Sushi is a popular Japanese dish that can be enjoyed not only in the specialized restaurant, but also in your own kitchen. The most important point in the preparation of this goodness is properly cooked rice for sushi.
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Selection of rice for cooking Japanese cuisine
The main task, in addition to properly cooked rice, is also his choice when buying.
So, experienced chefs most often use these varieties of rice:
- Rice "Motigome". It has a dense texture, tastes good after cooking and holds its shape well when twisting sushi;
- Rice "Urutimai." The Japanese like to put this kind of rice in sushi more than others. It has a sweet aftertaste, a pleasant aroma and, what is very important, it emits a sticky substance very well;
- You can also use rice of round varieties, from which pilaf or rice porridge is often prepared. He can also compete with these two varieties if you choose a quality and not the cheapest product.
Cook rice properly - 90% of successful sushi cooking at home.
How to cook rice for sushi
Rice must be washed before cooking. This is necessary in order to rinse off the substances that are often processed cereal before packing. But it happens that rice is treated not with additives, but with starch. In this case, he does not need to be washed, but it is better to do this to calm the soul. Pour the right amount into a plate, pour in water, and mix it several times in a circular motion. Then drain the water and repeat the procedure. Then do the same again. Then again, until the drained water is clean without cloudy impurities.
The ratio for cooking is the same as in the preparation of pilaf 1: 1. That is, if you need to cook one glass of rice, fill it with one glass of water. If two glasses of rice - two glasses of water.Before sending the pan of rice to the fire, it must be soaked for at least 30-40 minutes. Then, as many Japanese chefs do, rice groats should be cooked in the same water. We put the container on fire, and reduce it to a minimum. After boiling, rice should be cooked for 10 minutes. But it’s better to try it to see if the cereal is ready. You can cook rice for sushi in different varieties. Some types boil a little longer, others faster.
Cooking in a slow cooker
Making sushi is an art that the Japanese have been learning for years. Therefore, do not be upset if the ideal result does not work out the first time. Like any other business, cooking this dish requires special skills. The basis for sushi can be cooked in a pan, in a cauldron, in a saucepan. But if there is such an assistant in the kitchen as a crock-pot - this will greatly facilitate the process. Anyone who has this miracle of technology, desire, and, of course, rice grits can cook rice in a slow cooker.
It is interesting:how to cook rice in a slow cooker
So, we take the right amount of rice. For example, 1 glass. Pour the cereal with water, rinse 4-7 times, and set aside for 40-45 minutes. Then pour the rice into the slow cooker. We set the "rice" mode, if this is not there, then the "buckwheat" mode is suitable and after 10 minutes the rice will be ready.
With rice vinegar
Rice vinegar is an essential ingredient in making sushi. Without it, such sushi as in a restaurant would definitely not work. How much it needs to be added and when it's better to do it, let's try to figure it out.
Rice vinegar is added to this dish to give the rice pliability. Thanks to vinegar, any figure can be "blinded" from it, and it will keep its shape. It is also very healthy, and has a strong antibacterial effect.
Sushi rice dressing
For delicious sushi you need not only vinegar, but also sugar, as well as salt. Rice dressing is prepared with these ingredients. The correct proportion is 2 tablespoons of vinegar for 400-500 g of rice. Salt and sugar you need to take 1 teaspoon. Vinegar must be heated, but not brought to a boil. Pour salt, sugar, then add this mixture to rice, which is in the process of cooking. Rice should be gently mixed with a wooden spatula.
Important Rice Cooking Tips
For sushi it is very important to choose the right rice. Most of the success in cooking depends on this. How to cook rice for sushi, we figured out, now consider some of the secrets of cooking rice.
For instance:
- Before boiling rice, it must be thoroughly washed. In Japanese restaurants, novice cooks do this for several years before starting to cook. There is an opinion that rice feels a person’s attitude to it, so it is important to cook with love. After some time, an experienced chef to the touch can determine how high-quality rice is in front of him. Rinse it before cooking 6-7 times.
- After the rice is washed, it must be soaked. This will make it softer after cooking. It is important not to drain the water after soaking, but to boil in it. Korda rice stood in the water for 30-4 minutes, it should look like balls of starch.
- Japanese chefs know about 1000 ways of making rice and soaking it. Most of them involve soaking for 3-5 hours. However, this option is not suitable for sushi. And they also came up with a method that requires only 40 minutes of soaking and 10-15 minutes of cooking.
- If the pan tends to burn, you can cover it with a piece of foil.
- Many advise boiling rice on low heat to avoid sticking and burning. However, some cooks with experience cook rice at maximum heat, and I do not lift the lid during the cooking process. Then, after 15 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and let the rice “rest”.
- During the formation of sushi, hands should be moistened in such a solution: 30 ml of rice vinegar, 500 ml of water and juice of half a lemon. Mix these three ingredients and wet your fingers. This will help avoid sticking rice and give it a pleasant aroma.
These recommendations will help you learn how to cook sushi quickly and efficiently. It should also be remembered that any business requires experience and skills. Therefore, if the first time was not entirely successful - try again, everything will work out!