Sushi Rice

1. Stage

Soak the rice:  Rinse the rice until the water runs clear and drain it thoroughly through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer it into a medium pot along with 2 cups of cold water and the kombu, if using. Cover the pot and let the rice soak for 20 to 30 minutes. 

2. Stage

Cook the rice:  Place the covered pot over medium-high heat and let it come to a boil. As it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat but keep the lid on. Let it sit for 5 minutes—the rice will continue to steam.

3. Stage

Meanwhile, make the seasoned vinegar: Place the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small liquid measuring cup. Place the cup in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve. The vinegar should not be hot or boil. You can also do this on the stovetop in a small pot.

4. Stage

Season the rice:  Remove the kombu from the rice and discard it. Scoop the rice into a large bowl. If there is any browned or hardened rice on the bottom of the pot, don’t scrape it into the bowl. It’s delicious to eat but should not be added to the sushi rice.  Drizzle some of the seasoned vinegar over the hot rice and use a rice paddle, a wooden spoon, or spatula to “slice” into the rice at a 45-degree angle, creating slots the vinegar can drizzle down into the rice. Continue to do this, using about half of the seasoned vinegar.  Then, fold the rice over gently, without packing it down. You are trying to evenly moisten the rice with the vinegar and cool it at the same time. It’ll start to pick up a nice sheen.

5. Stage

Cool the rice:  At this point, taste the rice. If you’d like it more seasoned, add more vinegar. I prefer mine lightly seasoned, so I use half to two-thirds of the mixture. Some folks prefer a more aggressively seasoned rice and use the entire amount. You can store any leftover seasoned vinegar in the refrigerator for up to a month for the next time you make sushi rice. Continue to fold the rice gently to cool it. Then, cover it with a damp cloth and let it cool to room temperature. You can use the rice while it is still warm or at room temperature.  Did you love the recipe? Leave us stars below!