Whether you're making donburi, rice balls or simply a bowl of rice to accompany a dish, knowing how to cook rice is probably one of the most important requirements for Japanese cooking.
Japanese people eat rice nearly every day, it's not a myth! They say "One grain of rice is a thousand Gods", just this saying alone shows the importance of rice to Japanese people.
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Types of Rice
There are many types of rice and different cuisines use different kinds of rice, interesting right?
- India - Long grain Basmati rice
- Italy - Short grain Arborio rice (for risotto)
- Thailand - Long grain Jasmine rice for savory, short grain sticky rice for sweets
- Mexico - Medium-long grain Sinaloa
- Japan - Short grain rice
These are just a few random examples but the type of rice usually perfectly compliments the cuisine!
Cooking Rice
Nearly every home in Japan has a rice cooker, I'm yet to meet someone who doesn't own one.
Rice cookers don't only cook the rice to perfection every time, they usually have extra nifty features like keeping the rice warm after it's cooked and a timer so you can set it before work and it's ready when you come home.
In fact, because rice cookers are so common, many young Japanese people don't know how to cook rice from scratch!
But of course, cooking rice is an important skill and many people in Western countries don't have rice cookers because they don't eat rice so often.
The way Japanese people cook rice is quite different to other countries, they aim for a fluffy but slightly sticky texture which is perfect for things like sushi and onigiri. And that's what I want to teach you how to make today!
Tips and Facts for Cooking Rice
Here are some tips for cooking fluffy sticky Japanese style rice
- Wash the rice first (this removes the top layer of starch and allows water to absorb more evenly in the grain)
- Soak the rice for about 30 minutes (in the Winter, it is suggested to soak it for up to 1 hour! This allows even cooking)
- Don't be tempted to cook the rice in boiling water to speed it up, adding cold water to the rice and bringing it up to the boil, allows the grains to cook evenly.
- We base our portion on about 75g of uncooked rice per person. White rice triples in size so don't underestimate it!
- Don't be tempted to take the lid off (well a quick peak doesn't hurt... but not too much!) or mix it, the perfect rice is the rice that hasn't been disturbed whilst cooking.
- At the end of the process, we turn off the heat and leave the lid on. Even though the heat is off, the rice is continuing to cook in its steam and this part of the process is one of the most important, you can't skip it or rush it!
- This rice is perfect for our donburi and onigiri recipes.
Can You Reheat Rice?
I know there's a myth that eating reheated rice can cause food poisoning. Although it might be true, I've never had food poisoning from rice and I eat reheated rice on a regular basis! As long as you follow good hygiene and storage methods, I can promised that the rice will be safe to eat after being heated again!
I personally always make more rice than I need and put the unused rice in a tupperware container. I then leave it to cool with the lid slightly askew for about 20-30 minutes and store it in the freezer to prevent any germs growing.
When you want to use it, you just microwave it for a few minutes, no hassle. (600W 3mins / 500w 3mins 30 seconds)
If you do freeze it, don't press it down and pack the container with too much. Mix it up and put it in the container softly, without pressing it down, otherwise it won't microwave nicely. Frozen rice is great for making fried rice too, you can cook it straight in the frying pan from frozen!
Let's try and make fluffy Japanese rice in a pot!
Watch our video for how to make Japanese Rice on the Stove
Printable recipe
How to Make Fluffy Japanese Rice without a Rice Cooker
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
How to Make Fluffy Japanese Rice without a Rice Cooker
Ingredients
- 300g (1½ US cups) Short Grain Rice
- 400ml (1¾ US cups) Cold water
Instructions
- First, measure out your rice. We recommend that you weigh it out using kitchen scales. (See note)
- Next, pour the rice into a sieve and put the sieve into a large bowl. Pour cold water on to the rice and wash. When the water becomes cloudy, drain it out and repeat this step 2 more times.
- Then, put the rice into a pot with a thick base, one that has a lid. Pour in 400ml of cold water and leave to soak for 30 minutes.
- Put your pot on the stove on a medium heat and bring it to the boil.
- Don't take off the lid, listen for the boiling water. Once you can hear it boiling set a timer for 2 minutes.
- After 2 minutes are up, reduce the heat to medium-low and set a timer for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes are up, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn up the heat to max for 10 seconds and then turn off the heat completely, leave the rice to steam for 10 minutes. Don't be tempted to take off the lid or mix it.
- After the 10 minutes are up, your fluffy and slightly sticky Japanese rice will be ready! Simply mix well and serve up!
Notes
We recommend weighing out the rice the first time you make this recipe and then find a cup that holds that amount for the future, there are too many international different sizes of "cup"! I have a cup that holds 150g of uncooked rice, so I know that 2 cups will be the right amount every time.
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Rice
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Japanese
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