How to make a dressing for sushi rice using regular, rice and apple cider vinegar. How to make delicious sushi rolls

Homemade sushi will taste just as good as restaurant sushi if you know how to properly prepare rice sauce. The taste of the future dish is largely determined by this particular ingredient, so it is advisable to pay special attention to the preparation of the dressing.

In the article, we will look at some of the best recipes for making dressings for a traditional Japanese dish, which you will simply be delighted with.

Classic vinegar dressing recipe

What should be the sauce?

It is important to understand that the dressing you prepared should turn out to be sticky enough, only then the rice will keep its shape and the roll will not fall apart. Let's start our culinary story with a traditional dressing recipe.

This will require the following ingredients:

  • rice vinegar - 3 tbsp. l.;
  • salt - ½ tsp;
  • granulated sugar - 2 tbsp. l.;

Cooking process:

  • Take a small saucepan and mix all the ingredients in it;
  • Put the container on a small fire and constantly stir the contents;
  • When the granulated sugar is completely dissolved, cool the liquid;
  • Ready dressing can be poured into a bottle and stored in the refrigerator for a while.

As you can see, making a classic "impregnation" for rice at home is very, very simple. But how can you be sure that it was cooked correctly? Firstly, the indicated amount of ingredients is enough to process 2 cups of boiled rice, and secondly, the resulting mixture should not be too liquid, otherwise the rice will not stick together, and you will be able to form a beautiful roll.

Add subtle hints of walnut

As the basis for the preparation of the mixture, either peanuts or cashews are used. The prepared "impregnation" has a very delicate texture and a pronounced nutty flavor.

To prepare it ourselves, we need to take the following components:

  • Nut paste - 3 tbsp. l.;
  • Apple cider vinegar - 1 tbsp. l.;
  • Sesame oil - 2 tsp;
  • Soy sauce - 4 tbsp. l.;
  • Boiled water - 1 glass;

Cooking process:

  • Put the right amount of pasta in a saucepan and combine it with 100 ml of boiled water;
  • Put the saucepan on a small fire and constantly stir the contents;
  • Then add another 100 ml of water and all other ingredients to the container;
  • When the mixture thickens, remove it from the heat.

How to cook sushi?

Sushizu is one of the most delicious and delicate "adhesive solutions" for sushi. If you consider yourself a true connoisseur of Japanese cuisine, you will definitely like this recipe. How to make sauce for boiled sushi rice at home?

To do this, stock up on such products:


  • Kombu seaweed - 1 sheet;
  • Salt to taste;
  • Sugar sand - 2 tbsp. l.;
  • Vinegar - 5 tbsp. l.

Cooking process #1:

  • Mix all ingredients in a separate bowl;
  • Put the saucepan on a very slow fire;
  • Make sure that the mixture does not boil;
  • After about 5 minutes, remove the liquid from the heat and strain, removing any pieces of seaweed.

You can make sushi in a slightly different way. Thanks to the second option, the mixture can be prepared in just five minutes.

Cooking process number 2:

  • Mix all available ingredients in a ceramic cup;
  • When the sugar has dissolved, put the cup in the microwave for just a couple of minutes;
  • Then strain the liquid.

The rice mixture should cool down a little, then its “stickiness” will increase slightly. In addition, you can cook sushi in large quantities. The finished mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks and nothing will happen to it.

Apple cider vinegar sauce

How can you make a delicious sushi glutinous rice sauce? If the recipes above do not appeal to you or are well known, try making an “impregnation” based on apple cider vinegar. Of course, traditional recipes include rice vinegar, but once you try this version of the mixture, you definitely won’t refuse it.

So, to make an unusual dressing, we need the following set of products:

  • Apple cider vinegar - 4 tbsp. l.;
  • Regular vinegar - 1 tbsp. l;
  • Salt to taste;
  • Sugar - 4 tbsp. l.

Rice dressing in the indicated quantity is designed for approximately ½ kg of boiled rice.

