Etc., the first thing you need to do is learn how to cook rice for rolls correctly! The quality of the final product depends on this component, so do not ignore the instructions and recommendations!
You've probably noticed that rolls often begin to fall apart upon contact with soy sauce, and one of the possible reasons for this situation could be improperly cooked rice. So that your Japanese dish does not fail, let's look at how to cook rice for rolls and sushi so that the result of your efforts turns out impeccable!
Ingredients:
- Japanese or regular short grain rice - 1 cup;
- salt - ½ teaspoon;
- granulated sugar - ½ tbsp. spoons;
- rice vinegar - 50 ml;
- water - 1.5 cups.
How to cook rice for rolls and sushi correctly
- To make sushi/rolls, you can buy Japanese rice, or you can get by with regular short-grain rice - experienced cooks have long been convinced in practice that there is not much difference between these types of rice. Just don’t use the long-grain variety - it’s absolutely not suitable for Japanese dishes! So, thoroughly rinse the rice grains with cold water 6-7 times (until the liquid becomes completely clean and transparent).
- Place the rice grains in a spacious pan, fill with water, which should be one and a half times the amount of rice used. There is no need to salt the water or season with any spices! For flavor, you can throw just a piece of kombu seaweed into the pan, but be sure to remove it before the liquid boils.
How long to cook rice for rolls
- When the water boils, close the lid tightly and turn the heat to low. Cook for 10-15 minutes (until the moisture has completely evaporated). In any case, the rice should not be on the fire for more than 20 minutes, otherwise there is a high probability of overcooked grains sticking to the bottom of the pan! There is no need to stir the rice or remove the lid from the pan during cooking!
- At the same time, we are doing refueling. Add sugar and salt to the rice vinegar (do not confuse it with regular vinegar!). Place on low heat, stirring. When granulated sugar and salt dissolve in vinegar, remove the mixture from the stove.
- After removing the finished rice from the heat, continue steaming under a tightly closed lid for 10 minutes and only after that transfer it to a bowl. Pour dressing over hot rice grains. By the way, now you can find ready-made sauce for sushi rice on sale, which can replace a mixture of vinegar, salt and sugar.
- Stir the soaked rice grains with a wooden spatula. After cooling the rice to room temperature, we begin to form sushi or rolls.
- Do not forget that the finished rice cannot be put in the refrigerator or left for the next day, because in this case the rice grains will become hard, which, of course, will spoil the taste of the final dish!
Once you learn how to cook rice for rolls, you can experiment with Japanese dishes!
To prepare rolls and other oriental dishes, specially processed rice is required. It is better, of course, if you choose the Japanese variety of this product. After all, it has exactly the stickiness that is necessary for making truly delicious rolls.
How to choose rice for rolls
The main thing is not to opt for steamed rice. You just risk ruining the whole dish. The fact is that such cereals do not stick together at all, and this is precisely what is necessary for rolls. But, no matter which variety you choose, the rules for preparing it are the same for everyone. Let's consider how to cook it correctly?
Rice for rolls: how to cook according to the rules
Of course, every housewife prepares rice in her own way. But there is a traditional recipe for its preparation. The main rule is to thoroughly rinse the raw rice. It’s good if you repeat the water replacement procedure at least 7 times. Then all the excess flour will come out of the rice, leaving only the taste and the necessary stickiness. Choose a container in which you plan to cook rice with a thick bottom. Do not cook in enamel containers. Otherwise, the product may burn and develop an unpleasant odor and taste.
- Dry the rice thoroughly before you start cooking. Let it sit in a colander for an hour. Then all the water will drain and it can be cooked.
- Transfer the rice to the pan. Add cold water to it at the rate of 100 g of rice - 150 g of water. This way it will steam well and achieve the required stickiness.
- After the water boils, cook the rice over low heat for no more than 10 minutes. Make sure that the water does not completely evaporate and the rice does not burn.
- Once cooked, leave the pan covered. Let it cool down properly.
- Then open the lid and stir the contents well. Let the rice sit for another five minutes.
Boiled rice is poured with a special brine (awasezu) at the rate of 150 g of rice - 50 g of awasezu. This will give the dish a spicy taste. As for the filling, it is prepared as follows. Mix together 500 g rice vinegar, 500 g sake, 500 g sugar. Then bring the resulting mixture to a boil and add half a tablespoon of rock salt to it. Avasezu is ready. After mixing the rice with the sauce, cover it with a damp cloth. This is necessary so that it does not weather and dry out.
