Rice is not one ingredient — it's several, and using the wrong one is the single most common reason a home-cooked curry or sushi night falls flat. Jasmine rice and sushi rice look similar in the bag, but they behave completely differently in the pot, and swapping one for the other will cost you the dish. Here's how to tell them apart, and exactly how to cook each one right.
The Core Difference
Ukemochi Thai Hom Mali Jasmine Rice is a long-grain, naturally fragrant rice. Cooked correctly, the grains stay separate, light, and fluffy — exactly what you want soaking up a curry, sitting under a stir-fry, or filling out a bowl of fried rice.
Ukemochi Sushi Rice is a short-grain, Japanese-style rice grown for a much higher starch content. Cooked and seasoned correctly, the grains cling together — which is precisely what makes it possible to shape into nigiri, roll into maki, or press into onigiri. Cook jasmine rice for sushi and it will fall apart in your hands. Cook sushi rice for a curry and you'll end up with a sticky clump instead of fluffy grains.
Cooking Jasmine Rice for Curry
What you need
- 200g Ukemochi Thai Hom Mali Jasmine Rice
- 280ml water
- 1g (a pinch) salt — optional
Method
- Measure 200g jasmine rice into a bowl and rinse under cold running water, swirling gently with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear — about 3 changes of water. This removes surface starch that would otherwise make the rice gummy.
- Drain the rice well and tip it into a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.
- Add 280ml water and the pinch of salt, if using.
- Set the pan on high heat, uncovered, until the water comes to a full rolling boil — about 4 minutes.
- Immediately lower the heat to the lowest setting, cover with the lid, and set a timer for 12 minutes. Do not lift the lid while it cooks.
- After 12 minutes, turn off the heat and let the rice rest, still covered, for another 10 minutes — this lets the steam finish cooking the grains evenly.
- Remove the lid and fluff the rice gently with a fork. Serve immediately alongside your curry.
Pair it with a proper Japanese curry roux — S&B Golden Curry Mix Hot or S&B Golden Curry Mix Mild, both ₹450 — for a restaurant-style curry night in under 30 minutes.
Cooking Sushi Rice for Rolls
What you need
- 200g Ukemochi Sushi Rice
- 240ml water
- 30ml rice vinegar
- 15g granulated sugar
- 3g (½ tsp) salt
Method
- Measure 200g sushi rice into a bowl and rinse under cold water, gently swishing with your fingers, until the water runs almost clear — 4 to 5 changes of water. Don't skip this: unrinsed sushi rice turns gluey.
- Drain the rice and let it sit in the strainer for 15 minutes to dry slightly.
- Transfer the rice to a saucepan with 240ml water. Cover with a tight lid and bring to a boil on high heat, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 12 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
- While the rice rests, combine 30ml rice vinegar, 15g sugar, and 3g salt in a small bowl. Stir until fully dissolved.
- Tip the hot rice into a wide, non-metallic bowl (wood or glass — never plastic or metal, which can react with the vinegar). Pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the rice.
- Using a rice paddle or flat spatula, fold the vinegar through the rice with slicing motions rather than stirring in circles, which mashes the grains.
- Fan the rice gently as you fold — with a hand fan or a plate — for about 2 minutes, until it cools to room temperature and turns glossy. It's now ready to shape.
Once you've got seasoned rice, the rest of your sushi night comes together fast — see our full Build Your Own Sushi Kit at Home guide for nori, wasabi, and rolling technique.
Buy the Right Rice for the Right Night
Keep both in your pantry and you'll never have to compromise a dish again — jasmine for curry and stir-fry nights, sushi rice for roll night.