Cooking process:


  • Put a small saucepan on the stove, in which combine all the listed ingredients;
  • Stir the liquid all the time so that the granulated sugar dissolves faster;
  • The mixture should not boil, so as soon as you notice that it has reached the condition, remove the liquid from the heat.

You need to add sauce to rice in portions so as not to overdo it, otherwise the roll will not keep its shape. And as in the previous versions, the mixture must be well cooled before use.

Yeast Recipe

The technology for preparing the yeast mixture is somewhat more complicated than in previous recipes, but the resulting aromatic dressing will never leave you indifferent.

To prepare a gentle "impregnation" we need the following products:

  • Egg white;
  • Granulated sugar;
  • packaged yeast;

Before you start preparing the mixture, you need to soak the rice in boiled water for about 4-5 hours. After that, the water is drained into a separate container, since it is useful for preparing the sauce.

So, the process of making sauce for delicious sushi rice includes the following steps:

  • The resulting rice water must be mixed with 100 g of granulated sugar;
  • Then the resulting composition should be thoroughly heated in a water bath so that the sugar is completely dissolved in it;
  • After that, the mixture must be cooled and put into it about 3-4 dry yeast;
  • To get the dressing of the desired consistency and taste, keep it in the refrigerator for 6 days;
  • When the fermentation and bubbling process is complete, pour the solution into a separate container with an airtight lid and let stand for another couple of weeks;
  • Then the solution is poured into a metal bowl and combined with egg white;
  • The resulting composition is boiled and cooled.

Of course, this recipe cannot be called fast, but, in the end, the sauce turns out to be incredibly tasty and thick.

Some more interesting recipes

Some skeptics believe that unconventional rice dressing can only spoil the taste of the whole dish.

But if you are not one of those conservatives, try some more interesting recipes for making a mix for rolls and sushi in practice:


  • Grape dressing. Mix 5 tablespoons of wine vinegar with 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a pinch of salt. Boil the solution over low heat until the bulk components dissolve;
  • Soy dressing. For 3 tablespoons of boiling water, take one tablespoon of soy sauce and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix everything thoroughly and cool;
  • Wine refill. Combine 4 tablespoons of wine vinegar with 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a little soy sauce. Heat the mixture in a water bath, then cool.

In terms of taste, non-traditional mixes are not inferior to classic ones.

There is hardly a hostess who has not tried to cook something unusual for her family at least once in her life.
If you have not yet managed to accomplish such a feat, I invite you to take an interest in the method of preparing sushi dressing with me.

Sushi and rolls are part of our daily life. Now it is no longer necessary to go to a restaurant to try these Japanese dishes. All ingredients can be purchased at the store. Rolls and sushi prepared at home are no worse than those that can be tasted in restaurants. But the right products, for example, rice vinegar, may not always be at hand.

How to replace rice vinegar or how to cook it at home - that's what my article today will be about.

Rice

Special sushi rice can be replaced with regular round-grain rice. In no case do we use steamed varieties or rice in bags. They make a beautiful side dish, but not sticky rice mass for rolls.

Proportions of water for cooking 1 cup of rice:

  • Rice pre-soaked for 1-2 hours - 1:1;
  • Dry rice grain - 1.5 cups of water: 1 cup of water.

After boiling water (it will take about 10 minutes), reduce the fire and cook for 15 minutes. It is advisable not to lift the lid. After the time has elapsed, turn off the fire and let the porridge brew for 20-25 minutes, opening the lid.

Add the dressing to the rice when both the dressing and the rice have cooled down a bit.

rice vinegar

This ingredient is rarely found on the shelves of ordinary stores due to its high cost.
Or maybe there are no specialty stores in your small town or you rarely go to huge supermarkets? Then the question of replacing such vinegar will immediately become an exotic dish at the first desire.

In such cases, our housewives have learned how to replace rice vinegar and generously share recipes on forums or blogs. True, the taste of cooked rice will be slightly different, but we are only learning and may the Japanese forgive us!


Alternative dressing for rice

For an alternative dressing for rice, we can use apple, wine or grape white vinegar. These types of vinegar essence are quite affordable and are budgetary in comparison with rice.

