EASIEST HOW TO COOK RICE RECIPE
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http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/articles/how-to/cook-rice-perfectly.aspx This looked like really good advise.
by Niloufer King
Aside from differences in culture, many Americans shy away from rice due to a fear of cooking it. (Hence the popularity of instant rice, which offers "perfect" rice—in exchange for flavor and texture.) While exactly how rice cooks changes from variety to variety, even from batch to batch (brown rice cooks longer than white, for example; old rice absorbs more water than new) getting consistently good results is not impossible. In fact, the method that works best is practically the same as the one on the back of the box. But what the back of the box neglects to mention is the importance of letting the rice rest before serving it.
These days, most rice comes free of dirt, gravel, and chaff so there's rarely a need to patiently pick through it. Washing rice is another matter. Outside the U.S., talc is still sometimes used as a milling aid and should be rinsed off in a few changes of cold water. Though rice with talc should be labeled as such, I rinse if there's the slightest doubt. Some people also find that rinsing washes off loose starch, making the rice less sticky. (In the U.S., rice is enriched with vitamins, but only a small amount gets washed away if the rice is rinsed.)
Be sure to thoroughly strain rinsed or soaked rice. Excess water can make your rice mushy.
Whether you soak rice depends on time and tradition. — Apart from habit, the reasons for soaking rice are to shorten the cooking time and to allow for maximum expansion of long-grain rice, particularly basmati. A soak also makes the grains a little less brittle so they're less likely to break during cooking. If I'm using older basmati, which needs to be treated carefully if it's not to break, I soak it first. (Recipes vary in suggested soaking times, with 30 minutes most common.) But for most everyday meals, I skip this step and still get good results. If you do soak your rice, be sure to drain it thoroughly or you'll be using more water in cooking than you intended.
Cooking rice by the absorption method is simple and reliable
Combine the rice and water and bring to a boil. Use 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water per cup of rice. If adding salt or fat, swirl the pan to mix them; rough stirring could break the rice.
I grew up in a household that only boiled rice and only basmati at that. We'd tip some rice into a large pot of boiling water, adjust the heat to keep the rice just dancing to the surface, and check it now and again by taking a bite. When the rice was resilient without a trace of central hardness, the water got poured off and saved for soup. To make the rice dry and fluffy, we'd tip it back into its pan, cover it, and cook it further over very low heat.
I now prefer the absorption method. In this more streamlined process, the rice is cooked in a measured amount of water so that by the time the rice is cooked, all the water has been absorbed. As the water level drops, trapped steam finishes the cooking.
For every cup of rice, use 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water (less if the rice is washed first). You'll need to experiment a little to find the amount you like best, but in general, use the larger amount for long-grain rice, the lesser for medium and short. Keep in mind that more water gives you softer, stickier rice—great for stir-fries. Less water will keep the grains more separate and result in firmer rice, a good style for rice salads.
Fixing not-so-perfect rice
Cooking a perfect pot of rice isn't difficult, but sometimes, it doesn't turn out as perfect as you'd like. There are ways to fix rice that has turned out less than perfectly.To find out how, read this article on salvaging not-so-perfect rice.
Use a sturdy pot with a tight-fitting lid
Lower the heat to a simmer—bubbles gently bursting on the surface—and cover. Let white rice cook for 12 minutes. Then let the rice rest off the burner, covered, for at least 5 minutes and as long as half an hour.
You want a pot with a heavy base for the most even cooking, and one that's big enough to provide plenty of room above the rice for steam. A tight lid keeps the steam in. If your lid fits loosely, put a clean kitchen cloth between the lid and the pot. (Be sure to fold it over onto the pot so it doesn't burn.) The cloth also absorbs the water that would normally condense on the inside of the lid and fall back down into the rice, so this is also a good trick to get drier, fluffier rice.
A bit of butter or olive oil will also help keep the grains from sticking together, while a little salt adds flavor.