Of course, it is best to use freshly harvested rice for cooking. Rice is not suitable for making rolls if it has been stored for many years. It is better to refuse to use it, because old rice can spoil the entire dish with an unpleasant taste.
If you prepared it in advance, then you should store it in a special way. Rice will best preserve its taste in ceramics, clay or glass products. The main thing is to ensure its safety from direct sunlight and moisture.
Colored rice is often used to make rolls. Just don’t think that you will have to use dye to achieve this effect. The Japanese dye their rice pink by adding plum vinegar to awasezu, and green rice is obtained by using seaweed in cooking the rice. You can also make yellow rice. To do this, when you boil the rice, add a little turmeric during cooking.
Classic recipe for making rice for rolls
Let's look at several recipe options rice for rolls. First, let's look at the classics.
To prepare “Classic Rice for Rolls” you will need
- 250 g short grain rice
- 250 g water
Recipe for “Classic rice for rolls”
Rinse and dry the rice thoroughly, place it in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Place over high heat, once boiling, reduce to low. In total, the rice is on the stove for 20 minutes in a saucepan with a lid. All moisture should be completely absorbed into the cereal. The rice is ready!
There are many very interesting cooking options rice for rolls. In one of them, for example, it is proposed to pour rice into already boiling water. Then the rice will turn out more tasty and healthy. And after it is cooked, pour it with marinade, the recipe for which we will describe below.
In a saucepan, stir vinegar, lemon juice, sugar and salt. Put it all on the fire and keep it there, stirring, until the grains of sugar dissolve. Pour this marinade over the rice, covering it with a lid. It should completely absorb all moisture. Rice prepared in this way is ideal for making rolls; they turn out to be very juicy and piquant in taste.
Another option for rice for rolls
Here is another option for cooking rice for rolls.
- The cereal is thoroughly washed in water. The cloudy water is replaced by clear water until the liquid becomes clear, while the rice is stirred very vigorously.
- Next, the cereal is drained in a colander and cooked in the usual way.
- But before putting the container on the fire, the rice is infused in cold water for 20 minutes. This is how it swells and releases the gluten necessary to produce proper rolls.
Which of these recipes to use is up to you! We assure you that your choice will be correct, because... The recipes have been tested many times.
The fact remains that Japanese cuisine conquered the vast expanses of the former USSR without a fight, where many gourmets have already begun to independently master its basics. In the interests of preparing rice delicacies, the pressing question remains: how to properly cook rice for sushi and rolls at home, and what type of cereal is best to choose for this? Oddly enough, in Japan cooking is based on the principle that the simpler, the tastier, and having mastered a couple of nuances, we will be able to solve this problem in one go.
Rice is the basis of sushi and rolls, and that is why, for the most part, the success of preparing these snacks depends on how the porridge is prepared. If the grains are undercooked, then the taste of traditional Japanese “canapés” will be disgusting, to say the least.
Overcooked porridge will simply ruin the hard-rolled roll. The lack of dressing will completely deprive rice balls with fish of the Japanese charm. And in order to avoid all these troubles lurking around every corner, today we will tell you how to make the right rice for sushi and rolls.
Choosing grains
The quality of the final product largely depends on the characteristics of the initial components. So you should immediately make a reservation about the criteria by which rice should be selected.
- Cereals must be white and round, since Japanese snacks must have an excellent aesthetic appearance and have a delicate taste. Black, brown, golden, long-grain, steamed and other varieties are not suitable for this dish.
- A high gluten content is one of the main requirements for rice, since both sushi and rolls must certainly keep their shape, but this obviously will not happen with crumbly porridge.
- The manufacturer also has a lot to say. Japanese rice is an ideal product for our purposes, but such rice is incredibly expensive, and it is not always on sale. Therefore, they are trying to replace such cereals with cheaper, but no less high-quality Egyptian or Korean ones. In addition, you can also get by with Chinese cereals, and as a last resort - Krasnodar ones.
- In general, if the package says “sushi rice,” then you can safely take it. However, under no circumstances should you use grains intended for cooking in bags, regardless of whether they are round or elongated.
Secrets of successful sushi rice
Having figured out which grain to choose, we can now proceed directly to cooking. However, here too we can expect pitfalls that will help us bypass all the secrets of Japanese cooking.
Washing cereals
Before cooking rice for sushi and rolls, the grains should be rinsed very thoroughly several times until the water in contact with the grains of rice becomes clear. In this case, it is necessary to throw out all floating grains and any black particles.
Perfectly pure white rice is the key to beautiful rolls.
