Sushi rice is traditionally made with short grain rice. But my tiny kitchen has a tiny pantry so I make some decisions on how much rice to have in it. The most versatile is long grain. It’s available in any store and I always have it.
For this recipe you can make steamed rice from scratch or use leftover rice from another dish.
To make perfect long grain steamed rice use a very good saucepan. My one and only saucepan is an All-Clad 3 quart. I have added an Amazon link to it at the bottom of the recipe. The ratio of water to rice is 2:1. Add 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Bring it to a boil, stir, immediately reduce the heat to very low, cover and check after 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork, cover, and remove from heat. If not all the water has been absorbed leave it on for 2 more minutes. If you have overcooked it and it’s sticking on the bottom just add a few tablespoons of water, cover and set aside. No need for a rice cooker appliance that takes up room on your counter.
Now you either have fresh cooked or leftover rice to use for this recipe. The mirin and rice vinegar add a very nice, mild, sweet and sour component to the rice and gives it that sushi rice flavor.
Top with Furikake and serve as a side dish. Or make your own nigiri and hand roll sushi. Furikake has seaweed which adds a really complex and umami flavor.
EQUIPMENT: All-Clad 3 quart saucepan.
Japanese Rice for Sushi or Side Dish
Cuisine: JapaneseDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutesAn easy version of Japanese rice. The mirin and rice vinegar add a very nice, mild, sweet and sour component and gives it that sushi rice flavor.
Ingredients
2 cups prepared warm rice
1 tablespoon mirin
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
Katsuo Fumi Furikake seasoning
Directions
- Mix the vinegar, sugar, and mirin until the sugar dissolves.
- Add to the rice and fluff it with a fork.
- If using as a side dish, top with furikake and serve with just about any dish. The umami flavor would go well with grilled steak.
