Rice for sushi recipe at home. Rice for sushi - cooking perfect rice without problems

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How to cook rice for sushi and rolls so that the roll or nigirizushi does not fall apart when dipped in sauce, do not look sideways on a serving plate? Rice is so often used in Japanese cuisine that it's time to talk more about its preparation. This is the most difficult and rather tedious stage in an exciting action, but without it, nowhere.

How to choose and wash the grains, whether it is necessary to cover the pan with a lid during cooking and how to determine the readiness - we will talk about these and other moments of cooking rice for rolls and sushi.

How to choose good rice for rolls and nigiri

Rice preparation begins at the Japanese food shelf in a supermarket or specialty store. Yes friends, How if you didn't try cook rice for sushi by all rights, if the gluten content is low, a fiasco is inevitable. Here we need a "golden mean":

• rice should not turn into a paste on one side, otherwise the rolls will blur;
• on the other hand, do not strive to get a crumbly "pilaf", or the roll will begin to crumble when you try to grab it with bamboo sticks.

So that Japanese-style gatherings do not break, consider the five rules of choice.

1. Sushi houses Can cook round-grain rice. How elite varieties cannot be better suited: such a grain is large, regular in shape, without cracks and breaks. It contains a lot of starchy substances, so the rice grains will stick together well, and the sushi will keep its shape.
2. As for the color, it is definitely white opaque. Steamed, transparent options, brown rice are categorically not suitable.
3. An almost win-win option is special Japanese rice. The best varieties are sushi and koshi-higaru, brands are Sen Soi, Blu Dragon, Urutimae, Mochigome.

Choice by choice, but the benefits of a product can only be appreciated if you know how to cook sushi rice at home.

Steps for making rice rolls

There are many recipes for cooking cereals, the five basic steps with slight variations are indispensable.

1. Rice for sushi needs to be washed. This is done in a small bowl under running water. This step needs special attention: the cereal will have to be washed 8-10 times before the water becomes clear. It is better to throw away the pop-up grain - this is poor-quality cereal.
2. Place clean rice grains in a saucepan and cover with water. The ratio for cooking is 1:1.5. For example, to prepare 300 grams of grain, take 450 milliliters of water.
3. Flavoring rice. Nori for sushi and rolls is like lavrushka in European cuisine. Thrown into a pot of cold water, a piece of seaweed will add a tart sea flavor to the whole dish. Be sure to remove the seaweed as soon as the water begins to boil.
4. Let's start cooking. Cooking time and temperature conditions largely depend on the method of preparation and the type of sushi. Generally boil rice for sushi need no more than 15 minutes.
5. Season the cooked rice with rice vinegar. To do this, the rice must cool slightly. The ratio of cereals and dressing depends on the sushi recipe. The main thing is to combine the ingredients correctly. First, do not pour the grits with sauce, but sprinkle evenly. And secondly, paste porridge is not suitable for making sushi, so we carefully separate the hot grains and turn them over with our fingers.

The theory is over, let's move on to practice. Let's try cook sushi rice at home according to different recipes.

Boil sushi rice in a pot

The area of ​​the bottom of the cookware should correspond to the diameter of the burner. Have you chosen? Then let's get started:

• lay the products and fill with cold water in a ratio of 1: 1.5. We turn on the burner on medium heat, heat it up and put the rice;
• as soon as the water boils, reduce the heat to a minimum, cook until tender for 10-15 minutes: the rice should absorb all the liquid;
• prerequisite for the traditional sushi rice recipe- "ripening" of hot rice for 5-10 minutes. Therefore, we remove the pan from the stove, but do not remove the lid. To eliminate excess moisture, lay a waffle towel or cotton cloth under the lid;
• the cereal is cooked, but it is still far from the base for rolls. Prepare the vinegar dressing.

We combine a tablespoon of Japanese wine and rice vinegar, add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 2 of the same spoons of salt. Mix everything thoroughly until the grains of the ingredients are completely dissolved.

