How to properly prepare rice for sushi and rolls according to the classic recipe, with dried nori seaweed, grape bite, with table vinegar, from polished rice with the addition of sake, in a slow cooker:

In this article we will look at how to properly prepare rice for sushi and rolls, using traditional and slightly simplified recipes.

Sushi and rolls entered our lives quite recently, but have already found millions of fans. The fair half of the population especially liked this unusual taste. But this dish can not only be eaten with pleasure, but also cooked with the same passion. After all, this is a real technology of Asian peoples, the intricacies of which we will now introduce you to. We will also share traditional and slightly modified recipes for preparing rice for sushi and rolls.

How to properly cook rice for sushi and rolls: cooking secrets

Rice for sushi and rolls is the basis of the finished dish. The taste and appearance depend on it. Moreover, the components themselves do not influence so much as their proper preparation and compliance with all proportions.

The first step is to choose the ingredient itself correctly and correctly. Take either specific and specialized rice for sushi, or round grains . Long grain rice is not suitable for preparing Japanese rolls. Because it turns out to be too crumbly and cannot be molded into the desired shape.
The same applies to the steamed or whole grain variety. They are not suitable for sushi and rolls. They have a significantly lower level of starch, which acts as a natural adhesive.
But this is also influenced by proper adherence to proportions. Rice for sushi and rolls is prepared in a ratio of 1:1.5 . That is, you need to take a little less water than is usual for us.
I would also like to give recommendations regarding the size of the grains themselves. If the idea of using rice chaff comes to your mind, then forget about it at the very beginning. For sushi you need to use only whole grains of rice and preferably large ones. This will improve the appearance of the dish and make it more convenient to work with.
Take only the highest grade cereals. According to the Japanese, rice with debris or damaged grains is unsuitable for use in making sushi and rolls. But you must go through it without fail, no matter what price you buy it for.
You need to rinse rice seven times! Its taste will depend on this. After all, not only debris and dust will be washed off from the cereal, but also excess starch on the surface. This amount should be enough. But if the water is still cloudy, then increase the rinsing up to 10 times.

Rinse the rice until the water is clear

By the way, don’t be too lazy to thoroughly rub the rice grains in the water to rinse every grain. And not only for this. When washed, unusable grains float to the surface. Therefore, stir the rice well so that no such particles remain.
Rice, like any other cereal, when it floats, indicates a bad grain. Therefore, throw them away without regret. It is considered sufficient to rinse rice only when the water is absolutely clean and no particles rise to the surface.
Experts also recommend pouring water over the rice and leaving for at least 30 minutes. Please note that you only need to rinse and fill the rice with cold water ! Then the taste of the grains will be revealed.
You can cook sushi rice in an enamel container or in a stainless steel pan, but do not use an aluminum container. Do not forget that aluminum oxidizes with water in it, which will negatively affect the taste of the rolls.
The bottom of the pan should be thick, and ideally, take a cast iron cauldron. This material distributes heat best and the rice will cook evenly. Plus, it is in such dishes that the rice will taste truly delicate and soft. By the way, any dish tastes better in cast iron cookware.

Important: Rice for sushi and rolls is cooked covered. Moreover, it cannot be lifted and, especially, the rice cannot be stirred during the cooking process. It is contraindicated to touch it. The fact is that along with the steam, the important taste qualities of the cereal come out. And stirring with a spoon will only speed up this process. Therefore, it is so important to choose the right dishes so that grains do not stick to them.

The ceremony of turning rice grains is very delicate.

