Put the sushi rice in a pot, add 3 tbsp. of rice vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and water to cover (barely). Cook over high heat till all the liquid is evaporated. Add 4 tbsp. extra sake or water and let it simmer for 5 min. Turn the cooker off and leave the lid on for 10 min.
This makes the rice fluffy and allows for proper denaturation of enzymes involved in fermentation.
While the rice is cooking prepare 4 serving plates (one for each sushi piece). You can use a big flat plate or a wooden chopping board. Cover it first with plastic paper and then with saran wrap making sure there are no air bubbles under the paper or plastic. The cling film will prevent the rice from sticking to the plate.
When the rice is ready, spread it onto a plate and leave it to cool for 5 min. Don’t place too much as you’ll be using it later for 4 pieces of sushi. It will stick together if you make it wet (by adding more vinegar or by stirring it).
In the mean time you can prepare the filling. You can use avocado, cucumber, carrots or tuna as a basic filling. First cut the vegetables into long thin strips and then finely chop them (=julienne). Cut some fresh raw tuna into rectangles as well. Put everything in separate bowls.
For each sushi piece you need to spread 1/4 of rice on the plastic covered plate, place strips of vegetables or tuna on top and roll it up using the cling film to form a cylinder shape. If there’s no cling film around use an extra sheet of nori instead (cut to size), this will bond the roll together.
Cut each roll into 1/4 pieces. For the presentation, use a sushi knife to cut each roll in half again and arrange them on the serving plates.
You can prepare sushi rice up to 2 days in advance before adding other ingredients to make sushi. If preparing it ahead time, keep it covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. You can also prepare the vegetables and tuna in advance to save time.
So this is how to make Sushi Rice.