Cooking rice
After all the “bath” procedures, the cereal can be sent to the pan. And here again there is one trick. At the very beginning of cooking, you need to add a little nori seaweed to the water, which is designed to give the rice a characteristic aroma.
In addition to the taste component, there are other nuances, for example, how long should you cook rice for sushi and rolls, and in general, in what proportions should you take cereals and water?
Recipe No. 1
The simplest option is to cook 200 g of rice in 250 ml of water for 5 minutes on high heat, and then another 15 on low heat. In this case, the porridge will not be overcooked, and the rolls will easily hold their shape.
Recipe No. 2
For the classic method you will need:
- Rice groats – 1 tbsp.;
- Water – 500 ml;
Preparation:
- First, rinse the rice thoroughly until the liquid becomes clear.
- After this, fill the cereal with water and leave to infuse for half an hour.
- After the allotted time, put a cube of kombu or nori seaweed in a container and put the saucepan with rice on the fire.
- As soon as the liquid boils, remove the seaweed from the rice so that it does not spoil the taste of the porridge. Next, reduce the heat to low and, with the lid closed, cook the grains for another 10 minutes.
- After turning off the burner, the cereal must be left for another 20 minutes under the lid so that it is thoroughly steamed.
Recipe No. 3
This method is much simpler than the previous one and does not take much time. To implement it you will need 175 g of washed rice and 250 ml of water.
- Pour the rice grains into a container and fill with water, and after boiling, boil for 2 minutes.
- Next, remove the saucepan from the stove and let the cereals steam for 10 minutes under the lid, and then another 10 minutes uncovered.
Recipe in a slow cooker
You can cook rice for sushi and rolls either in a saucepan or in a slow cooker. Moreover, in the latter it is much easier to do this, since the intelligent saucepan will certainly not allow the white grains to burn and will do everything in the best possible way.
Ingredients
- Rice groats – 200 g;
- Water – 1 full glass;
Preparation
- Place the washed grains in the bowl of the unit and fill with water.
* Cook's tips
If we intend to cook Japanese rice, then it should first be soaked for half an hour. This rule does not apply to all other varieties of short grain rice.
- After closing the multicooker lid, set the “baking”, “rice” or “buckwheat” mode on the program panel for 10 minutes.
- After the signal, we reset the program to “stewing” and the cooking time to 20 minutes.
With this technique, we are guaranteed to get perfectly cooked rice for Japanese snacks.
Preparing the dressing
It’s not enough to learn how to cook cereal according to all the laws of the cuisine of the land of the rising sun; you still need to season it correctly. And only after we are able to successfully prepare the marinade can we consider the rice for sushi and rolls completely ready for use.
According to the classics of the genre, any recipe for Japanese snacks includes a vinegar sauce for the rice base. This aromatic liquid is sprinkled onto the boiled cereal and gently turned over using chopsticks so that the marinade is evenly distributed throughout the rice.
Mixing the cereal is not allowed, otherwise the delicate grains will turn into real malasha porridge.
Gas station No. 1
The amount of components in this recipe is taken to anoint 450 g of finished cereal.
Ingredients:
- Rice vinegar - 2 tbsp;
- Granulated sugar - 1 tsp;
- Sea salt - 1 tsp.
Preparation:
- In a small saucepan you need to mix all the declared products, then put the container on low heat.
- By constantly stirring the composition, we achieve complete dissolution of the sweet and salty crystals, and the dressing can be considered ready.
Gas station No. 2
This version of the gravy is designed for 300 g of dry cereal, which yields about 0.7 kg of finished rice.
Ingredients:
- Mitsukan rice vinegar – 60 ml;
- Granulated sugar – 40 g;
- Sea salt – 10 g;
- Dried seaweed "Kombu" - 1 g.
Preparation:
- Having combined all the ingredients in a common container, put the saucepan on the fire.
- It is necessary to heat the marinade until the sugar and salt dissolve, but do not bring it to a boil.
- Algae must be removed from the dressing immediately after removing the container from the burner.
Before seasoning the cereal, one more aspect should be taken into account: for this, the rice must be slightly cooled, but the vinegar itself must be extremely hot. Only if all these requirements are met, rice for sushi and rolls will turn out exactly the way it is made in Japan.
– one of the most popular and beloved cereals, which has found application in many cuisines around the world. The Japanese especially reverence rice, because it forms the basis for preparing the most famous national dishes such as sushi and rolls, so choosing the right variety is of great importance.
Of course, the easiest way to choose rice suitable for rolls is to buy Japanese, which is often sold in large supermarkets. But if you know the basic requirements for cereals for preparing these “rolls,” then you can easily choose rice from other commercially available varieties.