Now let's touch on the most important question - how long to boil rice for sushi. It cannot be overcooked so that the rolls do not fall apart. But the rice should not turn out raw either. Otherwise, the snack, sticking to your teeth, will not bring the desired pleasure.
Rice for Japanese rolls is cooked no more than 15 minutes from the moment of boiling. When the liquid boils, reduce the heat to the lowest possible level and wait for the specified time. After this, be sure to warm the rice! Then each grain will absorb the remaining moisture and steam, thereby revealing its characteristics.
You need to season the rice with sauce on a board, tray or wide dish. The catch is that you only need to sprinkle the rice with the marinade and do not stir it! But the sauce should be evenly distributed among the grains. Therefore, if mixing cannot be avoided, then carefully turn the grains. Otherwise, you risk turning the rice into a sticky mess.
The rice must be seasoned while still hot so that it has time to become saturated with the dressing. You also need to work with warm rice. Cold preparation is suitable only for a side dish. By the way, you only need to make sushi with freshly cooked rice! In very extreme cases, it can be placed in the refrigerator in a sealed bag.

Important: Do not get carried away with such an exotic dish often. It is the round variety of rice, and even using this cooking technology, that has the highest starch content - almost 85%. And this risks high blood sugar and diabetes. By the way, take into account your medical indicators before eating and preparing such a dish.

Decently and correctly cooked rice should easily mold into any shape.

How to cook rice for sushi and rolls: a classic recipe

If you want to make sushi at home, then make sure you have the right ingredients. When cooking in the traditional way, take only first-class products, without replacing them with analogues. The only thing that can be substituted is rice.

Take: Asian round rice – 200 g;
rice vinegar - 4 tbsp. l.;
salt - a small pinch;
sugar – 0.5 tsp;
water – 250 ml.

Sort through the rice and rinse it under water at least 5 times. When the water becomes glassy, then you can put the cereal on the fire.

Do not forget that rice is cooked only under the lid and without adding any spices. You don't even need salt for taste!

After the start of boiling, note the time for 15 minutes. By the way, during this time all the liquid should have time to evaporate if you followed the proportions correctly.

Wrap it in a warm blanket and leave it alone. Do not open the lid during this entire time!

To make the sauce, pour the vinegar into an enamel saucepan or small stainless steel bowl and place on the fire. Add salt and sugar. Heat the liquid and stir continuously until the crystals dissolve.

You season the still warm rice with hot vinegar. It’s just better to do this in a wooden or glass plate so that there is no contact of vinegar with metal. Also make sure that the dressing is distributed smoothly and evenly among the grains, but they do not become too sticky during the mixing process.

Traditional dressing for rice

Option with lemon

Russian chefs today are experimenting in every possible way with preparing Japanese delicacies. This applies primarily to refueling. Below we will see how to make sushizu with lemon.

Ingredients:

rice vinegar - 1 small spoon;
sugar and salt - 1 small spoon;
lemon juice - 2 small spoons;
water - 155 milliliters.

Cooking time: 20 minutes.

Calorie content per 100 grams: 173 kcal.

How to cook:

Cook the mixture of vinegar with sugar, salt and lemon for some time. Stir constantly to obtain a homogeneous sticky consistency.
When the sugar particles dissolve, remove everything from the heat and cool. We use the mixture for further cooking only when it has cooled.

How to cook rice for rolls and sushi with dried nori seaweed: recipe

The basic principle of cooking rice is practically no different from the traditional method, but there is a small secret ingredient that will improve the aroma of the prepared rolls or sushi.

You will need: round rice – 400 g;
nori seaweed - a small strip;
salt – 0.5 tsp;
sugar – 3 tsp;
rice vinegar – 3 tbsp. l.;
water – 0.5 l.

Rinse the rice under running water, thoroughly rinsing every grain. This way you will get rid of unsuitable grains. Clear water should tell about the quality of your work. Only then can you put the pan on the fire.

You only add nori to the rice. But when the water boils, remove it immediately. Otherwise the rice will be spoiled. It will not only acquire a slightly dirty color, but also be filled with extra aroma and taste, which is not typical for sushi.

Cook the rice for no more than 10 minutes and immediately remove from the stove. By the way, to make it more convenient to monitor the condition of the cereal, take a container with a transparent lid. Once you remove the seaweed, do not lift the lid again. Move the pan under the blanket and leave for 20 minutes.