Place moderately hot rice in a damp bowl. We spray the dressing over the cereal, periodically turning the grains over with a wooden spatula (you can use your own hands at home). Once the rice has cooled, start rolling or shaping nigiri sushi.

Method for beginners: we almost do not cook, but we insist

How to cook rice for sushi a novice cook and not digest the cereal? There is a recipe where the cereal is not kept on a hot stove for a long time. First, thoroughly wash the cereal, further actions are as follows:

• the proportion of grain and water is different: 175 grams of rice is poured into 300 milliliters of water;
• put the pan on medium heat, bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, turn off the burner;
• leave the pan with the lid closed on the stove for 10 minutes. During this time, the rice will swell and absorb the remaining water;
• Now remove the base from the stove. Open the lid: so the cereal will infuse, and excess moisture will come out.

Preparing sauce for sushi

Do not let the grain cool down completely - dressing with vinegar is ahead:

• for 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar we take 1 tsp. sugar and salt;
• mix the ingredients and heat a little in a water bath;
• Spread the rice in a bowl, sprinkle with dressing and gently mix the cereal.

Now sushi rice is not only cooked, but also completely ready for use in Japanese cuisine recipes.

Multicooker for preparing cereals for sushi

House rice for sushi convenient prepare in the multicooker: How As a rule, this technique allows you to more accurately adjust the temperature regime. True, in sushi bars they prefer the traditional way. It is believed that this is how the rice is unnecessarily steamed. But why not make it easier for yourself at home:

• thoroughly wash the cereal, and Japanese rice is also soaked for 20-30 minutes in cold water;
• we shift the grain into the bowl of the multicooker and fill it with water in the standard ratio for sushi;
• set the mode "Rice" or "Buckwheat" and cook for 13 minutes;
• if there are no special parameters for cereals, you can use "baking". In this mode, we cook rice for 10 minutes, then switch to “stewing” and hold the grain for another 15-20 minutes.

Open the bowl and let the rice “reach” and cool at the same time. Well, then we process the rice base with vinegar dressing.

Rice dressing for rolls - the main difference

There are others sushi rice recipes and rolls. But interestingly, the cooking process is similar everywhere: washing, hot stove, “ripening” of the finished grain. Sauce may vary.

• rice vinegar is replaced with apple cider vinegar and flavored with honey and salt;
• sometimes the "classics of the genre" are mixed with the same volume of lemon juice, salt and sugar

Choose the option that suits you best and delight your friends and family with beautifully designed rolls and sushi nigiri.

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The basic and main ingredient in rolls is rice. When rice for rolls is properly cooked, the delicacy does not fall apart, retains its shape and allows you to feel the delicate delicious taste of the filling.

1. Before you start cooking, you need to understand which rice is suitable for rolls. Not all varieties of rice are suitable for our task. It is best to use the round grain type.
2. For example, rice with small grains "Urutimai". This product has a lot of starch in its composition, which allows the rice grains to stick together during cooking.
3. The most common variety of rice is plain milk white rice. It is sold in every store, has great stickiness and viscosity.
4. Pay attention to the processing of cereals. It can be steamed, polished or peeled. Do not take parboiled rice, otherwise your roll will fall apart.
5. Do not use long grain or brown rice in sushi. They have virtually no gluten.
6. After buying rice, sort it out, weed out any black grains or debris.

How to cook rice for rolls and sushi?

Sushi requires sticky rice. Therefore, the usual cooking option does not suit us.

Cooking in the traditional way in a saucepan

You will need:

• white rice - 0.33 kg;
• salt;
• water - 0.4 l;
• sugar.