Using red grape vinegar

The second name is wine vinegar. A contraindication to its use may be increased acidity of the stomach or an allergy to grapes.

Very often at home, old red wine is used instead of wine vinegar.

  • 3 tsp Sahara
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp grape vinegar

Place the prepared ingredients in an enamel bowl and bring to a boil. The filling should not boil. A sign of readiness is the complete dissolution of sugar and salt.

✔ Apple cider vinegar

This type of vinegar essence is one of the highest quality, having a large list of useful properties behind it. It is obtained by fermenting sweet apples and apple wine, which makes its taste much milder than ordinary table vinegar.

  • 1 tsp Sahara
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 st. l. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp boiled water

Preparation is similar to the previous recipe. Readiness is also determined by the dissolution of dry substances.

White grape vinegar

If there are no contraindications to the use of vinegar, then you can try the usual table 6% or white wine. The recipe is similar to the one where red grape tincture was used.

You can also combine vinegar with soy sauce, which will give a special flavor to the impregnation.

  • 1 st. l. Sahara
  • 2.5 st. l. soy sauce
  • 2.5 tbsp table or wine white vinegar

Heat all ingredients until sugar dissolves.

Using lemon juice

Lemon juice is a good option for soaking rice. The fact is that rice vinegar has a very mild taste that is difficult to reproduce. Lemon juice, diluted with a little sugar, may well replace it. The difference in taste is very rare to be able to distinguish.

  • 2 tbsp. l. boiled warm water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Sahara
  • 0.5 tsp salt

Mix everything until the sugar and salt dissolve. Never let the mixture boil.

If there is nori

If there is seaweed in the kitchen (but not kelp, otherwise we get a bitter-tasting dressing), you can get an almost Japanese version of the dressing.

  • 2.5 st. l. any vinegar (table, wine, apple)
  • 2.5 tbsp Sahara
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 nori sheet

We heat all ingredients except seaweed until dissolved and only then add nori. Algae can be taken more - instead of one sheet 2. Algae crumble and beat the mixture until smooth.

What not to use

Experienced chefs for the preparation of rice vinegar are categorically against the use of balsamic vinegar. The latter has a bright, specific taste, infused with a bouquet of herbs. It is completely capable of changing the taste of rice, which should only have a hint of sourness.

Usual for our kitchens table 9% or 6% vinegars are used only as a last resort.

homemade rice vinegar

If you have already learned how to cook sushi at home and decide that they will become a frequent guest on your menu, you should not use dressing substitutes. I suggest making a dressing for rice for future use.

To prepare real rice vinegar at home, we need:

  • 1 cup round grain rice
  • 250 ml water
  • 4 tbsp Sahara
  • Dry yeast - 1/3 teaspoon

Pour the rice into a tray or a liter glass container and fill it with water.
We let it stand for 4 hours at room temperature, then send it to infuse in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, without squeezing the swollen rice, we filter it through a clean cloth. The solution should be a glass, if it is less, add warm boiled water to full capacity.
Add sugar to the resulting solution and dissolve it, stirring everything with a wooden spoon.

Put rice syrup in a water bath for 20 minutes. We count the time from the moment when the water boils under the syrup.

We cool the solution, add yeast and set it to ferment in a glass jar for a week. We cover the top of the container with clean gauze, thereby giving access to air, which is necessary for the vital activity of yeast bacteria.

After the solution stops bubbling (the fermentation process is over), let the rice-sugar solution brew for another month.

After the specified time, the resulting mixture is again filtered through cheesecloth and boiled. Do not be afraid if the vinegar turns cloudy - this is its normal state. If you wish, you can clarify the solution by adding beaten egg white to it while boiling.

The clarification process will require one more filtration, after which we pour the homemade rice vinegar into a dark glass bottle and store in the refrigerator.

How to add rice vinegar to cooked rice

After we've made the dressing for the rice and cooked the rice, it's time to put them together. How to do it right?

  • In order to connect the dressing and rice, we use a wooden spoon and dishes.
  • Put the rice in a wooden tub, pour over the dressing and mix with a wooden spatula or spoon.
  • Stir gently, moving the top layer of rice down. Intense stirring will turn the rice into an incomprehensible porridge.

