I eat white rice every day because it’s quick, versatile and pairs brilliantly with a plethora of different meats, fish and vegetables. I’ve recently got into the habit of batch-cooking a pot of sushi rice on a Sunday, which then lasts me through to Friday. But while I do try and batch cook when I can, I do sometimes find myself reaching for a pouch of microwave rice when I’m feeling lazy and I don’t have anything prepped.
Rice tastes best when it’s cooked fresh; the texture should be fluffy, moist and tender without being mushy or gluey. However, even if you’ve cooked your rice perfectly, it can sometimes lack flavour, which is where my secret ingredient comes in: Sushi rice seasoning, also known as “sushi-su”.
Sushi rice seasoning is traditionally made from a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt.
The overall flavour is tangy with a delicate sweetness and a delicious savouriness that works perfectly with teriyaki sauce, Katsu curry, satay and other dishes.
The sushi rice vinegar also adds a glossiness to the rice, making it more attractive and easier to fluff.
There is a specific technique that is used to add it to traditional sushi rice, but I often add a splash to my microwave rice just before serving.
Just make sure the sushi rice seasoning is well-incorporated into the rice; otherwise, it could be a tad too sharp.
You can make your own sushi rice seasoning, but I tend to buy mine online for ease.
However, if you’re keen to make your own sushi rice seasoning and sushi rice, Good Food have a brilliant five-ingredient recipe which I’ve detailed below.
Sushi rice recipe
Ingredients
For the sushi-su
120ml rice vinegar or brown rice vinegarThree tbsp sugarseasoning, to taste (optional)One tbsp sea salt
For the rice
450g Japanese rice550g/ml water
Method
1. Firstly, wash the rice thoroughly in a sieve for two minutes, gently turning it over by hand until the water runs clear. Then, drain the rice and put it in a pan with the water.
2. Allow the rice to stand in the water for 30 minutes. The rice can be left overnight, but 30 minutes to an hour is ideal for optimal texture. Bring the water in the pan to the boil and put the lid on. Then, reduce the heat for eight to nine minutes. Turn the heat off and let the rice stand with the lid on for five minutes. The lid should not be taken off during this time.
3. While the rice is cooking, you can make the seasoning. Put the rice vinegar, sugar and salt into a small container and mix them with a spoon until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
4. Once the rice has cooked, put it into a wide flat dish like a baking tray or roasting tray and pour the seasoning over the rice. Fold it carefully with a wooden spoon as it cools down. Don’t mix too vigorously, as you don’t want to damage the grains. To cool the rice down faster, you can use a hair dryer on its coolest setting or a fan.
5. If the rice isn’t being used immediately, it can be covered with a damp cloth and left to cool for two hours.
