🍚 Sushi Rice (Shari) Recipe

Sushi rice is more than just cooked rice—it’s a careful balance of texture, seasoning, and technique. This recipe gives you the classic Japanese method used in sushi restaurants.

⭐ Ingredients (Makes About 4 Cups Sushi Rice)

For the Rice

2 cups Japanese short-grain rice (also called sushi rice)
2 cups water (for cooking—amount may vary by brand)

For the Sushi Vinegar (Sushizu)

¼ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Optional: 1 teaspoon mirin (adds mild sweetness & umami)

🔪 Instructions

1. Rinse the Rice (Very Important)

Place the rice in a bowl and fill with cold water.
Gently swirl with your hand for 10 seconds.
Drain the cloudy water.
Repeat 4–6 times until water is mostly clear.

Why?
It removes excess starch so the rice becomes glossy, separate, and sticky—not gummy.

2. Soak the Rice

After rinsing, add fresh water and let the rice soak 30 minutes (up to 1 hour).

Why?
Soaking allows the grains to hydrate evenly and cook with the perfect interior texture.

3. Prepare Sushi Vinegar

In a small saucepan:

Combine rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Heat over low just until sugar dissolves.
Do not boil.

Set aside to cool.

4. Cook the Rice

Use a rice cooker or stovetop.

Rice Cooker Method

Add the soaked rice and equal amount of water (usually 1:1).
Press Cook.

Stovetop Method

Add soaked rice + water to a pot.
Cover and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.
When boiling, reduce to low heat, cover, and cook 12 minutes.
Turn off heat and let steam 10 minutes without lifting the lid.

5. Season the Cooked Rice

Transfer the hot rice into a wide wooden or glass bowl (hangiri or large bowl).
Pour the sushi vinegar evenly over the rice.
Use a rice paddle to cut and fold the rice—never mash or stir in circles.

Goal:
Coat each grain with seasoning while keeping texture intact.

6. Cool the Rice Properly

Fan the rice with a tray or fan while mixing.
This cools the rice quickly and gives it a shiny, sticky, restaurant finish.
Rice should be room temperature, not warm or cold.

🍣 Tips for Perfect Sushi Rice

✔ Use the Right Rice

Short-grain Japanese rice (Koshihikari, Calrose) is essential.

✔ Don’t Overmix

Folding gently preserves grain structure.

✔ Keep It Moist

Cover the bowl with a damp towel until ready to use.

✔ Do Not Refrigerate

Cold rice becomes hard and dry—only prepare what you need for the day.

🌈 Optional Variations

1. Kombu-Infused Rice

Add a 4–5 cm strip of kombu on top of rice before cooking.

Adds umami and natural sweetness.
Remove after cooking.

2. Less Sweet / More Sweet

Reduce sugar to 1 tablespoon for a tangier rice.
Increase sugar to 3 tablespoons for traditional Edomae-style sushi.

3. Vinegar Blends

Some chefs blend:

Rice vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
White vinegar
For extra brightness.

🔧 Troubleshooting

Rice too mushy?

Too much water or insufficient rinsing.

Rice too hard?

Not enough water or soaking time.

Too sour?

Reduce vinegar by 1–2 teaspoons.

Not sticky enough?

Make sure you used short-grain rice.

🍱 Ready to Use For:

Sushi rolls (maki)
Nigiri
Temaki (hand rolls)
Chirashi bowls
Onigiri (reduce vinegar for onigiri)

OTHER RECIPES

Ingredients:

3 cups of uncooked calrose rice.
3 cups of water.
½ cup of japanese rice vinegar.
½ cup of sugar.
1 teaspoon of Salt.

Directions:

Wash the rice and rinse thoroughly.
Add 3 cups of water and cook in a rice cooker.
Mix together the rice vinegar, sugar and salt; cook over a medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
Allow to cool.
Put the cooked rice into a large mixing bowl; then pour the
vinegar sauce over the hot rice and mix. Enjoy!

SUSHI RECIPES

Sushi Rice recipe