After preparing the rice and dressing, you can start making rolls. And the story of how to wrap sushi and what to use for the filling is already a topic for a completely different article.

I hope this compilation of secrets for making rice and rice vinegar will help you successfully prepare sushi.
Even if you have to replace rare ingredients, let your rolls delight the household and become another conquered pinnacle of culinary art!

Nowadays, Japanese cuisine is very popular. Lunch or dinner sushi or rolls has become the order of the day. There is such a joke that making sushi at home is not only exciting, but also “budget-saving” and “health-preserving”, so let's pay a little attention to an important component in making sushi - dressing for rice, rolls and sushi.

Why do you need rice dressing? It gives sushi not only the necessary taste, but also increases the stickiness, so it will not fall apart.

Since no salt is added to rice during cooking, sushi rice dressing contains both salt and sugar. The main role in dressing for rice is given to vinegar. Rice vinegar can be found in specialized department stores that sell other ingredients for sushi. But what to do if, nevertheless, it was not possible to purchase rice vinegar. What can replace it?

Replace rice vinegar usually with white wine vinegar, grape vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or, at worst, table vinegar. Here it is necessary to choose the right proportions so as not to spoil the taste of rice.

You can try ready-made recipes, and then adjust the amount of ingredients to taste.

rice vinegar dressing recipe

Ingredients:

  • rice vinegar - 100 ml;
  • sugar - 3 teaspoons;
  • salt - 1 teaspoon.

apple cider vinegar recipe

Ingredients:

  • apple cider vinegar - 2 tbsp. spoons;
  • water - 3 tbsp. spoons;
  • sugar - 2 teaspoons
  • salt - 1 teaspoon.

grape vinegar recipe

Ingredients:

  • grape vinegar - 4 tbsp. spoons;
  • sugar - 3 teaspoons;
  • salt - 1 teaspoon.

Recipe with table vinegar

Ingredients:

  • table vinegar 6% - 50 ml;
  • soy sauce - 50 ml;
  • sugar - 20 g.

Cooking

Boil everything and stir until completely dissolved. Add to warm rice. And if you have prepared the dressing for the future, then store it in the refrigerator and warm it up before use.

rice vinegar recipe

You can make your own rice vinegar if you like. If you have time and desire.

Ingredients:

  • sugar;
  • yeast;
  • egg white.

Cooking

Pour the rice with water, and leave to infuse overnight. The next day, we decant the water, and add about 180 g sugar. We put the dishes in a water bath and stir until the sugar dissolves, cook for about twenty minutes. Cool, pour into a jar and add a quarter tablespoon of yeast per liter of liquid. The fermentation process will take about a week. When the bubbles disappear completely, pour into a clean jar. We insist a month.

After a month, we filter the mixture. Boil with beaten raw egg white (for cleaning), and filter again.

This is such a long way, but real homemade rice vinegar will always be at your service.

With such a dressing, you can handle both classic and more complex preparations.

Rice vinegar is a useful product that is used to prepare oriental dishes. This is a mandatory ingredient for rolls and sushi, which cannot be excluded from the recipe, but can be replaced.

Rice vinegar - properties and application features

There are many types of vinegars - wine, apple, rice, balsamic, table. Each has its own characteristics:

  1. White wine vinegar is softer than balsamic and adds an interesting touch to salads, sauces, and meats. Its variety is grape vinegar. It has a sweet and sour taste and a light aroma.
  2. Apple cider vinegar is recognizable in dishes due to its light sour-fruity taste and delicate aroma.
  3. Balsamic vinegar is dark and thick, with a sweet and sour taste. It is suitable for seasoning soups, salads and desserts.
  4. Table vinegar cannot be confused with anything, as it has a pungent odor and a burning sour taste. Among other vinegars, it is the most concentrated. This is a synthetic product, however, vinegar is popular due to its low cost and is used in pickling vegetables, fruits, meat, as a dressing for salads.
  5. Rice vinegar gives the most delicate aftertaste. It is used for marinating fish, dressing salads and sauces, making rolls and sushi.

