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Perfect Sushi Rice

Here is my recipe for the perfect sushi rice. You can eat this as-is or roll into your favorite sushi roll with ingredients of choice. I use strips of carrots, cucumbers, and slices of avocado. Adjust the amount of vinegar, sugar, and salt in this recipe to suit your taste.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 15 people
Calories 510.7 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Fine-Mesh Strainer For thoroughly rinsing the sushi rice.
  • 1 Medium Saucepan with tight-fitting lid For cooking the rice.
  • 1 Small Saucepan For preparing the sushi vinegar.
  • 1 Large Non-Metallic Bowl Ideally a hangiri, or a large plastic/glass bowl for mixing and cooling rice.
  • 1 Wooden Spoon or Spatula For gently mixing the rice without mashing.

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 2 cups uncooked sushi rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup white sugar or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

Instructions
 

  • Gather all ingredients. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Rinse rice under cold water in a strainer until water runs clear. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Combine rice and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, until tender, 10 minutes more. The rice will continue to steam. Remove lid and let rice cool. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Meanwhile, combine rice vinegar, oil, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Stir vinegar mixture into rice. It may look wet at first, but keep stirring; rice will dry as it cools. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
  • Enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS

Notes

For truly 'perfect' sushi rice, meticulous washing is crucial; rinse until the water is absolutely clear to prevent gummy rice. When cooking, resist the urge to lift the lid during steaming or resting; this traps essential moisture. After cooking, transfer the rice to a wide, non-metallic bowl, ideally a hangiri, or a large plastic/glass bowl, to cool. Use a cutting motion with a spatula ("kirikomi") to gently separate and coat the grains with the cooled vinegar mixture, rather than mashing. Fanning the rice during this process helps it cool quickly, evaporate excess moisture, and achieve a beautiful sheen, ensuring each grain is distinct yet perfectly seasoned and sticky for rolling. Adjust the seasoning balance to your preference; some prefer it sweeter, others tangier.