Rice is the most important ingredient of sushi. Sushi masters say that rice makes 80% and fish makes only 20% of great sushi.
Cooking sushi rice at home is not as complicated as you may think. In order to make it right, you just to need to remember about a few things.
Here's the list of 5 tips for a perfect homemade sushi rice.
1. Buying the right rice
Buying the right type of rice for sushi is very important. You can easily find specific sushi rice with relevant information on the packaging. However, when no sushi rice is available, look for short-grain rice that will work best here. You can also opt for the organic version of it.
Short-grain rice has a round shape, with the same length and width and it contains the right amount of starch. Different varieties should have the same effect; just remember that the protein component should not be more than 6%.
The secret of cooking the best sushi rice lies in allowing it to become sticky while maintaining its shape and avoiding becoming too soft. Short-grain rice should do the trick.
2. Making sushi rice vinegar
You need only 3 ingredients to make sushi rice vinegar: rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Per 1 cup of rice you will need to make a solution in this ratio: 2 tbs of rice vinegar + 2 1/2 tsp of sugar + 3/4 tsp of salt. Add all the ingredients to a small pot or saucepan and warm up on a medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. When ready, put it aside. You will need to add this mixture to your cooked rice a bit later.
3. Rinsing the rice
You will need to rinse the rice before cooking it. Just wash the rice a few times until the water clears. Only rinsed rice is ready for cooking!
4. Cooking the rice
In Japanese tradition, there are certain rituals practised in order to cook rice perfectly. What we want for sushi is rice that gets sticky but not too soft.
How to do it? It's very easy! You should cook the rinsed rice in a small amount of water, with the lid on top of the pot. During the cooking process, the amylose, a form of starch, will be released, which will allow for the grains to stick together without becoming too soft, and this is exactly what we want here. Let it rest for a while before you add the vinegar.
5. Dressing the rice
Now, you should mix your cooked rice with rice vinegar. You will need about 1.5 tbsp of rice vinegar per 1 cup of rice. Be very delicate when mixing, try not to smash the rice. You can transfer the rices into another bowl. Then cover the rice with a kitchen towel, cotton sheet, or film and leave it for a couple of hours.
After this time, the rice is ready to use in nigiri, maki, and as side dish with sashimi!