How to cook rice for rolls:

1. Put the rice in a colander or sieve and rinse with cold water 5 times until the dripping liquid is clear.
2. We put the washed product in a pan with water.
3. Cook rice on high heat. We are waiting for it to boil.
4. Switch the heat to minimum power and cook for another 12 minutes. Do not mix the resulting composition.
5. Leave the pan on the stove, turning off the heat, for 25 minutes to simmer.
6. Taste the rice after 15 minutes and make sure it is soft. If the product turned out to be harsh, add another 15 ml of boiling water.
7. While the rice is simmering, make the vinegar dressing. To do this, combine sugar, rice vinegar, salt.
8. Put the mixture on the stove, and as soon as it starts to boil, remove the pan.
9. We shift the rice into a spacious bowl, pour in a slightly cooled dressing and gently mix the ingredients.
10. Now you can start making treats. Bon appetit!

The recipe for rice for sushi and rolls in a slow cooker

Grocery list:

• granulated sugar - 16 g;
• rice vinegar - 50 ml;
• salt - 10 g;
• rice groats - 370 g;
• lemon juice - 18 ml;
• water - 0.5 l;
• soy sauce - 10 ml.

Cooking rice in a slow cooker:

1. We wash the cereal several times with cold water.
2. We spread the composition on the bottom of the multicooker bowl and add water.
3. In the kitchen appliance menu, click on the "Cereals" or "Rice" button. The set time is 25 minutes.
4. During this time, you can prepare the marinade. Pour lemon juice, soy sauce and vinegar into a separate bowl. Add sugar and salt. Pour the liquid mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
5. Cool the marinade and pour over the cooked rice.

Aromatic rice cooked with nori

Algae will give the rice a pleasant aroma and delicate spicy taste.

Recipe Ingredients:

• boiled water - 0.4 l;
• three nori leaves;
• salt - 4 g;
• rice - 180 g;
• olive oil - 20 ml;
• soy sauce - 40 ml.

How to cook rice:

1. Several times we process the required amount of rice in a colander with cold water.
2. We load the washed ingredient into the pan and bring to a boil with strong heat.
3. We begin to cook rice porridge with moderate heat for 10 minutes.
4. During this time, cut the seaweed into small pieces and, when the rice is ready, add to the pan.
5. Separately, mix soy sauce, olive oil and salt.
6. Pour the resulting mixture into rice, mix all the ingredients.
7. Now you can start forming rolls.

Preparing the rice dressing

Cooked unleavened rice by itself does not give such a subtle amazing taste in rolls. In order for the product to become more tender and its taste to become richer, a special dressing is being prepared. Later it is mixed with rice.

Classic variant

You will need:

• sugar - 50 g;
• rice vinegar - 54 ml;
• salt - 5 g.

Action algorithm:

1. Combine the above ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Turn on the fire to low power and heat the solution, stirring it constantly.
3. When the sugar dissolves into a liquid, turn off the heat and wait until the dressing has cooled.

Sushizu filling

What to take:

• vinegar - 90 g;
• salt - 4 g;
• a leaf of kombu seaweed;
• sugar - 50 g.

Step by step preparation:

1. We combine all the products in a bowl, transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat it.
2. We prepare the dressing with slow heating, making sure that the liquid does not boil.
3. After 5 minutes, we filter the warm liquid through a sieve and remove the lumps of algae.
4. After that, you can mix the sauce with boiled rice.

Sushi and rolls - traditional Asian dishes - have become very popular outside of Asia. There are no less restaurants where you can try such food now than pizzerias.

At the same time, unlike pizza, which our housewives have long been successfully preparing at home, not everyone is at risk to try to make sushi or rolls on their own. This is largely due to the need to purchase specific products of Asian cuisine - seaweed, sauces, caviar and others.

You can not find all the necessary ingredients in every store. The cooking process itself is not too complicated and quite exciting.

For everything to work out, it is very important to choose and cook rice correctly. It should not be undercooked, but it should also not be allowed to turn into gruel. There are several ways to achieve the correct state of readiness of rice.

Suitable for making sushi is Mistral rice, a regular white round-grain or special variety sold in Asian food stores or departments with products for preparing it in supermarkets.

Steamed and long grain varieties are not suitable. Groats can be polished. Such rice contains a lot of starch, due to which it absorbs water well and becomes tender and crumbly.

