Japanese Steamed Rice

Soft, glossy Japanese short-grain rice, cooked until the grains are tender and cling together just enough to eat with chopsticks or press into onigiri. Rich in sticky starch, it's rinsed well and cooked by absorption with a touch more water than long-grain rice — a rice cooker makes it effortless, but a heavy pot with a tight lid works just as well.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice (sushi rice, such as Koshihikari or Calrose)
• 2 1/4 cups water
• Pinch of salt (optional)

Boiling & Steaming

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Cooking with Water and Vapor→

Method

Rinse and soak

Put the rice in a bowl, cover with cold water, and swish gently with your hand. Pour off the cloudy water and repeat three or four times, until it runs nearly clear — rinsing matters more here than for any other rice, since leftover surface starch turns the finished rice gluey rather than pleasantly sticky. Drain well, and if you have time, let the rinsed rice soak in the measured 2 1/4 cups water for 30 minutes so the grains hydrate evenly.

Cook and steam

Combine the rice, water, and salt in a heavy pot with a tight lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it boils, cover and reduce the heat to low, then cook undisturbed for 12–13 minutes, until the water is absorbed — do not lift the lid. Off the heat, let it stand covered for another 10 minutes to finish steaming, then fold gently with a spatula or rice paddle to separate the grains without crushing them, and serve.