Once all the ingredients are combined, cover the rice and let it simmer. On an electric stove, use two burners: bring the rice to a boil on a hot burner and then immediately slide it to a burner set on low to continue cooking at a slow simmer.
Fluff the rice gently with a fork or chopstick. Gentle handling will keep the individual grains from breaking up into mush.
After about 12 minutes, the liquid should be absorbed, and the rice still al dente. If you served the rice now, you'd find the top layer drier and fluffier than the bottom, which can be very moist and fragile. Here's where you need patience. Let the rice sit off the heat, undisturbed with the lid on, for at least 5 minutes and for as long as 30. This results in a uniform texture, with the bottom layers as fluffy as the top. That a pot of rice actually improves with a rest also gives you more flexibility for cooking the rest of the meal.
by Niloufer King
Aside from differences in culture, many Americans shy away from rice due to a fear of cooking it. (Hence the popularity of instant rice, which offers "perfect" rice—in exchange for flavor and texture.) While exactly how rice cooks changes from variety to variety, even from batch to batch (brown rice cooks longer than white, for example; old rice absorbs more water than new) getting consistently good results is not impossible. In fact, the method that works best is practically the same as the one on the back of the box. But what the back of the box neglects to mention is the importance of letting the rice rest before serving it.
These days, most rice comes free of dirt, gravel, and chaff so there's rarely a need to patiently pick through it. Washing rice is another matter. Outside the U.S., talc is still sometimes used as a milling aid and should be rinsed off in a few changes of cold water. Though rice with talc should be labeled as such, I rinse if there's the slightest doubt. Some people also find that rinsing washes off loose starch, making the rice less sticky. (In the U.S., rice is enriched with vitamins, but only a small amount gets washed away if the rice is rinsed.)
Be sure to thoroughly strain rinsed or soaked rice. Excess water can make your rice mushy.
Whether you soak rice depends on time and tradition. — Apart from habit, the reasons for soaking rice are to shorten the cooking time and to allow for maximum expansion of long-grain rice, particularly basmati. A soak also makes the grains a little less brittle so they're less likely to break during cooking. If I'm using older basmati, which needs to be treated carefully if it's not to break, I soak it first. (Recipes vary in suggested soaking times, with 30 minutes most common.) But for most everyday meals, I skip this step and still get good results. If you do soak your rice, be sure to drain it thoroughly or you'll be using more water in cooking than you intended.
Cooking rice by the absorption method is simple and reliable
Combine the rice and water and bring to a boil. Use 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water per cup of rice. If adding salt or fat, swirl the pan to mix them; rough stirring could break the rice.
I grew up in a household that only boiled rice and only basmati at that. We'd tip some rice into a large pot of boiling water, adjust the heat to keep the rice just dancing to the surface, and check it now and again by taking a bite. When the rice was resilient without a trace of central hardness, the water got poured off and saved for soup. To make the rice dry and fluffy, we'd tip it back into its pan, cover it, and cook it further over very low heat.
I now prefer the absorption method. In this more streamlined process, the rice is cooked in a measured amount of water so that by the time the rice is cooked, all the water has been absorbed. As the water level drops, trapped steam finishes the cooking.
For every cup of rice, use 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water (less if the rice is washed first). You'll need to experiment a little to find the amount you like best, but in general, use the larger amount for long-grain rice, the lesser for medium and short. Keep in mind that more water gives you softer, stickier rice—great for stir-fries. Less water will keep the grains more separate and result in firmer rice, a good style for rice salads.
Fixing not-so-perfect rice
Cooking a perfect pot of rice isn't difficult, but sometimes, it doesn't turn out as perfect as you'd like. There are ways to fix rice that has turned out less than perfectly.To find out how, read this article on salvaging not-so-perfect rice.
Use a sturdy pot with a tight-fitting lid
Lower the heat to a simmer—bubbles gently bursting on the surface—and cover. Let white rice cook for 12 minutes. Then let the rice rest off the burner, covered, for at least 5 minutes and as long as half an hour.
