How to cook Premium Japanese Rice with Instant Pot - Electric Pressure Cooker

Since I got my Instant Pot IP-Duo60, I have tried numerous methods/combinations to cook my Japanese rice, which is pretty different than your regular grocery store bought brands, like Botan or Nishiki, but I buy it from the authentic Japanese store (owned by Japanese). Asian markets carry more brands than regular grocery stores, but they are still not exactly what I would get. I don’t buy the most expensive rice I can find. I usually buy lower mid-range brand, like Matsuri, Hitomebore, … I guess they are called “Premium Japanese Rice”? They are about $25 ~ 28 for 20 LB bag.

Anyway, so the method I pretty much perfected is FOR those Premium Japanese Rice. I won’t know if this will work for other typical grocery store Japanese rice, because I would not cook them at home. So, if you were fine with those rice, please try and modify as you like.

Also, I should mention that I think each one of us has our own “preferred” texture, taste, how moisture you like… so I probably shouldn't call I PERFECTED, but I found the pretty good way to cook it. 

OK, so here is MY method:
I use American standard-size measuring cup, instead of the rice cup you get with the Instant Pot. That is REAL Japanese measurement size for rice, but either I've been living in America too long (little over 20 years) or something (lol), I couldn't figure out the good results when I used the rice measuring cup…
So, typically I cook TWO cups (American standard) of rice, which usually cooks easily 3 to 4 meals of rice for me.

1. Measure TWO cups of uncooked premium brand Japanese rice, and pour in the nice deep stainless steel bowl (medium size like 3 ~ 3.5 QT). Add some filtered/drinking room temperature water, do not cover the rice, just about 1 ~ 1 ½ cup water.

2. Using your clean hand, scrub rice together with circling motion to POLISH. If you want, you can do with both hands as well. Here’s a couple videos how to WASH rice instructions which I found in English speaking version.
They are both slightly different with my way, but basically the same idea. They both use the tap water, which I can’t do it our home, due to the quality is not suitable for neither drinking nor cooking, so my case, I use drinking water we buy in 5 gal bottle. So I don’t use as much as water as these videos. Also, they are both using the bowl which they will be cooking rice in it, but I prefer to use a deep stainless steel bowl (not Instant Pot inner pot).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1TmE... (I can tell this was made by a young guy, due to how gently washing! lol)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2R5o... (This is BY Japanese lady, looks like made in 80’s or 90’s at least)
*We used to WASH rice vigorously like the second video, but I think, nowadays, it’s not necessary to do so for most of the store-bought rice.

3. In case method with TWO cups of rice, I scrub/wash 54-time circles. I used to do 108 times, which is the auspicious number, but I realized it’s too much, unless you are cooking FOUR cups of rice. But that’s PURELY MY METHOD, so please use it as a guide.

4. Rinse the rice FOUR times or until the water is “bit” clear, meaning, you don’t need to rinse until the water becomes completely clear.

5. When you add the last rinsing water, drain the rice over fine-meshed strainer, big enough to hold the rice. Recommend to use minimum 8” round/oval shaped one with the handle, so it’s easy to pour drained rice to the pot to cook. When you drain the rice, try to get rid of as much as water possible. Usually, you would (at least I used to kept rice drained on it, and left there for minimum 15 min) leave the rice on the strainer to drain completely and at the same time let the whatever the little water soak into the rice… But in case of Instant Pot, please DO NOT do this process.

6. As soon as you cut all the excess water out drained, pour the rice into the inner pot.

7. Add TWO and 1/3 cup of filtered/drinking water over the rice. Pick up the inner pot and swish/shake a little to smooth out the top area, so the rice below the water is flat and leveled.

8. Close the lid with the weight (Steam release) in “Sealed” position.

9. Press “Manual”Adjust the time to “4 min”.

10. Let the Instant Pot do the MAGIC! :) LOL

11. Usually, the IP starts count down after less than 15 min for 2 cups of rice, but it could be varied per where you live and such. But it’s SOOOOO quiet, at first I didn't know it was cooking! That’s why I call it “MAGIC”!

12. You will hear the several beeps when it ends cooking, so set the timer for 10 min, and let the IP do the follow-up Magic called “10 min Natural Release”, also it shows the countdown minute as well.

13. When your timer goes off, [Cancel] the Keep Warm mode. Open up the vent by carefully twisting the steam release to “VENTING” position. *Please be careful not to vent it onto your hand!

14. After the steam is released, wait until the Float valve goes down, which indicates you can unlock the lid.

15. Turn the lid to unlock, open quickly, and try not to drop excess steamed water off lid into the pot.

16. Stir the rice. Remove the inner pot out of Instant Pot casing, set it on the trivet or potholder. Then close the glass lid. *I purchased the tempered glass lid separately, which is very handy!
17. Let the rice steam bit longer with own heat and the remaining heat from the pot at least 10 min before serving.

18. If you want to keep the rice warm until later, but not too long, you may leave the inner pot in the Instant Pot, but I have never done so, so no guarantee how it will modify the result on the rice.

I personally cook the rice timed perfectly for dinner time, and then after the rice is cooled, I remove the rest of rice into the plastic container and store it in the fridge.
Then, when I want to eat the leftover rice, I use steamer to heat it up, usually on the stove. I haven’t done it in the IP… I think it might take longer than on the stove-top.

And the leftover rice still has very good texture and tasty! YEA!

So, this is my report. Hope it’ll be helpful! 

P.S. Last weekend, I cooked my meat sauce to use it for my eggplant Parmesan (it turned out great, by the way!) in IP. It was DONE in ONE frigging hour, it came out as good or better than the one I cooked in the stove-top pot for a few hours or several hours in the crook pot! :)
Now, I want to find the BEST Pot Roast recipe with Onion soup powder version with some veggies… if anybody has one, would you please send it to me? ;)