Perfect Sushi Rice: The Foundation of Delicious Homemade Sushi
Achieving the perfect sushi rice is the key to making authentic, restaurant-quality sushi at home. With the help of your Instant Pot, you can prepare beautifully sticky, seasoned rice that’s essential for rolling sushi, crafting sushi bowls, or even serving as a side dish. Sushi rice, or shari, is known for its unique texture and flavour, which comes from a careful balance of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt mixed into perfectly cooked short-grain rice.
Making sushi rice with the Instant Pot ensures consistency and takes the guesswork out of the process. By cooking the rice under controlled pressure and temperature, you get even, fluffy grains every time. Once the rice is cooked, it’s gently folded with a seasoned vinegar mixture, giving it that subtle tang and perfect stickiness essential for forming sushi. The result is a versatile, flavourful base that complements any filling, from fresh fish to vegetables and more.
Whether you’re a sushi-making novice or a seasoned chef, mastering sushi rice is a valuable skill that opens up a world of Japanese-inspired dishes. With your Instant Pot, creating perfectly seasoned, sticky sushi rice at home has never been easier, letting you focus on the fun part—assembling and enjoying your delicious sushi creations.
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Servings:
4 servings
Ingredients
- 230 g sushi rice
- 300 ml water
- a pinch sea salt
- 45 ml rice vinegar
- 2 Tsp sugar
Instructions
- Place the sushi rice into a sieve, then submerge the sieve in a bowl of cold water. Gently agitate the water to rinse the rice, then lift the sieve, drain off the water and repeat this step until the water runs clear. Be sure not to let the rice sit in the water too long. Be gentle with the grains when washing them so as not to damage them. Leave the rice to drain for 5 minutes.
- Make the rice seasoning. Place the salt, rice vinegar and sugar into a bowl. Heat the mixture in short bursts in the microwave until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.
- Add the drained rice into the instant pot along with 300ml cold water. Ensure the rice is well covered in water. Secure the lid of the instant pot, select pressure cook, high pressure and set the timer to 0 minutes. Once at pressure, allow the instant pot to perform a NPR for 17 Minutes. Remove the lid once complete.
- Transfer the rice to a large container or tray, and gently spread the rice out with a silicone spatula. Do not press down too hard on the rice, as it can make it mushy. Slowly pour the rice vinegar seasoning over the rice, then gently mix it with the spatula until it cools to room temperature (about 5 minutes). You can do this in front of a breezy window or fan to speed things along.
- Use your sushi rice to make your favourite sushi and rice dishes.