We’ve teamed up with wagamama to show the nation how easy it can be to cook Japanese dishes at home, starting with this simple sticky rice recipe.

Perfect rice, brought to you by Gousto and wagamama

Rice is a Japanese staple. The Japanese word, “gohan”, has two meanings – “meal” and “cooked rice” – and prefixes are attached to it to create the words for breakfast (asagohan), lunch (hirugohan) and dinner (bangohan). In other words, in Japan, a meal without rice is not considered a meal.

Japanese cooking traditionally uses a short grain rice and cooks it in a way that gives it a glutinous, sticky texture. To prepare it perfectly, it is important that the ratio of rice to water is correct and, as a rule, this ratio is 2:3. We recommend a serving of 75g or 1 cup of rice per person. For best results use sushi rice (don’t worry, you’ll get the perfectly measured amount of sushi rice delivered in your Gousto box).

Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Place the rice in a fine mesh sieve and leave to strain for at least 5 minutes to allow excess water to drain.

To cook, place 2¼ cups water in a heavy-based saucepan, cover with a lid, and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, add the rice, and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. It is important to leave the rice undisturbed during the entire cooking and resting process.

Take the pan off the heat and set aside with the lid still on for a furter 10 minutes.”

Easy Sticky Rice Recipe

For sushi rice:

1. Rinse 150g sushi rice in a sieve under cold after for 30 seconds, then set aside to drain fully.
2. Add the drained rice with 200ml cold water and a generous pinch of salt to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat. Don’t let the water fully boil as this will make the rice stick to the pot!
3. Just before boiling point, reduce the heat to low until very gently bubbling and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Keep the lid on the whole time for perfectly fluffy rice!
4. After 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and keep covered for a further 10 minutes before serving.

For basmati rice:

1. Add 1 cup basmati rice to a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 20 minutes.
2. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
3. Then add 2 cups of water to one cup of dry rice to the pan, set over medium-high heat, bring to the boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes.
4. Remove lid, and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

For brown rice:

1. Add 1 cup brown rice to a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 20 minutes.
2. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
3. Then add 2 cups of water to one cup of dry rice to the pan, set over medium-high heat, bring to the boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

For more recipes like this, check out wagamama’s new cookbook Feed Your Soul (Kyle Books), available now.

Whip up wagamama at home! Get everything you need from miso to mirin, precisely measured, with easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, all delivered to your door in a Gousto box. See for yourself how easy it can be to cook Japanese dishes at home, and discover four unique recipes from wagamama. Which ones are on this week’s menu?