How To Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker

Name: Cara Memasak Nasi di Rice Cooker
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 1⅔ cups water ((400 ml)); 2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 2½ cups water ((600 ml)); 3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 3⅓ cups water ((800 ml)); 3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice; 4 ⅛ cups water ((1000 ml))

Here‘s my step-by-step method for how to cook Japanese short-grain white rice in a rice cooker. Follow my rice-to-water ratio tips to make perfectly steamed white rice every time. No more mushy or dry rice!

⏱️ 60 min 🔪 Prep: 5 min 🔥 Cook: 55 min 📊 Medium ⭐ 4.5 (75) 👁️ 8 views

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Foto: Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

4 servings

1½ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice
1⅔ cups water ((400 ml))
2¼ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice
2½ cups water ((600 ml))
3 cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice
3⅓ cups water ((800 ml))
3¾ cups uncooked Japanese short-grain white rice
4 ⅛ cups water ((1000 ml))

Steps

DO NOT scale this recipe (x 2 or x 3); measurements are based on the rice-cooker cup. Cook at least 2–3 rice-cooker cups for better flavor and texture, as larger batches allow heat and steam to circulate better, yielding uniform, tender, slightly sticky grains.
Japanese short-grain white rice needs 20–30 minutes of soaking, with a rice-to-water ratio of 1 to 1.1 (or 1.2) by volume. See Recipe Notes below for details.
To make Japanese brown rice, see my post How to Cook Short-Grain Brown Rice in a Rice Cooker.
Measure: Overfill a US ¾-cup or rice-cooker cup with uncooked short-grain rice, level it off, and place it in a large bowl. Repeat until you have the needed amount (here, 3 rice-cooker cups / 2¼ cups / 540 ml).
Quick Rinse: Add enough water to cover the rice, then drain immediately. Repeat once. Nami's tip: This removes impurities and keeps the rice from absorbing the first milky rinse water.
Wash: Gently rub the wet rice in a circular motion for 10–15 seconds with minimal water. This lets the grains scrub each other and limits absorption of impurities from the milky water.
Rinse: Add water and drain immediately, and repeat once.
Repeat Wash and Rinse (steps 3 and 4) two more times.
Drain: When the water is almost clear, drain well. Nami's tip: Use a fine-mesh sieve and shake off any excess water.
Transfer the drained rice to the rice-cooker pot (I use the Zojirushi IH). Add the measured water* (600 ml for 3 rice cooker cups). Level the rice so it’s evenly submerged. *The water must not be warm or hot.
Soak the rice for 20–30 minutes (especially with older cookers). Select the menu and press Start. Nami's tip: I still soak for 20–30 minutes even though my Zojirushi includes soaking. My model takes 55 minutes for 3 rice cooker cups, including 10 minutes each for soaking and steaming.
If your cooker doesn’t include steaming, let the rice sit for 10 minutes. Then open the lid and fluff with a rice paddle.
Transfer rice to airtight containers, close the lid to retain moisture, and cool completely before freezing. Read this post for details.