E Z HOME SUSHI
Where home chefs learn the art of sushi
Making Sushi Rice
Making sushi starts with the rice. The term “sushi” is the americanized version of the japanese term zushi. The “zu” refers to “vinegar”, the “shi” refers to rice. The term “sushi” basically means “vinegared rice”. Many people think that sushi means “raw fish” or refers to rolls. Sushi is any dish which is made with rice seasoned with vinegar, though sashimi (raw fish) is often considered sushi as well. Sushi can be rice balls (onigiri), nigiri (hand-pressed), makizushi (rolled sushi), or chirashi (scattered sushi) which is the vinegared version of donburri (rice bowls with meat or veggie toppings). The first step to making sushi rice is to use the proper rice. You want to use a short-grained rice. The type of rice generally considered “sushi rice” is known as Calrose or Japonica rice. They are the same type of rice, they just have two different names. Many times in asian grocery stores the label will simply say “sushi rice”. If you don’t have any asian grocery stores in your area you can find the rice in our store. The short grains stick to the nori (seaweed sheets) better than longer-grained rice will. Short rice also has a higher surface area per grain and therefore absorbs more of the seasoning. There are two main ways of cooking the rice. You can use a rice cooker or you can cook in boiling water. As a beginner we recommend using a rice cooker. The amount of water and amount of rice varies based on the age of the rice, and the cooker. Refer to your rice cookers directions when selecting the amount of water. Older rice (more than a year old) can require up to 20% more water as the rice has likely lost moisture and will require more water to fully cook it. Prior to cooking the rice you must rinse the rice. To do this, put water and rice in a bowl and stir. You will need to do this several times. When you stir the rice the water will turn white from the starches washing off the grains. Pour the water out and repeat this process until the water isn’t a milky-white color anymore. Typically it takes four or five rinses to do have properly washed rice.
Perfect Beginner Rice Cooker
Great rice cooker for under $30 and sushinoko powdered seasoning saves you precious time.
Suhinoko Sushi Seasoning
When stirring in the seasoning it is critical that you don’t crush the rice. You can use any bowl but a flat bowl with much surface area is conducive to getting evenly seasoned rice. Japanese traditionally use round, wooden bowls with a flat bottom in order to get a good mix. Take your time and slowly fold the rice upon itself. Use the narrow side of the rice paddle to slice through the rice and break up any clumps. Many people fan the rice to begin cooling it when it is nearly completely seasoned. You want the rice to be at room temperature when you make your sushi. When you finish seasoning the rice you should cover it and let it rest. You can cover with an air-tight cover or with a damp cloth. You want to avoid having the rice dry out while cooling. Once it is at room temp it is ready to use.
The entire process of preparing the rice can be very time consuming. Rinsing and soaking can take 15 minutes. Cooking can take 30 minutes in a cooker and longer including prep time if you cook in a pot. Blending in seasoning can take 10-15 minutes, and resting the rice can be another 20-30 minutes. The entire process can take up to an hour and a half. For this reason we recommend the novice sushi chef to use time-saving methods such as using a rice cooker and sushinoko powdered seasoning. If you can’t find these items at a local grocer you can find them in our store.
After measuring out the amount of rice you want, place in the rice-cooker bowl and add water.
You want to massage the rice with your hands while rinsing. You are rinsing off the excess starches from the outside of the grains. This starch will make rice too sticky if not washed off adequately.
Strain the water out of the bowl.
Rinse and repeat. You may need to repeat this step 4-5 times.
Rinse until the water is mostly clear. This means that the starches that can wash off have done so.
Strain the rice and place back in the bowl.
Now add in the measured amount of water needed for the rice used. Refer to your rice supplier for recommended amounts. In this case we are adding 2 cups of water to 1.5 cups calrose rice.
One of the secrets of sushi chefs is to add lemon to the water prior to cooking. Seasoning the water infuses flavors directly into the grains.
Let the rice soak for a minimum of 5-10 minutes. This allows the grains to begin absorbing water prior to cooking. This keeps the center of the grain soft. Not soaking long enough will cause rolls to deform when cutting. Over-soaking makes mushy rolls.
Another secret of sushi chefs is to add sesame oil to the water prior to cooking. This gives an authentic sushi-restaurant flavor to the rice. In this case we added 1.5 teaspoons of sesame oil to 2 cups of water.
Stir the oil up so that it isn’t all in one spot.
Cook the rice until completed. Do not open the cover until the cooking process is complete. It is safe to wait a few minutes prior to opening the cooker. Always lean toward giving the cooker more time than less time.
Pour rice into a bowl which offers a large surface area. The seasoning will soak up quickly while the rice is hot. Whether you are using liquid vinegar or powdered sushinoko seasoning, you want to add seasoning while the rice is hot.
Slowly add seasoned vinegar or powdered sushinoko seasoning to rice and stir. For beginners we highly recommend the powdered seasoning.
Use the edge of the rice paddle to “slice” the rice. Break up any clumps, but don’t crush the rice.
After the clumps are broken up, gently fold rice upon itself to evenly distribute the seasoning.
Sample the rice and add more seasoning if necessary. This is a great time to add powdered seasoning for extra flavor.
Once the flavor is right you want to begin the cooling process. Spread rice out so that there is as much surface area as possible. This is why the traditional wooden bowls work so well.
Fan the rice to cool it and partially dry the rice. You want rice room temperature prior to using. If you don’t have a fan you may use a plastic plate (pictured above).
Once it is partially dry and cooled you will want to cover with a damp cloth. This allows the rice to cool without drying out any more. Once the rice is room temp it is ready to use.
As a beginner we recommend people use the powdered “sushinoko” seasoning in place of the liquid version. If you are making your own seasoned vinegar the recipe is pretty simple. The ingredients are salt, sugar, and vinegar. Many people will add a piece of konbu (kelp) to give it an authentic flavor. The use of konbu is optional. To get the flavor of the konbu in the vinegar you must bring to a simmer with a piece of konbu in the vinegar. Do not boil the mixture. There is no rule regarding the ratios of salt, sugar and vinegar. Many sushi chefs closely guard their ratios. As a rule of thumb we recommend a 7,5,2 guideline. This ratio is similar to what is found in many restuarants. This is 7 parts red or white vinegar, 5 parts sugar, and 2 parts salt. You can do whatever amount you want (teaspoons, tablespoons, cups) but keep the ratio the same. We recommend writing down the ratios you used and then trying a slightly different ratio the next time. Compare notes and see which variation you prefer. You can also purchase powdered vinegar to add to rice that was seasoned with liquid seasoning. Though many chefs will use rice vinegar and season with sugar and salt, they will also add more powdered red wine vinegar while seasoning the rice. This way they can add more vinegar without adding more liquid and can give the rice an extra tangy punch. Adding fresh lemon juice and sesame oil to the rice while cooking is another way to give the rice an authentic flavor. Do not add the lemon or sesame oil while blending in the seasoning.
Generally speaking a cup of uncooked rice will make about 4 rolls. When cooking for a group it is safe to assume about a cup of uncooked rice for each person being served. It is always better to have a little too much than to run out.
Beginner
Store
When you are just starting you have a few basic tools/items you will need to get started. This shop has the basics at prices that won’t break the bank.
Best Bang-for-the-Buck Store
After you get your basics, you will want to start upgrading and getting other items to make more advanced sushi.
Ideal Products Store
If you don’t have to check your bank account before going shopping, this store has the best of best options.