The calorie content of rice itself is about 350 kcal per 100 g of finished cereals. Cooking time depends on the chosen method. Usually, along with soaking, it takes up to 40-50 minutes to cook.

Rice should be washed well before cooking. This is done in the following way:

• the right amount of porridge is poured with water in a bowl or pan, the rice is quickly mixed by hand;
• they drain the water, letting go with it those grains, husks and debris that have risen to the surface of the water;
• rub the rice lightly in the palms, picking up several handfuls;
• rinse again and repeat this action until the drained water becomes clear.

Then the cereal is soaked for 20 minutes in cold water.

Classic Asian Rice Recipe

This recipe follows the traditional way as closely as possible.

Products:

• 700 g of washed rice;
• 700 g of cold filtered water.

Calories per 100 g: 344 kcal.

How to cook rice for sushi at home? Let's consider this process in detail. Rice is poured with water and placed in a saucepan on the stove, turned on over a slow fire.

Before the water begins to boil, the fire increases, and at the moment of boiling, the temperature is made weak. Cook for another 20 minutes, during which time the liquid evaporates and is absorbed into the rice. Then they turn on a big fire for 10 seconds, after which they turn off the stove.

It is very important not to stir the porridge during cooking. You can loosen it with a wooden stick after turning off the stove.

Covering the pan with a towel and then a lid, let it stand for 20 minutes before cooking.

Cooking Rice with Rice Vinegar

Now we cook rice for sushi at home in a different way - with vinegar. Let's get started!

Products:

• 200 g of washed rice;
• 250 ml of water;
• 1 tsp white sugar;
• 2 g of table or sea salt;
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar.

Time required for cooking: 45 min.

Calories per 100 g: 353 kcal.

Grains are poured with cold fresh water and allowed to boil at medium temperature. The fire is changed to minimum and boiled for 14 minutes with the lid closed.

Opening the lid and stirring the porridge is not allowed. Then the pan is set aside from the stove, salt, sugar and vinegar are added. Before cooking, the porridge should stand a little, cool down, so that it is comfortable to hold it in your hands when preparing sushi.

Another Easy Rice Recipe

Below we will describe how to properly cook regular sushi rice.

Products:

• 200 g plain washed rice;
• 250 ml filtered water;
• 1 piece of konbu seaweed - no more than 5 cm.

Time required for cooking: 35 min.

Calories per 100 g: 342 kcal.

Grains in a saucepan are poured with water, while the container should be such that the water fills it by a third, no more. Konbu algae are placed in the water, but they must be pulled out before the liquid boils.

Up to this point, the pan is covered with a lid. After boiling, the porridge is boiled for 10-13 minutes at a minimum temperature.

Cooking in a multicooker

It is much easier to cook rice in a slow cooker, since you do not need to control the process. So, how long and how to cook rice for sushi in a slow cooker?

Pre-soaked washed cereals with water in a ratio of 1 part cereal to 1.5 parts of water are placed in a multicooker bowl. Some devices have "Rice" or "Buckwheat" modes, you can set them for cooking.

In the absence of special functions, porridge is cooked for 10 minutes in the "Baking" mode, and then another 20 - in "Stew".

If liquid remains after cooking, it is drained. Before cooking, the porridge should cool down.

Delicious Sushi Rice Dressing Recipes

Before you start cooking sushi or rolls, rice needs to be seasoned. This is done using vinegar mixtures.

Products:

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (you can take wine, or even apple, if there is no rice in the store);
• 1 tsp sugar and soy sauce.

All ingredients are mixed so that the sugar dissolves. Then the dressing can be warmed up a little in the microwave so that it is slightly warm. The resulting mixture is poured over the cooled rice. Now you can start making sushi.

For another filling you will need:

• 70 g plum vinegar (or apple);
• 1 tsp preferably sea salt;
• 3 tbsp mirin (rice wine).

A mixture of the listed ingredients is poured into porridge, distributed evenly with wooden sticks.