You want a pot with a heavy base for the most even cooking, and one that's big enough to provide plenty of room above the rice for steam. A tight lid keeps the steam in. If your lid fits loosely, put a clean kitchen cloth between the lid and the pot. (Be sure to fold it over onto the pot so it doesn't burn.) The cloth also absorbs the water that would normally condense on the inside of the lid and fall back down into the rice, so this is also a good trick to get drier, fluffier rice.
A bit of butter or olive oil will also help keep the grains from sticking together, while a little salt adds flavor.
Once all the ingredients are combined, cover the rice and let it simmer. On an electric stove, use two burners: bring the rice to a boil on a hot burner and then immediately slide it to a burner set on low to continue cooking at a slow simmer.
Fluff the rice gently with a fork or chopstick. Gentle handling will keep the individual grains from breaking up into mush.
After about 12 minutes, the liquid should be absorbed, and the rice still al dente. If you served the rice now, you'd find the top layer drier and fluffier than the bottom, which can be very moist and fragile. Here's where you need patience. Let the rice sit off the heat, undisturbed with the lid on, for at least 5 minutes and for as long as 30. This results in a uniform texture, with the bottom layers as fluffy as the top. That a pot of rice actually improves with a rest also gives you more flexibility for cooking the rest of the meal.
I've never seen what's so hard about cooking rice. I have a dozen or more kinds here and use the same cooking method for all of them.
Two cups water for every cup of rice, or the finger method, which is just put your finger on top of whatever unmeasured quantity of rice you have in the pot and add water until it comes to your second finger joint.
Clap a tight lid on it and put it on the stove. When you see steam coming out of it for a minute or two, turn off the heat. Leave it sit for a half hour without peeking.
Makes perfect rice everytime. No burning, no overflows, no excess water left to drain.
Wish everything was so easy to prepare!
Two cups water for every cup of rice, or the finger method, which is just put your finger on top of whatever unmeasured quantity of rice you have in the pot and add water until it comes to your second finger joint.
Clap a tight lid on it and put it on the stove. When you see steam coming out of it for a minute or two, turn off the heat. Leave it sit for a half hour without peeking.
Makes perfect rice everytime. No burning, no overflows, no excess water left to drain.
Wish everything was so easy to prepare!
Broken Arrow
Heathen Pagan Witch
1 Cup long grain rice
2 Cups hot water
Combine in a 2qt covered dish, put the lid on it, put into a 350 degree oven for 30 mins.
Lovely fluffy rice every time!
2 Cups hot water
Combine in a 2qt covered dish, put the lid on it, put into a 350 degree oven for 30 mins.
Lovely fluffy rice every time!
Bare I use the same method for 25 years and my Korean sister in law is using it to after she seen me do it.
theoriginaldeb
Still A Geology Fanatic
Bare has down my method....finger and all.
I go a little lighter on the water...most rice I use seems to have a higher moisture content so I go with 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups water per cup of rice.
Put the lid on when its boiled long enough that craters are visible in the rice...about 5 minutes from a cold start...depending on the size burner and pot.
Clap on a tight lid and turn off the burner...leave the pot on the burner to absorb the remaining heat from the element...20 minutes approximately. Perfect rice every time. On a gas stove turn down the flame as low as possible and simmer about 20 minutes with same perfect results.
I have been cooking rice so many years using this method...I don't use a measuring cup any more to add water.....I just measure with my finger..... about 1 inch.... of water above the top of the rice. Works every time.
Rice cooker
20 years ago when I was a graduate student I had a asian roommate. She turned me on to a rice cooker. You wash the rice and put it in the thing with enough water to cover the rice. Turn it on and it burbles away. 20 minutes latter you have perfect rice. I love the sound and smell of the rice as it cooks. The rice cooker was a gift and it has lasted these two decades.