Which variety should I choose?
There are many varieties of this crop, each of which has certain properties, but not all of them are suitable for making rolls. The main requirement for rice in this dish is that it should be sufficiently sticky, but not turn into porridge when cooked. Round-grain varieties are considered the best for rolls. They make a good alternative to traditional Japanese cereals. Short grain rice absorbs a large amount of liquid when cooked and also contains a lot of liquid, which makes it dull. During the cooking process, such rice becomes soft and sticky, and, therefore, meets the necessary requirements. Among the domestic varieties that have similar properties, we can highlight round Krasnodar rice, the properties of which are identical to the Japanese varieties Nishiki and Kahomai. In the Primorsky Territory, an elite variety of rice called “Fushigon” is grown; it also has high stickiness, and its snow-white, even and smooth grains are rich in vitamins and minerals. This variety is perfect for making rolls.
What should you pay attention to?
The quality of the cereal used determines how tasty, beautiful and nutritious the dish will be. When purchasing rice, pay attention to the integrity of the grains and their color. Parboiled rice should not be used; it is easily distinguished by its characteristic creamy color. After cooking, such cereals become crumbly and it is almost impossible to form rolls from them. The freshness of the cereal used is also one of the most important factors in preparation. If the cereal has been stored for several years, you risk ruining the rolls by using it.
Preparing cereals for cooking
There are many options for preparing rice for rolls, but the preliminary preparation is always the same. First of all, you need to make sure that the cereal is clean and, if necessary, sort it out. Then rinse thoroughly, changing the water several times.
Cooking methods
Each chef, like many lovers and admirers of oriental cuisine, will probably have his own signature recipe for preparing rice for rolls. We will give just a few of them.
Method 1
Pour the prepared cereal with water and leave to swell for about 30 minutes, then add water, bring to a boil and, reducing the heat to low, simmer for another 20 minutes.
Method 2
Pour cold water over the rice to swell. After about an hour, add water at the rate of 250 ml per 200 grams of rice and cook in a cast iron pan over medium heat for about 15 minutes. After this, remove from the stove and, without opening the lid, allow the cereal to reach a state of softness.
Method 3
This is an alternative method. Surely, many housewives, having a rice cooker in their kitchen arsenal, will use it to cook rice.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to cook rice in advance. In this case, it should be stored in ceramic or glass containers, avoiding exposure to sunlight and moisture.
Seasoning rice
Perhaps the most important thing in preparing rice for rolls is its dressing. It is this that gives the spicy, unique taste to real Japanese rolls. You can prepare the original dressing yourself. To do this, you will need to mix 2.5 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons and 1.5 teaspoons. Then, stirring constantly, heat on the stove until the sugar is completely dissolved and season with warm rice.
Bright touches
Quite often prepared with colored rice. To obtain bright and rich colors, only natural dyes are used, for example. Thanks to it, rice acquires a bright yellow color. Adding plum vinegar will turn the rice pink. Rice will turn green if you cook it with seaweed.
Japanese food has won the hearts of people. Every housewife strives to master Japanese cuisine. Sushi is a classic dish where the main ingredient is rice.
There are many methods for cooking sushi rice.
Let's figure out how to cook sushi rice at home. Everything you need to create sushi is in the store. Japanese is not sold in Russia. But they sell vinegar for rice. An alternative is round grain.
Characteristics of the cereal:
- grain to grain
- without husk
- white
- no cracks, chips
Choose round grain, as it contains a lot of starch. It creates the stickiness that sushi requires. It’s better to check, cook a test version first. Look at the stickiness of the cereal. The grains themselves, they should not break, be whole and soft.
Everything depends on rice. The main thing is to choose and cook it correctly. The calculation of cereal is simple, remember: 1 kg of dry cereal - 16-18 roll servings. One person eats 2.5 - 3.5 servings.
How to properly cook rice for rolls. Sort thoroughly, transfer to a ladle and fill with warm water. Leave for 2 minutes. See if husks float to the surface, remove. Drain, fill with clean water and repeat the procedure. Until the grain is clean and the water is clear. Pour into a colander and drain off any remaining liquid. Then soak in cold water. Leave for 20 minutes.
Basic Rules:
- The cereal is boiled until fully cooked
- Dressing includes salt, sugar, rice vinegar
- The finished product is seasoned in a deep saucepan
Cooking in a slow cooker
A slow cooker is the best way to cook porridge; it is a godsend for sushi lovers. Cooking rice in it is a pleasure. It turns out the way it should be. You won’t have to suffer with fire over time. They put it in, set the time, and that’s it.