Rice vinegar has a mild taste and delicate aroma, as well as less acidity than other types of vinegar. It is a dietary product and is good for health.

  1. Does not damage the gastric mucosa, is not contraindicated in people with diseases of the digestive system.
  2. Contains amino acids and trace elements, helps to eliminate toxins from the body.
  3. Contributes to the normalization of metabolism.

Rice vinegar in sushi is not a common ingredient that can be omitted. It performs an important function - it holds rice and algae together. If it is not possible to use it during the preparation of rolls or sushi, there are two options:

  • make your own rice vinegar
  • replace it.

Sushi and rolls are especially fond of gourmets. Many people want to eat without spending by preparing them with their own hands. Sometimes it is difficult to buy vinegar, which plays the role of dressing in dishes, due to its lack in the store or the high price. It is not recommended to exclude it from the recipe, since the end result is unlikely to please. But it can be replaced. Successful replacement options in the preparation of sushi and rolls are apple, wine (white or grape) vinegar, as well as ginger marinade or lemon juice. Calculate the amount of dressing and rice in a ratio of 1:5. In general, you can add it to rice to taste.

Ideal substitutes - gallery

Apple cider vinegar - a budget substitute for rice Grape vinegar with salt and sugar can be included in roll recipes instead of rice vinegar Lemon juice - an alternative to rice vinegar in oriental dishes

Apple cider vinegar and wine vinegar dressing

Apple cider vinegar dressing can give rice a subtle flavor and fruity aroma. You will need the following ingredients:

  • vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.;
  • sugar - 2 tsp;
  • salt - 1 tsp;
  • hot water - 3 tbsp. l.

Mix apple cider vinegar with sugar and salt in a saucepan. Add hot water and mix the ingredients well until you get a smooth dressing.

White wine vinegar is also a great substitute for rice vinegar, as they are similar in taste and aroma.

Please note: the recipe uses nori seaweed, not kelp (seaweed)!

List of required products:

  • 2.5 st. l. wine vinegar;
  • 2.5 st. l. Sahara;
  • ½ tsp salt;
  • 1 nori sheet.

Mix all the ingredients and heat the resulting mixture, add the crumbled nori sheet. Beat the ingredients until smooth. If you cook dressing with nori, then you can not add it when cooking rice for sushi and rolls.

Video - cooking dressing for rice

Lemon juice will soak rice for rolls well and add a pleasant sourness to the taste. You will need products:

  • lemon juice - 2 tbsp. l.;
  • sugar - 1 tsp;
  • warm water - 2 tbsp. l.;
  • salt - ½ tsp

Pour in 2 tbsp. l. warm water in lemon juice, add sugar and salt and mix everything thoroughly.

Controversial options: unusual balsamic and regular table

Chefs agree that balsamic vinegar is not suitable for dressing sushi and rolls, as it changes the taste of rice to a bright herbal one. But there is still no consensus on the dining room. His opponents do not recommend such impregnation for rice. Others are more optimistic and believe that with skillful preparation, the replacement is not felt. In addition, the addition of soy sauce will soften the harsh taste and smell. The seasoning recipe is simple. Have to take:

  • 50 ml of table vinegar (6%);
  • 20 g of sugar;
  • 50 ml soy sauce.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl.

If there is no possibility to use another replacement, you can try this recipe. However, in this case, you should not rely on the sophistication of taste and aroma. The main thing is not to overdo it and stick to the proportions.

Cooking rice vinegar at home

If you do not intend to buy rice vinegar and do not want to use substitutes, then cook it at home. True, you should be patient, because cooking will take effort and time.

For cooking you will need the following ingredients:

  • round rice - 300 g;
  • sugar - 900 g;
  • dry yeast - 1/3 tbsp. l.

