We are wanting to make sushi rolls tonight, but do not have “rice cooker“.
What alternatives are there?
Can we try using a steamer in a regular sauce pan?
The key is to start with a good rice. Here is how to make it:
I use Kokohu Rose brand which you can find in most Asian sections of American grocery stores.
Here is how I make my rice on the stove top if you don’t have a rice cooker.
I always rinse my rice in cold water first. It helps get some starch off, but you still have it sticky. If you like it really sticky then skip this step.
Use 1 to 1 ½ cups of water to every cup of dried rice. Use your finger tip to measure. The water line above the rice should be a finger tip deep.
Bring up to a boil, put on a lid and lower the heat. Let the rice simmer with the lid on for about 15 minutes. Next, remove the pot from the heat and leave the lid on. Let the rice rest and fully absorb the liquid for about five minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Add the following when you make sushi rice (use 3 cups of cooked rice):
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Prepare sushi vinegar (sushi-zu) by mixing rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a sauce pan. Put the pan on low heat and heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool the vinegar mixture.
Spread the hot steamed rice into a large plate or a large bowl. Please use a non-metallic bowl to prevent any interaction with rice vinegar. It’s best to use a wooden bowl called sushi-oke. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold the rice by shamoji (rice spatula) quickly. Be careful not to smash the rice.
To cool and remove the moisture of the rice well, use a fan as you mix sushi rice. This will give sushi rice a shiny look. It’s best to use sushi rice right away.