How to Cook Sushi Rice
- Essential Sushi Recipes
How to Prepare Sushi Rice (Makes approximately 1kg of sushi rice)
INGREDIENTS:
 500g uncooked, matured Japanese or Californian short grain rice
 Sushi should never be made using long grain rice, as it is too dry to shape.
 625ml cold water
Quantities may be varied according to the amount of rice required, but the ratio of uncooked rice to water should be one part rice to one and a quarter parts water.
 120ml sushi rice vinegar
Although the recipe only calls for 120ml of vinegar, you will need extra to make tezu or vinegared hand-dipping water.
For sushi rice vinegar, mix together 200ml rice vinegar, 120ml granulated sugar and 2.5g salt in a non-aluminium saucepan, and heat until the sugar dissolves, then set aside to cool.
UTENSILS:
 Handai (Wooden bowl)
Shamoji (flat wooden scoop)
 Uchiwa (paper fan)
 If using a rice cooker, measure the required amount of rice using the measuring cup supplied with the cooker, and use the amount of water indicated on the inside wall of the cooker. If in doubt refer to your cooker’s instruction manual. Follow the instructions below, but at stage 3, place required amount of rice and water, and konbu (dried kelp) if using, in the rice cooker and switch on. When the rice is cooked, leave it in the cooker for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Then return to stage 5 of the instructions below.
How to Make
1. A number of non-fish ingredients appear in traditional, authentic sushi. These include tamago, or egg, served as nigirizushi and secured with a strip of nori, or in futomaki, and kyuri (cucumber) and kampyo (gourd), served as hosomaki (cucumber hosomaki is known as kappamaki). More recent, Western innovations include avocado and red pepper, which appear in futomaki and California roll.
 2. Drain the water by using your palm as a barrier, and repeat 3-5 times, until the water remains clear. When draining for the final time, a sieve may be used. The rice should then be left for 30 minutes before cooking. This will ensure that the cooked rice is not too soft and sticky, and will absorb the sushi vinegar correctly.
 3. Place the rice and water in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. If using, wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, and add to the pan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, and remove the konbu, if using, just before boiling point is reached.
A 10cm square of konbu may be added at stage 3, and removed just before the mixture reaches boiling point. This adds depth to the flavour of the rice, but it can be left out if none is available.
 4. When boiling point has been reached, put the lid on the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes without removing the lid. Remove from the heat, then take off the lid and cover promptly with a tea towel. Put the lid back on, and leave for a further 10 minutes.
 5. Next, use a shamoji to remove the rice from the pan, and place in a wide, shallow container, ideally the traditional Japanese cypress wood rice tub known as a handai. Spread the rice evenly over the bowl using the shamoji, taking care not to crush the kernels.
 6. Add the sushi vinegar promptly, pouring it as evenly as possible over the rice. Using the shamoji, make gentle cutting and folding movements to incorporate the vinegar thoroughly into the rice, being sure not to crush the kernels by mashing or stirring.
 7. At the same time as cutting and folding, fan the rice with a paper fan to ensure it cools down quickly. You may wish to ask someone to help you at this point. It should take about 10 minutes for the rice to have cooled down, by which point all the rice is coated evenly with vinegar.
8. You should be left with rice that has a beautiful lustre, and does not stick together in lumps or clumps. The sushi rice should be covered with a clean cloth until it is required. It should ideally be used within an hour of preparation, and should never be refrigerated.
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