A masterclass in preparing a Japanese rice dish that anyone can make

I would openly admit that I cook sticky rice at least once a week. It’s our staple dish at home, especially when there are few ingredients in the house. All you really need is sushi (Japanese short-grain) rice, an egg and a few condiments, and you have a dish worthy of a meal.

There are a few steps to cooking this rice but they are worth it.

When Japanese short-grain rice is cooked as it was intended, little stands in its way. It’s one of the world’s greatest food types and learning how to cook it is one of life’s greatest culinary skills. I adore sushi, poke bowls and Japanese breakfasts.

The accompaniments to each of these dishes are always wonderful but, for me, the star of the show is the perfectly sticky, catch-all mound that brings the dish together. I have long marvelled at its pearlescent quality, presuming a rice cooker was required to achieve such a godly quality.

Majken Bech Bailey’s pork chops in tomato cream sauce

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James Gabriel Martin’s carrot and courgette carbonara

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A tasty and homely dinner that takes 10 minutes from start to finish

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Carbonara with a twist: carrot and courgette instead of bacon and cream

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In truth, it’s not the equipment but the application of the process that yields great results.

Sushi rice and nori (seaweed) can easily be found these days in well-stocked supermarkets. For the kombu, another seaweed, and the Togarashi seasoning, keep an eye out for these in Asian shops or specialist stores. If you can’t find them, the recipe still works without them, but they are a great addition.

I sometimes replace the yolk with a fried egg and steam some bok choy, dressed in soy sauce and sesame oil, to serve alongside the rice.

Recipe: Cúán Greene’s Japanese rice bowl

Discover more delicious and healthy meals at Dinner Dash

Cúán Greene is a chef and runs the exploratory food newsletter, the Ómós Digest, sharing stories about food, culture and community.