Dressing can be used to change the color of cooked rice. Then the sushi will be more original. Red plum vinegar gives the grits a pleasant pinkish tint.

If you add 1 teaspoon of turmeric seasoning to water before cooking porridge, the color of the finished rice will be yellowish. Ground seaweed (1-2 tablespoons), mixed into the finished porridge, will make it soft green.

In order for the cereal to cook properly, you must remember to rinse and soak it before cooking. It is best to use wooden utensils when cooking: sticks or small flat spatulas for loosening and stirring, wooden bowls for soaking and cooling rice in them.

Dressing and porridge, when mixed, should be still warm, but not hot or cold.

In order for hot porridge to cool faster, it should not be placed in a cold place, even on a windowsill.

In Japan, a fan is used to speed up the cooling process. You can fan the porridge with your palms, a magazine or a piece of paper.

It is better not to store rice in the refrigerator if cooking is not planned immediately. It is recommended to use porridge for dishes on the day of its preparation.

Good rice for sushi and rolls may not come out right away. Each time it will come out better and the sushi will turn out to be as tasty as in restaurants.

You can also learn about the intricacies of cooking rice for sushi and rolls from the following video.

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The preparation of toppings in sushi is a creative matter, but the rice base does not allow liberties. Here you need to follow the technology. In Japanese restaurants, this process is put on stream. Let's see, how to cook rice for rolls at home when the equipment is an ordinary pan and even a microwave oven.

First, about rice for rolls. It is needed with high gluten, because we need porridge sticky, not crumbly. Ideal to buy Japanese rice groats for sushi. For example, Fushigon, Sen-Soi, Kosi Hakari, Sushiki. However, without consequences for the result, it can be replaced with Russian-made round-grain rice.

Before, How cook rice for rolls, necessary prepare Necessary utensils and equipment:

1. In addition to the saucepan, you will need a wooden spatula and a wooden mixing bowl, a deep colander for swelling, a small bowl for sauce.
2. The pan should be with a "margin" for swelling of cereals and a thick bottom. Well, if the lid is glass. Then you can watch the process without opening the pan. Make sure the uncooked rice and water are less than half full before cooking.
3. Need a timer how to cook rice for rolls at home without minute observance of time will not work.

Do not pre-prime the base. The composition is prepared during the "rest" of boiled grain and is immediately applied.

How to make vinegar sauce for dressing cereals

Rice has one feature - its taste is weak, insipid. And this, oddly enough, is a huge plus of this cereal, since the cook can give any flavor shade. In our case, this is a tart aftertaste, a slight sourness.

Each sushi chef has several variations of rice dressings for rolls “hidden” in his arsenal. We offer with the following ingredients:

• Rice vinegar - 50-60 ml;
• Fresh lemon juice - 1-2 teaspoons;
• Soy sauce - 0.5-1 teaspoon;
• Sugar - 3 tsp;
• Salt (preferably sea) - 1 tsp.

How to cook refueling in . Pour vinegar and lemon juice into saucepan. Now mix in dry ingredients. Stir until the "flowability" is dissolved. Only now you can add soy sauce and mix again. Again, vinegar dressing is prepared under the “curtain” of rice cooking.

Let's start cooking

It doesn’t matter if you cook in your favorite saucepan or in the microwave, cereals and water are always taken in a ratio of 1 to 1.5. Rice is washed only in cold water very carefully. Water will have to be drained 10-12 times, no less.

Making rice in a regular pot

We wash the grain to clear water, put it on a sieve / colander and let it swell for 20-30 minutes so that the cereal swells a little more and boils evenly.

1. We spread the grain and add water. To properly prepare rice for rolls stick to the recommended ratio of ingredients. Focus on this indicator: the liquid should cover the cereal by 1/5 of the volume of rice.
2. We cover the pan with a lid, put it on the stove at medium mode. As soon as the rice begins to boil, immediately set the minimum mode and cook for 15 minutes. Do not allow a rapid boil and do not overexpose, otherwise you will get a paste. In fact, the cereal is languishing.
3. After the time has elapsed, remove the pan from the stove. Place a cotton cloth under the lid, close the lid again for 15 minutes. Our cereal "ripens" to the right consistency. Just do not completely wrap the container.

