Best item to cook rice with?

EagerLearner

Hi all,

I am terrible with cooking rice and no matter how often I hear 'the Rules' it really doesn't matter - I end up buying boil in the bag for us every time to be safe.

Now I KNOW I could save lots of money by buying rice by the kilo, so...

Please can someone advise whether the 'rice ball' you can get (metal, with 2 halves) is any good for boiling rice for 2 people - I saw that Amazon are doing the 12cm diameter Typhoon one for £9.98.

Also, can I soak the rice during the day, then steam it with a steamer? I have a bamboo one, so this would save me £9.98!

PLUS I'd stop paying for Uncle Ben's pension fund!

chatta

For years my rice was awful it came out of saucepan in one big lump that reminded me of wallpaper paste. :eek: But last month I think I finally worked it out. Rinse rice in pan, cover with water about 1- 2 inches above the rice. Bring to boil stirring only once, leave to simmer till water is absorbed, about 15 mins. I think I realised my constant stirring did something to it. I now have individual bits of rice :j I like my rice fairly well done. Sooooo proud of myself

seraphina

I use a microwave rice steamer from Lakeland. Cost about £7. Chuck in 4oz rice, add 1pt boiling water, nuke for 5 mins, stir, nuke for 6 mins, leave for two, eat. Perfect every time.

The quality of the rice you are using makes a huge difference - cheap rice always turns to sludge no matter how I cook it.

I also find the adding water, putting the lid on and leaving it on a low heat method of cooking rice very difficult to get right - it depends on the weight of your saucepan and whether you have gas or not - with some electric hobs it's difficult to keep the heat low enough and you wind up with raw rice but no water.

purpleimp

I used a rice ball once, it was too big for the pan, I filled the pan to half way up the ball and boiled, I forgot it expands and half of it was raw.

Brown rice is another story entirely but I have now got the white stuff sussed.

take a large DEEP microwaivable bowl, 1 cup rice to 2 cups boiling water, increase accordingly when feeding more, stick it in the bowl, cover with clingfilm (or glass lid on a bowl) stick it in the micro on full power for 5 mins, stir it once then pop on for another 5 mins (again covered) then allow to sit for 10 mins before serving, it works every time!
HTH.xxx

Destined_to_be_skint

My dad bought me one of those rice ball things for Christmas and I still haven't used it! (Looks like some kind of medeveil torture instrument).

For the best results you need to rinse the rice until the water runs clear (not at all environmentally friendly), cook with far more water than you think you need and skim the scum off with a slotted spoon while cooking.

sun69uk

my mate once cooked rice and put a huge panful on, after 30 mins i went in kitchen and his big panful was now 4 pans and a cooking tray. the joys of student life and cooking, we had rice with everything for 2 weeks none stop lol

MATH

This is how I do bog standard white rice:

Measure by volume - I usually do 1/2pt for 2 people and 1pt for the family.

Rinse in plenty of cold running water.

Place in a dish a pour over double the volume of boiling water.

Cook in the micro for 15 mins (uncovered) stiring twice.

Turn out into a seive and rinse again with boiling water, drain and serve.

HTH

rchddap1

Best item is definately not my partner (although he has improved lately). He usually ends up cooking what we describe as 'gloop'.

Agutka

I use boil in the bag, but only eat rice once a month or so, and it saves time and faffing.
With normal rice, I always rinsed it quickly after draining it after it was cooked. This made the grains seperate into perfect rice.

astep70uk

I used to be terrible at cooking rice and was always left with wet rice which I can't stand.

I've since perfected the cooking - here's how I do it

Put rice into pan
Cover with boiling water so it's half to three quarters of an inch above the rice
Cook on med/high until water is absorbed
Take off heat and cover with pan lid for 10 mins or so
This has the same effect as steaming the rice and it comes out lovely and dry and fluffy

Eels100

I used to have the same problem but I've cracked it - as chatta says, it's the stirring that does it.

For two hungry people wash 1 mugful of rice thoroughly then cover with 2-2.25 mugfuls of cold water. Bring to the boil, stir once and then turn heat down low and abandon it. When all the water is almost gone fork the rice to dry it out. I always use a heavy-based pan.