By nature, sushi rice is vegan - and it's delicious! Sushi rice, also called "sticky" rice, is a must when making vegetable or "veggie" sushi.
We used short-grain Calrose rice for this recipe. But you can use any rice of your choosing. Some even prefer to use brown rice - and that's fine too!
Here's what you need:
2 cups rice
2 cups cold water (more for washing the rice)
1/2 cup rice vinegar
4 tablespoon turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Measure your rice into a medium-size bowl. Add enough cold water to the bowl to cover the rice and with your fingers, gently begin stirring the rice. The water will turn milky at this point, and you will want to drain the water off. Fill the bowl again with cold water, gently stir with your fingers, then strain off the milky water again. Do this two more times until the water becomes more clear.
Next, add cold water to cover the rice, and let the rice soak for 30 to 45 minutes. Finally, strain off the water, place the rice into a large cooking pot or rice cooker and add two cups of cold water. (If you are using a rice cooker, follow the manufacturer's instructions for perfectly cooked rice). Otherwise, follow the directions below for cooking rice on the stovetop.
Cover your pot with a lid and place over medium-high heat just until your rice begins to boil. When you see the steam coming out the side of the cover, the rice is boiling. Do not lift the lid - it will cause the pot to lose its heat, and the rice may not cook properly. Instead, reduce the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes.
Turn off the heat, but do not remove the lid. Allow the rice to rest for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sushi vinegar by adding the vinegar to a small bowl. Next, stir in the sugar and salt until both have dissolved.
Gently transfer the hot rice to a large, wide mixing or salad bowl. Drizzle the vinegar mixture over the top of the rice, using the back of a spoon to distribute evenly.
To "fluff" the rice, gently scrape or toss the rice layer by layer, being careful not to smash or crush the rice, which will result in "mushy" rice. Don't over-mix the rice, or it will result in too mushy, too sticky rice.
Cool the rice at room temperature for about 1 hour before using or refrigerating.
If the rice appears to have too much liquid, don't worry; it will absorb the excess liquid as it cools.
