Unveiling the Perfect Sushi Rice: Koji Cooks Shares the Ultimate Recipe (Demystifying Sushi Part 1)
- Michael Fennelly
- Feb 13
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 16
Making sushi at home is quite challenging. Although it seems simple, each component must be prepared correctly, especially the rice. If it's too dry, it won't hold together; if it's too wet, it becomes a mushy mass. There are many recipes for sushi rice, but experts like Nobu and Morimoto agree on a 1:1 water to rice ratio. It can be made without a rice cooker, but that's even more difficult. I use a fancy Zojirushi rice cooker, but less expensive brands work fine too. The Zojirushi has a built-in program for perfect rice, which takes about an hour. If you're using another brand without a timer, the total time from start to finish is about 38 minutes. Press the cook button and let the rice sit in the cooker undisturbed for 38 minutes; everything else remains the same. Rice cookers come with a measuring cup that holds 3/4 cup in American measurement if you're not using the included cup. The rice is cooled in a wooden tub called a sushi oke, but a wooden salad, steel or plastic bowl will work as well. I use Marukan seasoned rice vinegar to season the rice. I received private sushi instruction from a protégé of Nobu's, and that's the vinegar he used.
SUSHI RICE
2 cups (rice cooker cups) or 1-1/2 cups of sushi rice - I use nishiki brand.
2 rice cooker cups of cold water
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
METHOD
Rinse the rice in a bowl under cold running water, swirling it with your hand. Drain and repeat this step five times until the water is nearly clear. Place the rinsed rice in a strainer and let it rest for 15 minutes. Add the rice and water to the rice cooker and cook as per the instructions above. Once cooked, use a wooden rice paddle to move the rice into a wooden bowl or sushi oke. Spread it out, drizzle with rice vinegar, then fan, flip, and separate the rice until it cools to room temperature, gently separating the grains with the paddle as you cool the rice. Cover with a damp kitchen towel until you're ready to prepare sushi.
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