Cooking Rice

[barrythurgood]

Yes I Know - it's been discussed many times before......

How do you cook rice perfectly. Tonight I rinced the rice, measured the rice and water, stireed once, and once again ended up with rice pudding....

Why, oh why oh why?

What am I doing wrong?

Very frustrated (and really goinf off rice in a big fashion!)

Barry

 

[barrythurgood]

You can see I'm frustrated - even my typos seem to multiply!

 

[Alix]

2 cups of cold water, bring to a boil. Add one cup (rinsed if you like) rice and turn element to LOW. Cover and time for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5. Fluff with a fork and serve.

General rice formula is 2:1 water to rice. The trick is to boil water first, then put in the rice and turn to low. Then you must leave the lid on. Do not be tempted to lift the lid to "check" the rice. Set the timer and walk away.

 

[mish]

What kind of rice are you using/preparing? I go by the directions on the box/package. Re rinsing the rice -- need more info as to what kind of rice etc.

 

[barrythurgood]

Wholemeal rice is what I was preparing - it's in the bin now!

 

[barrythurgood]

So Alix,

Don't add the rice until the water is boiling?

Barry

 

[Alix]

You got it Barry. And DON'T lift the lid after you cover the rice.

 

[barrythurgood]

Oh and I boiled it on the smallest gas ring I have - on the lowest setting!
Ans mish I'm sure I followed the packet instructions. Maybe Alix's idea of not adding until the water is boiling might help

 

[barrythurgood]

Oh go on Alix - lifting the lid makes it all go puddingy? Wow!
It was only a small peak - alright, I might have peaked more than once...

The problem is once you've failed at cooking rice, the need to look at it cooking is amplified.

Why does not raising the lid make such a difference?

Barry

 

[Alix]

I am not terribly technical, but my understanding is that the rice needs to absorb the liquid and if you keep peeking at it then the temp drops in there and it doesn't absorb all the liquid and you get gummy rice.

 

[Yakuta]

The method of cooking rice depends on the type of rice and what texture you are expecting.

Short grained rice have more starch and cook up mushier than whole grain (jasmine or basmati) rice.

I am a big fan of long grain rice but here is another basic method to get any kind of rice cooked fluffy and not mushy.

2 cups of rice in a saute pan. Rinse it with cold water. I do mine like ten times. You add water to the pan, stir in the rice almost massage it and then drain the water. Do this approx 10 times.

Now add 4 cups of water to the rice (same pan). Add a tiny bit of oil (1 tsp) or you can add some butter and bring it to a boil. Don't cover it initially until it comes to a boil. Throw in a pinch of salt. Stir the rice once, reduce the heat to low, Cover and let it steam for 20 minutes or so. Rice will be done


Another way to cook rice is using the method you do with pasta. I like to make pilaus which are layered with chicken or veggies and this method is my favorite to cook basmati rice.

You wash the rice (2 cups or however much) once or twice, rinse and reserve.

In a large pot, add 10 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Hit the water with some salt. Add the rinsed rice and let the rice cook rapidly in boiling water. In 10 minutes, check the grain of the rice to ensure it's cooked. Drain the water along with the rice in a colander.

The rice that will be left in the colander will be nice and fluffy and every strand will be seperate. I normally season this rice with some butter, garlic and whole cumin seeds and serve it with dahl or curry.

 

[barrythurgood]

Alix

You are too cool for school - but you already know that - don't you?

Many Thanks

Barry

 

[Alix]

Anytime Barry. Let me know if it works out for you. It hasn't failed for me yet.

 

[Robo410]

whole meal rice??? brown rice?? perhaps?? takes 40-45 minutes, same method as above.

 

[bethzaring]

The only way I can cook a decent pot of rice is to cook it in a pressure cooker, turns out perfect every time.

I use long grain brown rice. Rinse rice in a strainer, dump in pressure cooker. Use 1 1/2 cups water for every 1 cup of rice. Add water to pot and a bit of oil, cover and lock lid, heat to pressure, cook 15 minutes, turn off heat. Let pressure drop naturally. Obviously, you can not peek with this method! The rice turns out perfect.

One cup of dry rice makes about 2 cups cooked. I was reminded in another post, to use meat broth instead of water when cooking rice.

 

[masteraznchefjr]

hmm get a rice cooker? follow directions lol xD...
well when u get a rice cooker like this, http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/techno/rice/images/toshiba01.jpg wash rice --> put rice in the rice cooker container here's the ratio for every 4/3 cups of rice add 2 cups of water in the container. add in 2/3 cup of water at the bottom of the rice cooker. place container of rice in and click the rice cooker on. once it clicks off its done. this works for mostly all rices.

 

[vyapti]

My wife makes fine rice. I make paste. We do exactly the same thing. I can't tell you why.

I finally admitted defeat and bought a rice cooker. I've also boiled it in a big pot, like spaghetti. This works fine for long grain rice, like basmatti or jasmine, especially for something like fried rice, where you don't want your rice at all sticky--Because it's not.

 

[Robo410]

the rice fairy doesn't like you!

 

[mish]

the rice fairy doesn't like you!

Robo

You're not alone. Years ago, I made brown rice in the microwave - it took about 40 mins? & came out a goopy, starchy mess.

 

[masteraznchefjr]

goopy eh lol turn that to chinese rice gruel , add some preserved 1000 year old eggs and cilantro and little porc bits and theres a meal there and don't forget a little soy sauce paste.