Cooking order:

  1. Rinse rice in cold water and pour 1.2 liters of water. Use glassware.
  2. Leave the rice warm for 4-5 hours and then move to the cold for 4 days.
  3. Strain the rice and add 900 grams of sugar.
  4. Infuse the mixture in a water bath for 30 minutes, then cool and pour into a jar.
  5. Add yeast pre-diluted in warm water as directed on package instructions.
  6. Infuse the mixture for a month (do not close the jar with a lid, but use gauze for this).
  7. Strain and boil the composition.

The volume will be sufficient for several applications.

Rice vinegar is also used for marinating seafood and fish. It is better suited for such products, as it does not drown out their natural aroma and taste, but only adds a slight sourness.

Options for pickling meat, fish, ginger

When pickling ginger, it is traditional to use rice vinegar, which can be replaced with apple or grape vinegar, diluted to 4% concentration. Store-bought have a concentration of 9%. To get a solution of 4% concentration, you need to dilute them with boiled water: for 1 part of vinegar, 1.5 parts of water.

A substitute for marinating seafood or meat is impregnation with lemon juice, previously mixed with sugar dissolved in boiled water:

  • lemon juice - 4 tbsp. spoons;
  • boiled water - 4 tbsp. spoons;
  • sugar - 2 teaspoons.

Before pickling, seafood is thawed and boiled for 2–3 minutes in salted water:

  • prepare a marinade from lemon, sugar and water, using the proportions described above;
  • put the cooled seafood in a small container;
  • add 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil (for 2 tsp lemon marinade), add spices if desired;
  • mix by hand, evenly distributing the ingredients and close the container with a lid;
  • leave for 10-12 hours in a dark cool place.

Video recipe - pickled ginger

Do not give up the idea of ​​cooking and trying delicious and healthy dishes just because they are intimidated by unfamiliar product names. Make sushi and rolls at home at no extra cost by substituting apple or wine vinegar for rice vinegar and lemon juice. If you intend to achieve a taste close to the original, make your own rice vinegar.

There is hardly a hostess who has not tried to cook something unusual for her family at least once in her life.

If you have not yet managed to accomplish such a feat, I invite you to take an interest in the method of preparing sushi dressing with me.

How to replace rice vinegar or how to cook it at home - that's what my article today will be about.

Having stayed with my younger sister, a strong desire to cook sushi at home has been haunting me for a couple of weeks now.

For some time I looked closely at the prices of ingredients, read the advice of experienced "sushi masters", and asked for company secrets from my sister. In the end, she learned how to cook sushi rice, completed the roll wrapping course, and the desire to cook sushi at home reached its highest intensity.

The main ingredients for the rapidly gaining popularity of sushi are rice, rice vinegar (impregnation for ready-made vinegar) and kombu seaweed (the second name for nori).

The question remains of how to reduce the price of this dish, that is, how to replace expensive products. A Japanese woman uses all the best to make sushi, but a real Russian woman can create a hairstyle, a scandal and a salad out of nothing ... And so we will try!

Rice

Special sushi rice can be replaced with regular round-grain rice. In no case do we use steamed varieties or rice in bags. They make a beautiful side dish, but not sticky rice mass for rolls.

Proportions of water for cooking 1 cup of rice:

  • Rice pre-soaked for 1-2 hours - 1:1;
  • Dry rice grain - 1.5 cups: 1 cup of water.

After boiling water (it will take about 10 minutes), reduce the fire and cook for 15 minutes. It is advisable not to lift the lid. After the time has elapsed, turn off the fire and let the porridge brew for 20-25 minutes, opening the lid.

Add the dressing to the rice when both the dressing and the rice have cooled down a bit.

rice vinegar

This ingredient is rarely found on the shelves of ordinary stores due to its high cost.

Or maybe there are no specialty stores in your small town or you rarely go to huge supermarkets? Then the question of replacing such vinegar will immediately become an exotic dish at the first desire.

In such cases, our housewives have learned how to replace rice vinegar and generously share recipes on forums or blogs. True, the taste of cooked rice will be slightly different, but we are only learning and may the Japanese forgive us!

Alternative dressing for rice

For an alternative dressing for rice, we can use apple, wine or grape white vinegar. These types of vinegar essence are quite affordable and are budgetary in comparison with rice.

