Sushi Rice at Home
So simple and quick. For rolls, even better than in a restaurant. Making sushi rice at home is not that difficult. Follow the recommendations and everything will definitely work out. Treat yourself and your loved ones to homemade Japanese dishes.
Updated : 23 April, 2026
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
200 grams
Round rice
200 milliliters
Water
5 teaspoon
Rice vinegar
2 teaspoon
Sugar
1 teaspoon
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you cook sushi rice at home? Prepare the ingredients. It is best to use Japanese rice, special sushi rice, or regular short-grain rice. Long-grain and parboiled rice are not suitable for sushi and rolls because they contain too little starch. Such rice does not have the needed stickiness, and the finished dish will simply fall apart. For the seasoning, use rice vinegar. It should not be replaced with regular table vinegar.
Step 2
Pour the rice into a bowl, add cold running water, and rinse it gently so as not to damage the grains. Drain the cloudy water and pour in clean cold running water again. The rice should be rinsed at least 4 times, until the water becomes clean and clear. Drain the washed rice in a colander and leave it there for 10 minutes so all the excess liquid can drain off.
Step 3
Transfer the rice to a heavy-bottomed pot, add water, and place it over the heat. The ratio of water to rice may vary slightly depending on the variety of rice. When the water comes to a boil, cover the pot with a transparent lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and cook for about 12-15 minutes. During this time, all the moisture should evaporate completely. Do not open the lid while cooking, so it is best to use a transparent lid.
Step 4
After the indicated time, remove the pot with the rice from the heat and leave the rice to steam under the closed lid for another 10 minutes. Do not open the lid. The rice should finish cooking completely.
Step 5
Meanwhile, prepare the seasoning. Pour the rice vinegar into a small saucepan, add the sugar and salt. Place the saucepan over low heat and, stirring, dissolve the dry ingredients. As soon as the sugar and salt dissolve, immediately remove the seasoning from the heat. The seasoning must never boil, so do not cook it over high heat.
Step 6
Transfer the cooked rice to a wooden bowl wiped with a damp towel. This way, the rice will not stick to the dish. It is best to use a special cypress tub called a hangiri, but I did not have one, so I used what I had. Wooden dishes are used to prevent any reaction with the rice vinegar, and they also absorb excess moisture from the rice while it is being mixed.
Step 7
Take a wooden spatula and hold it over the rice. Pour the vinegar seasoning onto the spatula so it spreads gently over the rice. With smooth movements, separate the rice and mix it carefully, trying not to damage the grains. Cover with a clean damp towel and let the rice cool. When the rice has cooled, you can begin shaping sushi and rolls.
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