How To Make Sushi Rice

Other than the fish, rice is the most important ingredient when making sushi. It must be sticky enough to hold everything together, but not too sticky. It should have a perfectly delicate flavor. It can be very tricky to make good sushi rice. Here's how to make sushi rice:

Ingredients and supplies:

• Rice (see instructions)
• Large pot or rice cooker with lid
• Sugar

1. Choose your rice. Many Japanese restaurants use white hulled sushi rice. Others use special short grain sticky and sweet rice. Be sure you choose high quality rice for making sushi rice. You may have the best luck finding suitable rice at an Asian specialty grocery store, but some supermarkets do carry a wide enough selection of rice. Sushi rice has a certain balance of starches that makes it sticky enough to hold the sushi ingredients together. Try not to use whole grain brown, jasmine, or Basmati rice if you can find other suitable types of rice. Do not attempt to use Minute rice or other cheap brands.
2. Decide how much rice you need. Unlike with most recipes, the amount of rice used to make sushi rice will vary widely on how the sushi will be served. About a pound and a half should be adequate for four adults. Adjust for larger or smaller groups, and do not make as much rice if you will be serving the sushi as an appetizer or side dish.
3. Prepare the rice. Once you're ready to begin cooking the rice, soak it in a large pot filled with cold water. Mix it around in the water to rinse it. Then pour as much of the water out of the pot as you can.
4. Cook the rice. Place the rinsed rice in a large pot or rice cooker along with an equal amount of water. Place the lid on the pot, and turn the burned on to high heat.
5. Wait. Do not remove the lid during the cooking process, because this will release the trapped steam. Once the pot starts to boil, wait for seven minutes. Some rice will get stuck to the bottom of the pot, but this rice will not be used for your sushi rolls. Do not remove the lid in an attempt to stir the rice to prevent it from sticking.
6. Continue to cook. After your seven minutes have passed, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and let it cook for another fifteen minutes. Remember, do not remove the lid at any time.
7. Make the sushi vinegar. In a small pot, combine 1/3 cup rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and one teaspoon of salt. Heat on very low heat until everything has dissolved. Sample the vinegar, and add more of any of the 3 ingredients if it needs it.
8. Season the rice. Mix the sushi vinegar into the cooked rice. Be careful not to smash the rice or scrape any of it from the bottom of the pan. This vinegar mixture is what makes sushi rice different from regular rice.
9. Make sushi. Use the sushi rice at room temperature to make your sushi.

No matter what kind of sushi you are making, make sure to start with good sushi rice. Otherwise, your beautiful sushi will just fall apart when you try to pick it up.