Sushi Rice

Wanna cook your own sushi rice? I found this step by step recipe and clip from videojug is really helpful, it shows some useful tips on how cooking the authentic sushi rice from the master.

Preparation time : 30 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Step 1.

You will need:

- 3 cups (750 ml) sushi rice

- 3 1/3 cups (830 ml) water

- 1/2 cup (120 ml) rice vinegar

- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 tbsp dashi- concentrated or powdered fish stock

- 1 small saucepan

- 1 large saucepan with lid

- 1 spoon

- 1 large flat bottomed bowl, preferably wooden

- 1 flat spatula

- 1 fan

- 1 large glass bowl

Step 2.

Rinse the rice. Put the three cups of rice in a large bowl. Lightly rinse by adding enough cold water to half fill the bowl and swill it around with the rice. Pour the water off. Scrunch the rice about in the bowl with your hand. Then rinse, swill and drain again and repeat the scrunching action. Keep following this pattern until the water is almost clear - this could take 3 or 4 attempts. Transfer the rinsed rice into a large saucepan. Pour in 3 and a third cups of water and leave it to soak for at least 30 minutes. As it soaks, the rice will become whiter and the water will appear clearer.

Step 3.

Prepare the sushi vinegar

Put half a cup of rice vinegar, quarter of a cup of sugar, a pinch of salt and teaspoo of powdered Dashi into the small saucepan. Heat gently and stir to ensure that the sugar and salt dissolve. Don't let the mixture boil as this will impair the flavour, only heat enough to completely dissolve all the ingredients then turn off the heat, and leave it to cool while you prepare the rice.

Step 4.

Cook the rice.

Put the pan on the hob with the lid securely on top, and turn the heat to high. Avoid lifting the lid at all ties through out the cooking process as this will allow the steam to escape. When the rice begins to boil reduce the heat and leave to simmer for fifteen minutes. After fifteen minutes are up, turn off the heat and leave the rice to stand for another 15 minutes.

Step 5.

Stir the sushi vinegar.

Transfer the rice into a large wooden bowl. Pour over the sushi vinegar. Use the spatula in a cutting motion to fold the mixture into the rice. While you are folding use your other hand to fan the rice. Keep fanning and folding until the rice has reached room temperature, this could take up to 10 minutes.

Step 6.

Ready to serve.

It's best to use the rice immediately. It should be shiny and sticky, with each grain separated and not mashed together. It should be used at room temperature. If you don't need it straight away, cover the bowl with a damp cloth. This will prevent it from becoming too hard.

You can use the sushi rice to make inari, temaki sushi, nigiri sushi, chirashi sushi, with any flavour and topping you like. Here are the result from my kitchen:

Temaki Sushi and Inari!

(Temaki sushi)

(Inari)