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Daniel Siriban is a Japanese Personal Chef and the Owner of Roshi Experience. With over 18 years of culinary experience, he specializes in sushi, teppanyaki, and traditional Japanese dining. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 994,582 times.

Sushi is a beloved Japanese dish that’s eaten all over the world. If you’d like to try making this healthy food, you first need to collect the proper ingredients from your nearest grocery store or market. Once you’ve prepared your sushi rice, set out your bamboo mat beneath a sheet of nori, or seaweed, and arrange your rice and toppings on top. According to chef Daniel Siriban, “it’s very important that you have the correct rice. He recommends Japanese short grain rice, “because if you’re moving into larger grades of rice that’s medium or long, it requires a little bit more moisture . In addition, short grain rice is “finer and more finesse to it,” making for more delicate sushi. Take a large amount of rice and place it in a mesh strainer.

Cleaning your rice is an important process in the sushi-making process, as it helps improve the quality of the rice. It might take a minute or so before the water looks clear, depending on how much rice you’re using. Sushi rice is a small, white rice that becomes sticky when it’s cooked. If you don’t have sushi rice on hand, you can substitute medium-grain California rice or Calrose rice instead.

Make Sushi Step 2 Version 3. Add water and rice to a saucepan. The exact water to rice ratio that you use will depend on the type of rice you are using. For Japanese short grain rice, chef Daniel Siriban emphasizes that the water to rice ratio “should always be one to one”. For longer grain rices, you can try a in a 3:2 ratio. Pour your damp rice into an empty saucepan. If you don’t add enough water to your rice, it’ll be dry instead of fluffy.

Make Sushi Step 3 Version 3. Cook the rice for 10 minutes after the water boils. Wait for the water in the pot to reach a boil, then set a timer for 10 minutes so the rice can fully cook. Cover the saucepan with a lid so the rice can absorb as much water as possible. Don’t lift the lid and stir the rice, as this can make the grains mushy and congealed. If you added too much water to the rice, it might not be able to soak up the water.

Make Sushi Step 4 Version 3. Mix a small amount of salt, sugar, and rice vinegar together. Stir the ingredients with a spoon and wait for the salt and sugar to dissolve completely. Once you’ve made your vinegar solution, set it aside for later. This mixture helps add flavor to the sushi rice, and prevents it from tasting bland.

Make Sushi Step 5 Version 3. Arrange the rice onto a cooking tray or bowl so it can cool. Use a spoon to scoop the rice onto a flat tray or into a large bowl. Try not to touch any of the rice as you transfer it, as the grains will be extremely hot. Cover the rice with a damp towel to help the cooling process. You can also fan the rice to help it cool more quickly. Don’t leave cooked rice out for more than 2 hours, as it can spoil after that time.

Make Sushi Step 6 Version 3. Mix the vinegar solution into the cooling rice to give it flavor. After the rice is cool enough to touch, drizzle your vinegar, sugar, and salt solution over the grains. Use a wooden spoon as well as your own fingertips to mix this vinegar into the sushi rice. Always wash your hands before handling any type of food. Try to keep the grains of rice fairly separated, instead of clumped together.