How do you cook perfect rice?

buglawton

Sarahsaver wrote:

i use a rice cooker - perfect every time:)

We have been using one for 5 years. Originally brought a compact rice cooker in China (£15), finding that the compact 1 Litre ones that can serve 3 or 4 portions were almost unavailable in the UK.

Things have changed - nowadays you can get compact ones for around £30 in the large Chinese Cash & Carries e.g. http://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/wingyipstores.php or online at http://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/ see page 2 of cookware section.

Even our cheap one has been very durable. Cover rice with water plus a hand's thickness of extra water and it cooks the (white) rice to perfection then keeps it hot. But you need to remember to turn off the power at source when you have served the rice. Full grain brown rice needs much longer cooking and these cookers are not adjusted for the purpose.

arkonite_babe

Me and rice do not go together, until I found Lidl boil in the bag. Absolute doddle! ! bag of rice per two people drop in boiling water 12 minutes later perfect fluffy non sticky rice. I love it! My rice cooker now lies dormant in my kitchen

Sweet_Pea_2

I only ever eat basmati, so I cant vouch for any other types of rice. I've tried all different brands including tilda but could notice no difference so I am using Aldi basmati at the moment.
To feed me and OH (I like lots of rice) I fill a mug with rice up to the top of the handle and I put the rice into a pyrex casserole dish. (I dont wash it or anything first) Then I put the same again of water as cold as I can get it out of the tap, and then about half the same again of water.
Then I sprinkle some dried parsley over the top, and add a (big) dollop of butter right in the middle. Then I stick the lid on and bung it in a preheated oven on 200C for about 20 - 25 mins. Do not stir. Its done to perfection when all the water has been absorbed. Perfect rice every time with no hassles.

I asked my friend at work how she cooks rice, being Asian she eats it a lot and I couldnt cook it at all and she came up with the above, except she does hers on the hob. I have tried this and it worked perfectly this way too. She is now dieting and she has substituted the butter by giving the saucepan or casserole dish a few squirts with one cal spray instead. You can also bung in some frozen peas when the rice has about 5 mins left to go, but again, dont stir!

student100

Blimey, I never knew people could make cooking rice sound so complicated.

I just cook it in more or less the same way as pasta. i.e. fill a pan 3/4 full with boiling water, add the rice (no need to rinse), stir, simmer until it's done. Strain in a seive or colander. Serve.

Simple! Works fine with any rice, I use Asda Smart Price (or other supermarket's budget equivalent) Long Grain rice (52p a kilo) and it works fine.

By "until it's done" I mean you guess roughly how much time it needs based on whatever the packet says, then when you think it's nearly ready, take a bit out on a fork and eat it... if it's not done leave it for a bit and try again...

To get the portion right, pour out uncooked rice onto a plate, try to imagine what it will look like cooked - usually takes up about twice as much space. If you know how hungry you are you can usually judge it about right.

xueta

london_saver wrote:

Put rice in rice cooker or saucepan and fill with water. Rest your index finger on top of the rice and fill the rice cooker/ suacepan with enough water so that it comes to your first knuckle.

I use a very similar method passed down from a Chinese granny. This works for American long grain or basmati. You need a heavy-bottomed pan with a tight-fitting lid, preferably glass - Anolon is perfect!

Instructions:
1. Place enough rice in the bottom of the pan to come up to the first knuckle of your index finger.
2. Rinse the rice a couple of times with cold water to remove excess starch.
3. Add cold water until the level of the water (including the rice) reaches the 2nd knuckle of your index finger.
4. Put the lid on (and do not remove until the rice is ready to serve!)
5. Bring to the boil (you can have the gas on full).
6. Once at boiling point, turned the gas right down to the minimum level on a rear burner.
7. Cook for 12-13 minutes like this on minimum heat.
8. Turn off the gas after this time but do NOT take off the lid yet! Leave for a further 3-5 minutes - this is to let the rice finish off cooking in the steam.
9. Fluff up and serve. This has always worked out perfectly for me!

elvis_bloggs

Petal wrote:

My method is:

Half cup (mug) of rice per person and twice as much water as rice. ie. for 2 people - 1 mug of rice and 2 mugs of water. Stick the rice in when the water's boiling, bring back to the boil, put a lid on it and reduce heat to a simmer. 15 mins later, take the lid off and all the water is gone and you're left with lovely rice!

Exactly how I do it.

krishna

Rinsing the cooked rice in water kind of depletes the nutrients.

Also cooking times and required water volume will vary with all rices, not just brown, because it depends on the age of the rice.

If you are looking for an inexpensive way of eating basmati, you can buy broken basmati in most indian grocery stores. The grains aren't whole so you dont get the trade mark very long grain that you normally get for basmati, but they cook a little quicker and taste the same.

From a health point of view basmati rice is better since it provides a slower release of energy (lower glycaemic index).

Nowadays we always eat brown basmati, but that is not available broken.

gravitytolls

microwave. White rice 20 mins, brown about 40.

Put the required amount, I just guess and we have some over, in a bowl, cover with about double the quantity of boiling water, and bung it in.

Check it half way througtop up with water if you think it needs it.

The result is great, non sticky, fluffy perfectly cooked rice.

Idiot proof, you can't go wrong.

Pal

Blimey you lot make things complicated.

My method is to put lots of boiling water in a pan and add the rice. Bring back to the boil and stir occasionally to stop it breaking up.

Taste it every so often, and when it is nice to eat, drain and eat.

Methinks that people get too distracted when they are cooking.....

ti1980

Thanks so much everyone for the replies. I still haven't had the courage to try any of them yet. I was going to but then I chickened out and had bulgar wheat instead as I can make that no problem and I love it too.

Yesterday while shopping in Tesco (don't normally shop there but I wanted to see how much their bulgar wheat was), I came across some frozen rice. I wouldn't have got it normally as our freezer space is pretty limited but I couldn't resist it as it was only 10p for 4 sachets of rice that you just pop in the microwave for 4 mins. So when I got home I took the outer packet off to condense it and it takes up the same space as one of my tupperware pots that contains a 'ready meal' of Spag Bol (pasta not included!)