Heat the vinegar in the microwave for just a few seconds. Add salt and sugar and stir until they dissolve.

Place the rice in a wide container made from natural materials. Season it with vinegar and stir lightly with a wooden spatula. When the rice has cooled down a little, you can start cooking.

To prevent rice from sticking to your hands, wet them periodically in water.

DIY rice vinegar

To make your own sour essence, you need:

Rinse a glass of rice well, fill it with water - 4.5 cups.
Leave for a couple of hours at room temperature, and then put in the refrigerator for 10-14 hours (for example, overnight).
Next, the resulting infusion is strained through cheesecloth and boiled with sugar - you will need 600-800 g of sand - for about 20 minutes, after which it is cooled to a warm temperature.
After this, add a third of a tablespoon of yeast, having previously dissolved it in warm water according to the instructions.
The resulting mixture is poured into a sterile jar, covered with gauze and stored at room temperature and moderate lighting for 4 weeks.
After this, the mixture is filtered through cheesecloth, boiled for about 5-6 minutes and, after cooling, used for its intended purpose.

To make the liquid transparent, gradually add egg white to the heated vinegar - it will draw out the suspension. Afterwards you will have to filter the liquid again.

During the fermentation process in an uncovered vessel, vinegar will give off a sour smell; you will have to ventilate the room more often or prepare the essence not at home, but, for example, in the country.

How to prepare polished rice for sushi and rolls: recipe with sake

It can also be used to make sushi or rolls. Moreover, grains of such rice are always the same size and look beautiful in the finished dish, and cooking with them is a pleasure. But the cooking technology is slightly different.

It is necessary to prepare: rice – 300 g;
water – 300 ml;
apple cider vinegar 6% - 1 tbsp. l.;
sea salt – 1 tsp;
honey - 1 tbsp. l.;
sake (or any dry white wine) – 1 tbsp. l.;
brown seaweed kombu - 1 plate.

The rice is washed in the proper manner until the water is clear. Now you need to pour the cereal using the traditional method in a 1:2 ratio. Add sake. If you want to replace it, then use any wine.

Under no circumstances take vodka, especially diluted with water. This will spoil the taste of the rice itself. And the Japanese use sake or mirin not because of the percentage of alcohol, but for sweetness and aroma.

Throw in the seaweed. They can also be replaced with dried nori. Leave the rice for one hour. Then drain all the liquid and fill it with the required proportion. Boil for 20 minutes and cover with a warm blanket for 15.

You should only take liquid honey. If it is sugared, then melt it in a water bath. Add salt and apple cider vinegar. Stir and pour over the rice in the bowl. Turn the grains slightly so that they are evenly saturated with the marinade. You can prepare the rolls after the rice has cooled slightly.

Pour the sauce evenly over the rice and turn the grains lightly

Cooking in a frying pan

Another way to prepare fluffy rice is to pre-fry it in a pan.

To do this, place the washed and dried ones in a frying pan heated with vegetable oil (for one tablespoon of grains - one and a half tablespoons of oil). Add salt and other spices if necessary. Mix well until the oil is completely absorbed into the cereal. Then pour two glasses of boiling water, cover tightly with a lid and cook as usual in a saucepan.

This option is good because the rice turns out not only crumbly, but also more satisfying. The oil can be flavored with garlic, herbs (thyme, rosemary, etc.). To do this, before placing the cereal, fry the garlic and herbs crushed with the flat side of a knife for a couple of minutes, then remove them and place the grains there.

Rice for sushi and rolls at home: recipe with grape vinegar

Seasoning rice often becomes a problem. Namely, the catch revolves around rice vinegar. And all that remains is to replace it with other suitable and similar components. By the way, there are also difficulties with rice, because the ideal option is Asian rice, which was brought from those lands. But we will share tricks on how to prepare rice for Japanese rolls at home.

You will need: short grain rice – 200 g;
sea salt – 1 tsp;
sugar – 3 tsp;
grape vinegar - 4 tbsp. l.;
water – 250 ml.

