes, so rinsing the rice until the water drains clear is a very important step in the process.The reason I recommend mixing the rice in a non-metallic bowl is because the vinegar may react with the metal and give the rice an off taste. I recommend using a plastic or ceramic mixing bowl, or a traditional wooden hangiri.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25batchCalories: 265kcal
Keyword Rice, Sushi Ingredients, Sushi Rice
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