Type of rice cooker to use
While there are options of microwaving, stovetop cooking, or steaming rice that is also PFA-free, but using a rice cooker is still the easiest, fastest, and most hands-off with perfect results. To make sushi rice, I prefer using a rice cooker because it’s an easy, hands-off method to get perfectly plump and moist grains of rice without worrying about boiling water or overcooking it. And you know the results will turn out the same every time as long as you accurately weigh the rice and water.
Types rice to use
Traditionally, sushi rice is made using white short-grain rice but in a pinch, you can also use white medium-grain rice. Rice is made up of two different starches: amylose and amylopectin. The higher amounts of amylopectin in a grain of rice, the stickier its texture will be after it’s cooked. You want to steer clear of long-grain rice because you need a stickier and starchier consistency for sushi rice. Short grain rice (and medium grain rice) has very high amounts of amylopectin and is perfect for making sushi rice. Some of my favorite brands to use for sushi rice are Tamaki Gold short-grain rice, Koda Farms Kokuho Rice (medium grain), and Koshihikari short-grain rice. I like to buy short-grain rice from any local Asian grocery store like Mitsuwa or 99 Ranch.
Rice to water ratio for sushi rice in a rice cooker
To get perfect sushi rice consistency, stick with an easy-to-remember rice to water ratio of 1:1. That means for every one cup of sushi rice, you need to add one cup of filtered water. If you want to make more than one cup of rice, follow the same ratio:
2 servings: 1 cup of short-grain or medium grain rice, 8 fluid ounces of filtered water4 servings: 2 cups of short-grain or medium grain rice, 16 fluid ounces of filtered water
For all the short-grain rice brands we’ve tried, the above ratio of 1:1 is the same, however, if you need help troubleshooting your rice consistency, you may need to adjust the amount of water for future batches. If your rice is too hard, you need to add more water. I like to add water in 2 tablespoon increments and microwave the rice for 30 seconds (covered with a towel) until it’s plump and soft in texture. If your rice is too soft, unfortunately, you need to restart from the beginning and reduce the amount of water by 2 tablespoons or more depending on how wet your current rice consistency is.
Do you need to wash sushi rice?
It’s super important to always wash any rice you make before cooking and most importantly sushi rice. I wash my sushi rice multiple times until the water is completely clear. Washing rice removes excess debris and starch from the outside of the grains. You want your sushi rice to be plump and ready for seasoning, not extra sticky or mushy because of the excess starch.
Sushi rice seasoning
If you’ve ever had sushi before you might notice that the rice is seasoned–it doesn’t just taste like plain white rice but is coated with a sweet, salty, and slightly vinegared seasoning. For this recipe, we use a basic recipe of three ingredients: rice vinegar, white granulated sugar, and kosher salt with a customizable ratio of 1:3:3. This ratio for seasoning will give you a slightly sweet and vinegary flavor, but if you prefer to have more tang in your sumeshi, you can add more rice vinegar in one teaspoon increments. If you like a sweeter flavor, you can add more sugar in one teaspoon increments. Rice vinegar can be purchased at your local grocery store these days, but make sure it’s labeled rice vinegar and not “seasoned rice vinegar” because the latter has added sugar, which we don’t need. The easiest way to make the seasoning is to add everything in a microwavable bowl and heat for about 20-30 seconds until all the ingredients have dissolved. You can also do this over the stove on low heat, but it’s much faster and easier in a microwave.