Using red grape vinegar

The second name is wine vinegar. A contraindication to its use may be increased acidity of the stomach or an allergy to grapes.

Very often at home, old red wine is used instead of wine vinegar.

  • 3 tsp Sahara
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp grape vinegar

Place the prepared ingredients in an enamel bowl and bring to a boil. The filling should not boil. A sign of readiness is the complete dissolution of sugar and salt.

Apple

This type of vinegar essence is one of the highest quality, having a large list of useful properties behind it. It is obtained by fermenting sweet apples and apple wine, which makes its taste much milder than ordinary table vinegar.

  • 1 tsp Sahara
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 st. l. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp boiled water

Preparation is similar to the previous recipe. Readiness is also determined by the dissolution of dry substances.

white grape

If there are no contraindications to the use of vinegar, then you can try the usual table 6% or white wine. The recipe is similar to the one where red grape tincture was used.

You can also combine vinegar with soy sauce, which will give a special flavor to the impregnation.

  • 1 st. l. Sahara
  • 2.5 st. l. soy sauce
  • 2.5 tbsp table or wine white vinegar

Heat all ingredients until sugar dissolves.

Lemon juice is a good option for soaking rice. The fact is that rice vinegar has a very mild taste that is difficult to reproduce. Lemon juice, diluted with a little sugar, may well replace it. The difference in taste is very rare to be able to distinguish.

  • 2 tbsp. l. boiled warm water
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Sahara
  • 0.5 tsp salt

Mix everything until the sugar and salt dissolve. Never let the mixture boil.

If there is nori

If there is seaweed in the kitchen (but not kelp, otherwise we get a bitter-tasting dressing), you can get an almost Japanese version of the dressing. Of course, sushi with free delivery around the city will be a very convenient lunch option, but we want to experiment with making them ourselves.

  • 2.5 st. l. any vinegar (table, wine, apple)
  • 2.5 tbsp Sahara
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 nori sheet

We heat all ingredients except seaweed until dissolved and only then add nori. Algae can be taken more - instead of one sheet 2. Algae crumble and beat the mixture until smooth.

What not to use

Experienced chefs for the preparation of rice vinegar are categorically against the use of balsamic vinegar. The latter has a bright, specific taste, infused with a bouquet of herbs. It is completely capable of changing the taste of rice, which should only have a hint of sourness.

Usual for our kitchens table 9% or 6% vinegars are used only as a last resort.

If you have already learned how to cook sushi at home and decide that they will become a frequent guest on your menu, you should not use dressing substitutes. I suggest making a dressing for rice for future use.

To prepare real rice vinegar at home, we need:

  • 1 cup round grain rice
  • 250 ml water
  • 4 tbsp Sahara
  • Dry yeast - 1/3 teaspoon

Cooking


After the solution stops bubbling (the fermentation process is over), let the rice-sugar solution brew for another month.

After the specified time, the resulting mixture is again filtered through cheesecloth and boiled. Do not be afraid if the vinegar turns cloudy - this is its normal state. If you wish, you can clarify the solution by adding beaten egg white to it while boiling.

The clarification process will require one more filtration, after which we pour the homemade rice vinegar into a dark glass bottle and store in the refrigerator.

How to add rice vinegar to cooked rice

After we've made the dressing for the rice and cooked the rice, it's time to put them together. How to do it right?

  • In order to connect the dressing and rice, we use a wooden spoon and dishes.
  • Put the rice in a wooden tub, pour over the dressing and mix with a wooden spatula or spoon.
  • Stir gently, moving the top layer of rice down. Intense stirring will turn the rice into an incomprehensible porridge.

After preparing the rice and dressing, you can start making rolls. And the story of how to wrap sushi and what to use for the filling is already a topic for a completely different article.

Dear friends, I hope that this collection of secrets for cooking rice and rice vinegar will help you successfully make your first experiment with Japanese cuisine. Even if you have to replace rare ingredients, let your rolls delight the household and become another conquered pinnacle of culinary art!

With love, your Elena Skopich

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