In a slow cooker, the product is prepared according to the recipe: for two servings of sushi, take 300 g of cereal, measure with a measuring cup. We wash it our way. Pour the cereal into the multicooker and fill it with water up to the mark. Select the “Rice/Grains” mode for 25 minutes and press the button. After finishing, we don’t immediately take out the rice, we give it time to reach full readiness - 20 minutes.
Cooking in a saucepan
How to cook sushi rice at home if you don’t have a multicooker. Then only in a saucepan can you cook sushi rice.
Not everyone has a multicooker, some don’t like new technologies, so you can cook in a regular saucepan. There are a huge number of methods for such cooking; here are the most traditional ones.
- Take a pan with a thick bottom. For 200g of cereal, pour 250g of water. We use a measuring container. For flavor, add a piece of nori and remove until boiling. Cover with a lid, place on medium heat, and once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cooking time is 10-15 minutes.
- Take a container for cooking. We rinse the cereal, put it in a saucepan and fill it with cold water in a ratio of 1:2. Leave it like this for 30 minutes. Next, place it on the highest heat and bring to a boil. Then put it on a small fire and cook for 10 minutes. Let it brew for 25 minutes.
- The proportions of grain to water are 1:2. Pour into boiling water, turn down the heat and turn it to the lowest setting. Cook until fully cooked for 30 minutes. Next, turn off the stove. Let it brew for 10-15 minutes.
- Rice grains are washed and dried on a towel. Place the grain in a container and pour in the liquid in a 1:1 ratio. Place on low heat and cover with a lid. Before boiling, add heat for 2-3 minutes, then turn it down. Boil for 20 minutes, before turning off, turn on the heat for 15 seconds and turn off the stove. Place a towel under the lid. Wait 15 minutes.
Hulled rice
Ingredients:
- Cereal – 600g
- Water – 600g
- Salt - 1 teaspoon
- Cream vinegar 60g;
- Mirina - 1.5 tbsp. spoons
We wash and dry the grains, put them in a saucepan, add water and salt. Cook over low heat until fully cooked. Let it brew for 20 minutes. Place the cooled cereal in a wooden container and sprinkle with classic sushi vinegar. Mix with a wooden spatula so that the cereal does not crush. The Japanese say that in order for the rice to turn out really white, you need to fan it while it cools. If we are a true connoisseur of Japanese cuisine, then try it. The grain is ready for sushi, but any rice needs to be seasoned with marinade to get a familiar taste
How to prepare seasoning for rice
Preparing the dressing is simple. Classic sauce for rice cereal. Can be purchased or prepared. The most delicious thing is to prepare it yourself, a seasoning for rice, for sushi. A lot depends on the sauce, what taste the rolls will have, what color. Therefore, we prepare it carefully and do not violate the proportions.
Ingredients:
- 450 g - boiled cereal
- 2 tbsp. - spoons of vinegar
- 1 teaspoon - salt
- 1 teaspoon - granulated sugar
Fill the container, mix the ingredients, cook over moderate heat until smooth. For flavor, mix the dressing with seaweed. The taste and smell are amazing. Stir in the still hot ingredients and let cool.
It's better not to cook rice in advance. There are situations when this is necessary. But if this happens, then there are rules that you must follow, otherwise it will disappear. Then you will not prepare this delicacy.
- It cannot be refrigerated in a pan.
- Divide the cereal into portions
- Divide into bags
- Store in a cool place
- Duration - 2 days
You can make festive rolls for a festive event. Simply dye the husked rice in different colors. We take red cream vinegar and add it to the dressing instead of regular vinegar. The color will be pinkish. Mix the finished cereal with seaweed to obtain a soft green tint. When cooking, add one spoon of turmeric, the color will be bright yellow. Experiment. The main thing is not to violate the technology of cooking rice at home. Then they will be not only beautiful, but extremely tasty.
Note to the hostess
- Average cooking time for cereals is 20 minutes
- All ingredients are mixed while hot
- Use ready-made rice immediately, do not leave it for later.
- Do not stir while cooking
- Making rolls and sushi from cooled cereals
- Do not completely fill the cereal with sauce so that it has a slight taste
- Do not leave it open for a long time, it will dry out.
By following these simple rules, you will succeed. Gradually you will learn how to prepare them and learn the secrets of oriental cuisine. You will surprise your family and friends with amazing dishes from Japanese cuisine. Homemade sushi tastes better than restaurant sushi, as it is prepared with soul and love. Believe in yourself!
How to cook sushi rice: according to authentic Japanese recipes