Do not forget about the rule of number 7 - this is how much water you need to wash the rice with. The water after washing should be clear. By the way, after 5 washings it already becomes clean, but rice may lose its taste.

It doesn’t hurt to first sort out the rice to remove various debris and damaged grains, since they are not always washed off with water.

Regarding rice. It is best to take Asian rice. And it’s not even about the colorful “sushi” sign. It is in Asian countries that climatic conditions contribute to the accumulation of large amounts of starch. Therefore, give preference to short grain rice. Do not take small-grain rice under any circumstances!

Choose a pan with a thick bottom so that the grains do not stick to the bottom during cooking and do not burn. By the way, do not take an aluminum container, oxidation occurs in it.

Rice for Japanese rolls should be seasoned correctly on a wooden plate.

Lay out the cereal and fill with the required amount of water. Place on medium heat. Please note that the rice should not be overcooked, otherwise the Japanese rolls will fall apart. But he must also have time to prepare, otherwise the taste of the dish will spoil.
When the liquid boils, time it for 15 minutes and simmer the cereal over low heat. The rice is cooked under the lid. By the way, you won’t be able to lift it even after turning off the stove. The rice should still be brewed and steamed, so you warm it and hold it for 15-20 minutes.
Now start seasoning the rice. To do this, mix vinegar and bulk ingredients in a metal bowl. Place on the stove over low heat and stir constantly. Wait for the crystals to dissolve. Do not boil the liquid under any circumstances, otherwise the vinegar will lose its strength and usefulness. And the kitchen will be filled with too strong a smell.
Pour the marinade in small portions, or better yet, sprinkle it over the rice. Carefully turn the grains over. Stirring too hard can turn the grain into mush, and this is unacceptable for sushi.
And one more piece of advice: vinegar should only be poured into slightly cooled rice. Therefore, do not overexpose it under a blanket. You can make sushi right away if the temperature of the rice is suitable for your hands. Or wait for the temperature to drop slightly.

Pour vinegar into still hot rice.

Benefits and harms

Rice vinegar has an extremely rich biochemical composition , rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and amino acids.

Benefits for the body:

does not have an aggressive effect on the stomach, therefore it is approved for use for diseases of the digestive tract;
accelerates the removal of waste and toxins from the body;
activates metabolism, accelerating food digestion;
helps increase the body's immune forces;
has an antibacterial effect.

Regular consumption of rice vinegar normalizes metabolic processes in the body, accelerates food digestion, and activates cell regeneration. As a result, a person looks younger and feels more energetic.

But this product, like any other acid, has several contraindications for use . It can cause harm to people suffering from kidney failure, diabetes, hypertension, as well as individual intolerance to the product.

For gastritis and peptic ulcers, the use of rice vinegar is allowed, but in strictly limited quantities.

How to cook rice for sushi and rolls in a slow cooker: recipe

If you are a fan of sushi and rolls, but have no desire to bother with preparing them, then we suggest you try a little trick. Namely, use a slow cooker. Yes, you can prepare special rice for sushi and rolls, which will not look like porridge, in such a helper. The key trick is uniform proportions and some secret additive.

Prepare the following ingredients: Asian rice - 2 measuring cups;
lemon juice – 2 tsp;
sugar – 2 tsp;
soy sauce – 1 tsp;
salt - a small pinch;
rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.;
water – 2.5 cups.

Let us remind you that the success of such an Asian dish lies in washing the rice well. Therefore, carry out the procedure until the water becomes glassy.

Ideally, you should select the “Parboiled Rice” mode, but not every manufacturer has this function. Therefore, use the “Buckwheat” mode. This kind of cooking has significant merit. After all, you can be completely sure that the porridge will not burn. There is no need to stir it.

But don't forget about rice, because it cannot be overcooked. Therefore, after 25 minutes, turn off the multicooker. But leave the rice for another 10-15 minutes so that it becomes more saturated with steam. Always try to wrap the rice porridge in a warm blanket or blanket and let it steam.

