Sushi (Sushi Rice)

From https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/99211/perfect-sushi-rice/

Bulgarian cook's note: 2 cups sushi rice, the same amount of water (up to the white-rice line). You can add a few leaves of kombu seaweed. Cook without pressure on the white-rice program. As soon as it's done, take it out immediately and mix with the vinegar sauce: 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 tbsp mirin, 1.5 tbsp sugar, 1.5 tsp salt.

Tips for Success

• Avoid Metal: Use a wooden or plastic bowl/spoon to mix, as metal can react with the vinegar.
• Season While Hot: The rice must be hot for it to properly absorb the seasoning.
• Substitutes: If you don't have rice vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
• Ready-Made: Bottled sushi vinegar (such as Marukan or Mizkan) can be used for convenience, as it already includes salt and sugar.

For 2 cups of raw rice: Use 4 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp mirin.

Step 1: Wash + soak the rice (don't skip)

1. Put rice in a bowl, add water, gently swish, drain. Repeat until the water is much clearer.
2. Drain well, then soak 20–30 minutes in the measured water (in your rice cooker pot or cooking pot).
3. (Optional) Lay kombu on top of the soaking rice before cooking.

Why: washing removes excess surface starch; soaking improves texture and even cooking.

Step 2: Cook the rice (rice cooker + stovetop)

Rice cooker

1. Use Sushi mode if available; otherwise normal white rice mode.
2. Key idea: sushi rice uses slightly less water than regular, commonly 1:1 rice:water because vinegar is added later.

Stovetop (simple way)

1. Bring soaked rice + water to a gentle boil (lid on).
2. Reduce to the lowest simmer for ~12 minutes.
3. Turn heat off and rest (lid on) ~10 minutes.

(Exact timings vary by pot; the texture target is tender but a touch firm.)

Step 3: Make the sushi vinegar

1. Mix vinegar + sugar + salt.
2. Warm briefly (stovetop or microwave) just until sugar dissolves; cool.

Step 4: Season the rice (this is the "pro" part)

1. As soon as rice finishes, transfer hot rice to a wide bowl, tray, or ideally a wooden tub (hangiri).
2. Pour sushi vinegar evenly over the hot rice.
3. With a rice paddle/spatula, "slice" at a 45° angle to fold it in—don't stir in circles (that breaks grains).
4. Fan while folding to cool and make it glossy.
5. Stop when rice is about skin temperature (not cold).

Hold for use: cover with a damp towel and keep at room temp for a few hours.