I have been asked numerous times to put up a recipe for Sushi Rice that can be made on the stove.  So I’ve decided to go ahead and post the recipe that was given to me by mom as well as the modifications that work well for me.  Depending on how traditional you want to be in your selection of Sushi Making Supplies and how much of a purist you are when it comes to preparation, you may or may not like these instructions.

The first sushi supply you need is Rice.  Many chefs and sushi purists will actually grow, harvest and mix their own rice grains.  I personally do not have time for that nor am I that much of a sushi snob.  I usually will pick a medium or short grain rice depending upon availability and price at the local grocery - there are also Sushi Rice blends that you can buy online.  Just avoid long grain rice, as I have found that it just does not create a good sushi rice.

The second sushi making supply that you might not have in you kitchen already is Rice Vinegar.  Again, I really do not think you need to get fancy with this.  I have used many different brands successfully and currently am using a “Natural” rice vinegar bottled by Nakano and sold in local Asian Groceries – if you do not have an Asian Grocery near where you live, it is easy to order a good Rice Vinegar online as well.

The final (and might I add, optional) sushi rice ingredient that you probably will have to search to find is a dried kelp called “Kombu“.  I personally do not care one way or the other if I add this, and since it is included for flavoring, I will leave this up to you.  This is definitely a sushi making supply that you will have to get at an Asian Market, or online.  I have not found this at regular grocery stores.

With that being said, the original recipe and directions follow:

Ingredients:

1 cup and 2 tablespoons Japanese sushi-style rice  (230 gm)  I like to weigh instead of measure.
1-1/2 cups water (336 gm)  I just use regular tap water – many prefer distilled or bottled.
1 (4 inch) piece kombu dried kelp (optional)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

I use clear Pyrex Bowls to rinse my sushi rice and to prepare the Rice Vinegar, Sugar, Salt mixture.  This allows me to see when the rinse water for the rice is clear enough and when the Rice Vinegar mixture is all dissolved.  I also use the same clear glass bowl I rinsed the rice in to also mix and cool the final sushi rice.

1.  Place rice into a large deep bowl.  Fill with cold water and rub the rice together with your hands until the water  turns milky white in color.  Carefully pour off the milky water so as not to lose any rice grains.  I usually repeat this process 3-4 times until the water is clear enough to see the rice through 3 inches of water.

2. Drain the rice in a fine strainer, then place the rice into a saucepan with the 1-1/2 cups water and the optional konbu.  Allow the rice to soak in the pan for 30 minutes.  While the rice is soaking, you can mix together the Rice Vinegar, Sugar and Salt in a small bowl (again I use a small Pyrex Bowl) until dissolved.  I usually microwave the mixture in 5 second intervals to help it dissolve. Set this Rice Vinegar mixture aside until later.

3.  Cover the rice and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5-10 minutes to allow the rice to fully absorb the water.

4.  Scrape the rice into a large bowl (I use the same large Pyrex Bowl that I rinsed the rice in).  If you have included the kombu for flavoring, remove and eat or discard at this point.  Pour the Rice Vinegar mixture over your rice and mix well to incorporate (many recipes insist on a wooden paddle to mix with and will recommend a wooden bowl – I have never found them necessary).  I use a plastic mixing spoon and mix the ingredients with a cutting motion through the rice and not a stirring motion.  Allow the sushi rice to cool to room temperature.  Many traditional recipes will call for you to “fan” the rice as you are mixing in the vinegar – Yes, there are Sushi Rice Fans!  Again, I have not found this necessary.

Once the sushi rice has cooled a little, and if I am not going to use it immediately, I seal the top of the glass mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rest on the counter.  The rice will keep well for several hours this way and I do not have to rush to make my sushi.

There you have it.  Pretty easy, don’t you think?  Go ahead and try it – Sushi Rice is great all by itself, so you don’t have to wait until you are ready to make Sushi Rolls to enjoy it.

UPDATE – I have now been asked to make a video showing all the steps I use when making Sushi Rice.  I will try to get one done, or have someone else make one for me following these steps.  I’m not sure when that will be, but I will work on it.

Learn To Make Perfect Sushi Rice

The Zojirushi Rice Cooker Makes It Simple

If you want to know the most important part of creating successful sushi, pay attention and learn how to make perfect sushi rice.  Unless you are a complete sushi snob, and refuse to automate any part of your sushi making process, you will be interested in taking a look at the Zojirushi Rice Cooker.  The Zojirushi rice cooker was designed by Japanese Experts to create perfect rice, including sushi rice, in quantities ranging from three cups for small requirements to as much as six cups for a larger party.  The great thing about this rice cooking marvel, is that it does it automatically and perfectly time after time.

