This is the first time I’ve ever been impressed with non-pot made rice, indeed this was notably better than any Japanese rice I’d ever made in a pot. So I’m re-producing the recipe here for posterity in case the source vanishes.
The source is here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/instant-pot-rice/#recipe
And it’s a tremendous website, honestly.
One note is that I wonder if, with my stainless steel pot, I could put some parchment under the rice to reduce sticking… Not sure. Honestly it’s not a major problem if you remove the rice immediately.
For 4 Rice Bowls (4⅓ cups, 660 g)
- 300 g uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (2 rice cooker cups, 360 ml)
- 360 ml water (360 ml)
For 6 Rice Bowls (6⅔ cups, 990 g)
- 450 g uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (3 rice cooker cups, 540 ml)
- 540 ml water (540 ml)
For 10 Rice Bowls (11 cups, 1650 g)
- 750 g uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice (5 rice cooker cups, 900 ml)
- 900 ml water (900 ml)
Instructions
Before You Start:
- Please note that Japanese short-grain white rice requires a soaking time of 20–30 minutes.
- After this, the rice-to-water ratio is 1 to 1 when cooking short-grain white rice in an electric multi-cooker (pressure mode).
- Measure the Rice: Overfill a US cup measure (a ¾-cup measure works well for this) or a rice cooker cup with uncooked short-grain rice and level it off.
To Wash the Rice
(Sam’s note: This feels excessive, but I’m including it here as the procedure is clear, and maybe it’s worth a blind taste test at some point. Who knows?)
- Quick Rinse: Add just enough tap water to the bowl to submerge all the rice. Then, discard the water immediately.
- Repeat one more time.
- Tip: Rice absorbs water very quickly when you start rinsing, so this step helps remove impurities from the rice and prevent it from absorbing the first few rounds of milky water.
- Wash: Next, use your fingers to gently agitate the wet rice grains in a circular motion for 10–15 seconds. Using very little water allows the grains to rub against each other. It also reduces the absorption of impurities from the starchy water.
- Rinse: Add tap water and immediately discard the cloudy water. Repeat one more time.
- Repeat Wash and Rinse (steps 2 and 3) two more times. When the water is almost clear, drain the rice well.
To Soak the Rice
- Soak: Add more tap water to the bowl to submerge the rice completely, and soak the rice for 20–30 minutes before cooking. Soaking is a must for short-grain rice!
- Drain: After soaking, drain the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and set it aside for 10 minutes to drain completely. If you don’t have time to wait, then shake off the excess water the best you can.
To Cook the Rice
- Transfer the well-drained rice to the inner pot of the Instant Pot and add the measured water. Here, I’m adding 1½ cups (360 ml) water for my 1½ cups rice.
- Make sure the rice is level and evenly distributed in the pot. Close and lock the lid.
- Set the program to High Pressure for 2 minutes. Make sure the steam release handle points to Sealing and not Venting. The float valve goes up when pressurized, after about 5 minutes. When it’s finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to the Keep Warm mode.Pressure Release: Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- DO NOT EXCEED 10 MINUTES (I recommend setting a timer). After 10 minutes, quick release the remaining pressure: Place a kitchen towel over the steam release valve and turn the steam release handle to the Venting position until the float valve drops down.
- Once you‘ve quick released the remaining pressure, open the lid. Fluff the rice with a rice paddle and serve warm.