Note: If you do not have the “Steamed Rice” or “Buckwheat” mode, then use the standard programs. First select the “Baking” or “Roasting” function. But do not wait for the end of the program, but switch after 10 minutes to the “Extinguishing” mode. Where keep the rice for another 15-20 minutes.

And while the rice is steeping, prepare the marinade. To do this, add all the other ingredients in the given proportions. Watch the salt - it's better to undersalt it a little. Don't forget that soy sauce itself is quite salty.
To dissolve salt and sugar crystals faster, you can slightly heat the liquid in the microwave. Then simply mix the liquid well until the desired state is achieved.

In a slow cooker you can easily and quickly cook rice for Japanese rolls

Please note that the whole secret is in the seasoned sauce. And I would like to give a small recommendation. The fact is that some housewives take an even simpler route - they add all the ingredients immediately with rice before cooking. You can't do that. No, the rice will turn out tasty and aromatic, but only as porridge for dinner. Rice for sushi and rolls must be filled with ready-made marinade.
Season the cereal with sauce and mix well so that every grain is satisfied with it. But do not overdo it, all actions must be carried out carefully so as not to damage the texture of the grains. Otherwise they will turn into a sticky mess.

Add vinegar to make the rice fluffy

Anyone who likes to tinker in the kitchen has a lot of little secrets that bring simple dishes to perfection. What can we say about the chefs - they have more secrets than oysters in the sea.

A few cunning tricks that we managed to spy and overhear from culinary sensei.

If you want the rice to be snow-white, add a little vinegar when cooking.

To add a zesty, garlicky flavor to the entire dish, rub a clove of garlic on a plate and then place the salad or side dish on it.

Dark beer or a mixture of light beer with soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste will give a new taste to the marinade for meat. Beer can also be added to stewed vegetables, including adding a special taste and smell to boiled potatoes.

The liver should only be salted at the end, otherwise it will become tough.

To prevent the top of the pie from burning, cover it with moistened paper.

If you add a piece of ice to the broth and bring it to a boil, the broth will become clearer.

To carefully cut a hard-boiled egg, wet the blade of a knife with cold water to prevent the yolk from crumbling.

When cooking, the beans will not darken if you cook them without covering the pan with a lid.

The minced meat will be more aromatic and tastier if you add part of the raw onion, part of the fried onion and finely grated raw potatoes.

Use lemon juice in dishes to partially replace salt. This is useful for regulating blood pressure. As a result, you do not over-salt the dish, and the citrus flavor gives it a refined aroma.

Eggplant will not taste bitter if before cooking you cut it into pieces, add salt and let the juice escape a little. After this, rinse the eggplants in cold water.

Almonds can be easily peeled if you first boil them for 5 minutes and then cool them in cold water.

Sour cream will whip into cream much better if you add a little egg white to it.

If you add a pinch of salt to the ground coffee, the drink will be many times tastier!

To ensure that meat baked in the oven gets a golden brown crust, brush the top with pomegranate juice and honey diluted with dry wine, cognac or water.

If you have cooked the meat too long, cut it into thin slices, place on a plate, sprinkle with onions and tomatoes and add a little vegetable oil, lemon juice and vinegar. Soon the meat will become juicy again.

Use ground nuts instead of breadcrumbs.

Do not rush to serve freshly cooked meat immediately. Let it cool a little and reveal its flavor.

The vinaigrette will taste better if you add a tablespoon of milk and a teaspoon of sugar.

Apples in charlotte will not sink to the bottom of the pan if you roll them in flour before cooking.

Before removing the soup from the heat, add a little fresh juice from cabbage, carrots or tomatoes. This will enhance the taste and enrich your dish with vitamins.

Vanilla is an excellent spice for adding a piquant touch to vegetable salads.

There are many ways to salvage over-salted soup. In particular, you can dip gauze with a small amount of cereal into it and boil it: the porridge will absorb excess salt.