Frequent "stumbling block" of home sushi chefs: Do I need to rinse rice for rolls after cooking. Experienced craftsmen are categorically against this step: the porridge will become watery and lose gluten. Excess moisture is absorbed by the padded fabric, and unnecessary casings are already washed off when raw rice is processed.

Next up is the vinegar dressing. Rice should be well warm - almost hot. Transfer it to a wooden bowl and drizzle with prepared sauce in portions, gently mixing from bottom to top with a wooden spatula. Let the porridge cool to room temperature, then twist any rolls, nigiri, gunkans.

Recipe in a slow cooker

The process is very similar to the previous method. For inexperienced sushi chefs, there are certain advantages. Rice will definitely not burn or overcook (if “that” mode is selected).

So, how to cook rice for rolls in a multicooker in stages:

1. We wash the cereal in running water, let it swell and transfer it to a multicooker bowl. The ratio of cereals / liquid as when cooking in a saucepan is 1: 1.5.
2. We fill it with water and set the "Rice" mode (sometimes - "Groats" or "Buckwheat"). Cooking time - 20-25 minutes. But here it is necessary to build on the recommendations of the equipment manufacturer.
3. After the timer clicks, signaling readiness, do not open the lid. Groats should be infused for 10-15 minutes.

Now the rice base can be transferred to a wooden bowl and sprinkled with marinade. Everything, rice for rolls is cooked. Start experimenting with your favorite Japanese dishes.

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There is hardly a hostess who has not tried to cook something unusual for her family at least once in her life.

If you have not yet managed to accomplish such a feat, I invite you to take an interest in the method of preparing sushi dressing with me.

How to replace rice vinegar or how to cook it at home - that's what my article today will be about.

Having stayed with my younger sister, a strong desire to cook sushi at home has been haunting me for a couple of weeks now.

For some time I looked closely at the prices of ingredients, read the advice of experienced "sushi masters", and asked for company secrets from my sister. In the end, she learned how to cook sushi rice, completed the roll wrapping course, and the desire to cook sushi at home reached its highest intensity.

The main ingredients for the rapidly gaining popularity of sushi are rice, rice vinegar (impregnation for ready-made vinegar) and kombu seaweed (another name for nori).

The question remains of how to reduce the price of this dish, that is, how to replace expensive products. A Japanese woman uses all the best to make sushi, but a real Russian woman can create a hairstyle, a scandal and a salad out of nothing ... And so we will try!

Rice

Special sushi rice can be replaced with regular round-grain rice. In no case do we use steamed varieties or rice in bags. They will make a beautiful side dish, but not sticky rice mass for rolls.

Proportions of water for cooking 1 cup of rice:

• Rice pre-soaked for 1-2 hours - 1:1;
• Dry rice grain - 1.5 cups: 1 cup of water.

After boiling water (it will take about 10 minutes), reduce the fire and cook for 15 minutes. It is advisable not to lift the lid. After the time has elapsed, turn off the fire and let the porridge brew for 20-25 minutes, opening the lid.

Add the dressing to the rice when both the dressing and the rice have cooled down a bit.

rice vinegar

This ingredient is rarely found on the shelves of ordinary stores due to its high cost.

Or maybe there are no specialty stores in your small town or you rarely go to huge supermarkets? Then the question of replacing such vinegar will immediately become an exotic dish at the first desire.

In such cases, our housewives have learned how to replace rice vinegar and generously share recipes on forums or blogs. True, the taste of cooked rice will be slightly different, but we are only learning and may the Japanese forgive us!

Alternative dressing for rice

For an alternative dressing for rice, we can use apple, wine or grape white vinegar. These types of vinegar essence are quite affordable and are budgetary in comparison with rice.