A lot of thought went into the design of the Zojirushi Rice Cooker.  It is one my most highly recommended sushi making supplies.  An LCD screen allows you to access built in or custom designed menus so that you can prepare many different kinds of rice.  We all know that sushi rice is sticky and can be a pain to clean up.  Not with the Zojirushi Rice Cooker.  The actual cooking pot is non-stick and the stainless steel construction makes it both durable and a snap to keep clean.  The manufacturer even went the extra mile and included a spatula and holder to keep you from having a sticky mess on your preparation surface.

You will absolutely adore how the Zojirushi Rice Cooker’s stainless steel surface goes with any kitchen  decor.  It is small enough and portable enough to be used most anywhere and does not have to take up a permanent spot on your counter like a microwave.  Another nice feature that the folks at Zojirushi included was a retractable electrical cord so you can avoid the bothersome dangling mess that other appliances have.

If you can find the Zojirushi Rice Cooker at your local mall or retail outlet, you are likely to pay in the neighborhood of one hundred and sixty nine dollars.  Save yourself some time and money and take a look at the savings you can realize by buying online through Amazon.  You can expect to save around 50 dollars, get free – right to your door shipping and in addition get a 1-year limited warranty.  The Zojirushi Rice Cooker also makes a great gift for a loved one, and Amazon is setup to let you choose a gift wrapping option at checkout.

Everybody interested in finding the easiest and most reliable sushi making supplies will encounter sushi making kits. Many of these sushi making kits are sold online and unless you have done a lot of research, you may not know which to choose. I’m going to cut down on your time spent researching by directing you to the most popular sushi making kit, called appropriately Sushi Magic Sushi Making Kit.

The Sushi Magic Sushi Making Kit contains the most popular sushi making supplies sold on Amazon and if you browse through the customer reviews you will see that they are pleased with what they receive.

This easy to use sushi making kit actually comes with two pieces of sushi making equipment that allow you to create a wide variety of tasty sushi. The first is a sushi roller that you can use to make the popular California rolls with either nori (seaweed) or rice on the outside. The second is nigiri mold that quickly presses your seafood, wasabi and rice into those professional sushi chef creations.

You can waste a lot of time and effort trying to create sushi by hand rolling or molding, or for less than the cost of a trip to your local sushi restaurant, you can be entertaining your family and friends with your own healthy, homemade California Rolls or Sushi Nigiri made with the Sushi Magic Sushi Making Kit.

In addition to the easy to use sushi roller and nigiri mold, the kit comes with free sushi lessons and secrets for successful sushi parties. Discover where you can find the best sushi making supplies and how to prepare them. Do yourself a favor, read what others have to say about the Sushi Magic Sushi Making Kit – it’s one of the best!

Sushi Literally Means Vinegarized Rice

The most important of sushi making supplies is the sticky rice – without the sushi rice, there would be no sushi. If you do not master the art of making sushi rice, then you will forever have problems creating and plating your various sushi creations.

Modern technology has made this step almost foolproof. There are Japanese Rice Cookers that automatically prepare your rice for you. They employ what is referred to as “fuzzy logic” to constantly adjust the cooking temperature so that the rice does not burn. Look for rice cookers such as those made by Zojirushi that come with a preset menu for sushi rice.

For those of you who are only frequent sushi eaters, or who are sushi purists and want to prepare all of your sushi ingredients by hand, stay tuned for information on optional ways to prepare sushi rice.

Sushi Making Supplies for Homemade Sushi

Image via Wikipedia

Sushi is ever growing in popularity and is featured in many Asian restaurants and in most of the larger grocery chains.  If you have checked the cost of Sushi at either of these venues, then you might want to look into Sushi Making Supplies and guides so that you can create these delicious and healthy treats for your family and friends.  One of the most important things to have to make your Sushi Creations at home easier is inexpensive sushi making supplies.

Sushi comes in many variations, but one of the key ingredients is sticky rice.  This makes a good rice cooker a very important sushi making supply to start with.  We will be discussing which rice cookers are the best and easiest to use so that you get this key ingredient just right.

If you think that sushi means raw fish, then you need to check out some of the Sushi Making Guides and Recipes that will be featured here on our Sushi Making Supplies site.  There are fabulous cooked ingredients or vegetarian options available.  One such popular Sushi is the California Roll.  Don’t like the thought of seaweed?  Then you will want to check out one of the many sushi presses that are available to make sushi without having to roll it.  One of my favorites is made with smoked salmon, avacado, cucumbers and rice….Yum!