Sushi Rice | The Modern Proper (2024)

April 2, 2023

If you can make regular rice, you’re already on your way to perfect sushi rice at home. You’ll add unseasoned rice vinegar, sugar, and salt for sushi rice for all your bowls and rolls.

Photography by Gayle McLeod

Cooking Sushi Rice At Home Is Super Easy

Sushi rice, like going out for sushi, can seem like a luxury reserved for a restaurant. We were happy to discover that cooking sushi rice at home is easy and straightforward, and a technique that we’ll be incorporating into our cooking repertoire. Sushi rice seasoning requires three basic ingredients: sea salt, unseasoned rice vinegar, and sugar. Once you’ve perfected this easy sushi rice, you can of course use it for making sushi rolls and nigiri, but it’s also great subbed in many dishes where you would use plain white rice. It adds a nice textural and flavor component to simply cooked fish and meats.

Start Making Homemade Sushi Rice Now!

Good news! You’ll need a few simple ingredients and tools to make the best sushi rice in your own kitchen. What kind of rice is used for sushi? Look for Japanese short grain white rice, which is often labeled as “sushi rice” for mainstream grocery stores if you’re not shopping at a specialty Japanese market. Japanese rice is more glutinous, which means that it has more starch because it hasn’t been as highly polished. In general, short grain rice is more glutinous than long grain rice–think arborio rice versus basmati rice! We’ve found that our grocery store reliably carries the brands Kokuho Rose and Nishiki. It’s also important to buy the correct type of vinegar. Look for unseasoned rice vinegar, which has a relatively low acidity (apple cider vinegar will work if you can’t find it). Marukan rice vinegar is the mostly widely available brand in the United States. Once you have these ingredients squared away, you’ll just need sugar and salt from your pantry.

How To Make Sushi Rice

For this recipe, our cooking method involves using a saucepan with a fitted lid on the stovetop. You can definitely cook the rice using a rice cooker if you have one.

1. Is sushi rice a 1:1 ratio? Yes! In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in two cups of rice and the salt, and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the liquid has been absorbed, 17-18 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine vinegar and sugar. Microwave for 1 minute until sugar has dissolved.

   How to season sushi rice: Transfer the rice to a large shallow bowl. Add in vinegar mixture and gently stir using a spatula or a rice paddle until vinegar is fully incorporated. If using the rice to make sushi, spread rice on a large baking sheet and allow it to cool to room temperature. Sushi chefs cover the cooked rice with a lightly damp cloth to prevent it from drying out as they make sushi. Now you’re ready to make California rolls and all of your other favorite rolls!
   

Leveling Up Your Sushi Game

Although you can find quality sushi rice at the grocery store, there’s an entire world of specialty rice growers offering premium sushi rice, including some really great farms in California if you’re looking to support domestic growers. If you get excited about specialty tools, another way to level up your sushi rice making at home is to invest in a wooden hangiri and a rice paddle. The hangiri is the traditional tool used for cooling sushi rice, and a rice paddle helps to delicately season the rice. Even without these specialty tools and ingredients, we think you’ll be able to make the best sushi rice at home following our basic recipe.

Tools You’ll Need

• Medium saucepan

• Small bowl

• Large shallow bowl

• Spatula or rice paddle

• Large baking sheet

• Measuring cups and spoons

Recipes To Accompany Your Perfect Sushi Rice

If you’re not planning on making rolls and nigiri with your sushi rice, you could use sushi rice in any of the following recipes:

• Rice Bowl with Turmeric Ginger Chicken or Buddha Bowl

• Macadamia Nut Crusted Fish Bowl

• Poke Bowl

• Easy Curry Salmon

• Chicken Teriyaki Sushi Bowl

Are You A Pro At Making Sushi Rice?

Now that you’ve made this basic sticky sushi rice recipe and maybe some delicious fish or veggies to go with it, we want to see your work. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!