Using red grape vinegar

The second name is wine vinegar. A contraindication to its use may be increased acidity of the stomach or an allergy to grapes.

Very often at home, old red wine is used instead of wine vinegar.

• 3 tsp Sahara
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp grape vinegar

Place the prepared ingredients in an enamel bowl and bring to a boil. The filling should not boil. A sign of readiness is the complete dissolution of sugar and salt.

Apple

This type of vinegar essence is one of the highest quality, having a large list of useful properties behind it. It is obtained by fermenting sweet apples and apple wine, which makes its taste much softer than ordinary table vinegar.

• 1 tsp Sahara
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 st. l. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp boiled water

Preparation is similar to the previous recipe. Readiness is also determined by the dissolution of dry substances.

white grape

If there are no contraindications to the use of vinegar, then you can try the usual table 6% or white wine. The recipe is similar to the one where red grape tincture was used.

You can also combine vinegar with soy sauce, which will give a special flavor to the impregnation.

• 1 st. l. Sahara
• 2.5 st. l. soy sauce
• 2.5 tbsp table or wine white vinegar

Heat all ingredients until sugar dissolves.

Lemon juice is a good option for soaking rice. The fact is that rice vinegar has a very mild taste that is difficult to reproduce. Lemon juice, diluted with a little sugar, may well replace it. The difference in taste is very rare to be able to distinguish.

• 2 tbsp. l. boiled warm water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Sahara
• 0.5 tsp salt

Mix everything until the sugar and salt dissolve. Never let the mixture boil.

If there is nori

If there is seaweed in the kitchen (but not kelp, otherwise we get a bitter-tasting dressing), you can get an almost Japanese version of the dressing. Of course, sushi with free delivery around the city will be a very convenient lunch option, but we want to experiment with making them ourselves.

• 2.5 st. l. any vinegar (table, wine, apple)
• 2.5 tbsp Sahara
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 nori sheet

We heat all ingredients except seaweed until dissolved and only then add nori. Algae can be taken more - instead of one sheet 2. Algae crumble and beat the mixture until smooth.

What not to use

Experienced chefs for the preparation of rice vinegar are categorically against the use of balsamic vinegar. The latter has a bright, specific taste, infused with a bouquet of herbs. It is completely capable of changing the taste of rice, which should only have a hint of sourness.

Usual for our kitchens table 9% or 6% vinegars are used only as a last resort.

If you have already learned how to cook sushi at home and decide that they will become a frequent guest on your menu, you should not use dressing substitutes. I suggest making a dressing for rice for future use.

To prepare real rice vinegar at home, we need:

• 1 cup round grain rice
• 250 ml water
• 4 tbsp Sahara
• Dry yeast - 1/3 teaspoon

Cooking

After the solution stops bubbling (the fermentation process is over), let the rice-sugar solution brew for another month.

After the specified time, the resulting mixture is again filtered through cheesecloth and boiled. Do not be afraid if the vinegar turns cloudy - this is its normal state. If you wish, you can clarify the solution by adding beaten egg white to it while boiling.

The clarification process will require one more filtration, after which we pour the homemade rice vinegar into a dark glass bottle and store in the refrigerator.

How to add rice vinegar to cooked rice

After we've made the dressing for the rice and cooked the rice, it's time to put them together. How to do it right?

• In order to connect the dressing and rice, we use a wooden spoon and dishes.
• Put the rice in a wooden tub, pour over the dressing and mix with a wooden spatula or spoon.
• Stir gently, moving the top layer of rice down. Intense stirring will turn the rice into an incomprehensible porridge.

After preparing the rice and dressing, you can start making rolls. And the story of how to wrap sushi and what to use for the filling is already a topic for a completely different article.

Dear friends, I hope that this collection of secrets for cooking rice and rice vinegar will help you successfully make your first experiment with Japanese cuisine. Even if you have to replace rare ingredients, let your rolls delight the household and become another conquered pinnacle of culinary art!

With love, your Elena Skopich