Kathy
20 years ago when I was a graduate student I had a asian roommate. She turned me on to a rice cooker. You wash the rice and put it in the thing with enough water to cover the rice. Turn it on and it burbles away. 20 minutes latter you have perfect rice. I love the sound and smell of the rice as it cooks. The rice cooker was a gift and it has lasted these two decades.
Kathy
I usually cook basmati rice. I rinse a cup of it in a colander for about 1 minute. This keeps the rice from sticking to each other. I put it in a pot and add 1 1/2 cups of water, a Tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. I boil it uncovered until the water is just below the level of rice. Then I turn the heat off and cover the pan. It's done in 10 to 15 minutes when all the water is absorbed.
45nut,
I've cooked rice for 30 years on the stove top with this no-fail recipe:
2 cups water to 1 cup rice (do not rinse as vitamins are added to the outside of most rice). Bring to boil. Turn down to low and cover. Simmer 20 minutes without removing lid. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Enjoy.
I've cooked rice for 30 years on the stove top with this no-fail recipe:
2 cups water to 1 cup rice (do not rinse as vitamins are added to the outside of most rice). Bring to boil. Turn down to low and cover. Simmer 20 minutes without removing lid. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Enjoy.
The common denominator is NOT 2 to 1 now that I'm here.
3 to 1 is best for fat people. You end up with fewer calories per serving, and it's just as filling.
I use short grain Calrose rice usually, since it's starchier and absorbs the extra cup of water.
This isn't rocket surgery. Put one cup of rice into the nonstick pot, then use the same cup to measure out 3 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, NOT using a cover if you're cooking indoors. Once it's boiling, turn down the heat to low and cook it for 15 minutes with the cover ON.
Longer if you are cooking it with something salty, like any kind of broth or bouillon.
3 to 1 is best for fat people. You end up with fewer calories per serving, and it's just as filling.
I use short grain Calrose rice usually, since it's starchier and absorbs the extra cup of water.
This isn't rocket surgery. Put one cup of rice into the nonstick pot, then use the same cup to measure out 3 cups of water. Bring it to a boil, NOT using a cover if you're cooking indoors. Once it's boiling, turn down the heat to low and cook it for 15 minutes with the cover ON.
Longer if you are cooking it with something salty, like any kind of broth or bouillon.
I make rice 3 ways.
1. Covered pot on stovetop
2. Uncovered frying pan (not iron or teflon) on stovetop
3. Covered dish in oven
Rice can be made so many ways, it is a wonderful food. I could eat rice every day for the rest of my life and still love it. A bit of meat and a few veggies with rice is a feast.
I just started a cup on the stove in a covered pot made with chicken stock and a pat of butter. Had to do it after reading this thread.
1. Covered pot on stovetop
2. Uncovered frying pan (not iron or teflon) on stovetop
3. Covered dish in oven
Rice can be made so many ways, it is a wonderful food. I could eat rice every day for the rest of my life and still love it. A bit of meat and a few veggies with rice is a feast.
I just started a cup on the stove in a covered pot made with chicken stock and a pat of butter. Had to do it after reading this thread.
The main advantage with the method I outlined is that the rice never has a chance to burn, or run short of water, which seems to be most folks' problem. As long as you have a few minutes to put the rice on and bring it to a roiling boil, the rest just takes patience.
I suspect the steam produced under the lid is what "finishes" off the rice. Take the lid off before it's time and your rice won't be perfect anymore.
I suspect the steam produced under the lid is what "finishes" off the rice. Take the lid off before it's time and your rice won't be perfect anymore.
Hansa44
Justine Case
This is the way I do it too. My husband lived in Japan for 2 years and learned this method from them. It actually makes a "sticky" rice which I much prefer. Holds sauces and gravies better. The Japanese like it this way because they can pick it up with chopsticks. Why people enjoy rice falling all over their plate I just don't know.
