Getting rice to be 'fluffy' -what's the secret?

angeltreats

I have an electric rice cooker which is pretty foolproof. I use it a lot.

However pre rice cooker, or if I'm in someone else's kitchen or whatever, i go back to my old method which is how we did it when I used to work in catering. Always basmati rice. Rinse the rice really well. Put in a heavy based pan with a tight fitting lid. Cover with cold water up to the first knuckle on your index finger, if you're touching the surface of the rice. Bring to the boil, then put the lid on and turn the heat down to minimum. Time for ten minutes. Then turn the gas off and leave it, still tightly covered, for at least another ten minutes. Fluff up with a fork before serving. Perfect every single time.

I'm having a baby shortly and have just acquired a microwave rice cooker thinking that it might be easier for my husband as he's a bit wary of the electric rice cooker, a friend who has the same one says it's great (Pampered Chef although I only paid a fiver).

angeltreats

pigpen wrote: »

.. my way is easiest and utterly foolproof...

Go to takeaway.. say rice please.. wait a bit.. voila.. perfect rice every time!

Obviously you've not been to our local Chinese takeaway! The rice is truly minging. You can literally turn it out onto a plate and cut slices of it with a knife, it's a disgusting glutinous mess, like a solid mass. We've had it twice and never been back since.