Saucy Ideas

Petula

Got your attention? :rotfl:

In my continuing effort to get us off of packaged foods totally I've run into a bit of a roadblock. I often used the packaged rice and pasta packets as side dishes and while the pasta ones have been quite easy to ditch, most of those were some sort of cream (uses term loosely) sauce and easy for me to make my own which are better tbh.

For the life of me I can't seem to make something similar to the rice packets! No matter what I do or add to home cooked rice, it never turns out better or as good as, the packaged kind. Their sauce seems to be "sucked up" by the rice and mine just sort of coats it a bit and isn't nearly as flavoursome. Surely I'm doing something wrong, help please

WantToBeSE

What kind of rice packets do you mean? Do you mean like the Uncle Bens microwave kinds of ones?

I would have patience with your palette. It'll take a while to adjust to the new, more natural, flavour of healthy less processed foods.

Maybe Google the rice packets that you are talking about, and see what ingredients it uses, and then copy it as close as possible.

Or what i do sometimes is Google 'How to make Home Made _____ from scratch' and something comes up.

Petula

I have tried using ingredients as close to the package as possible, and it's not so much the taste although the homemade is much milder (I could just up the seasonings), it's more how the sauce ends up being a part of the rice, so to speak, with the packaged and with my homemade it doesn't adhear to the rice IYSWIM

What I'm on about is the Batchelors packet rice, 'Super Rice'. Most supermarkets have their own brand usually flavours like Chicken, Beef, Golden.

I thought that maybe there was a method to get the sauce to stick to the rice better.

maman

Petula wrote: »

I have tried using ingredients as close to the package as possible, and it's not so much the taste although the homemade is much milder (I could just up the seasonings), it's more how the sauce ends up being a part of the rice, so to speak, with the packaged and with my homemade it doesn't adhear to the rice IYSWIM

What I'm on about is the Batchelors packet rice, 'Super Rice'. Most supermarkets have their own brand usually flavours like Chicken, Beef, Golden.

I thought that maybe there was a method to get the sauce to stick to the rice better.

I think if I was trying to copy the Super rice I'd cook the rice in the 'sauce' to flavour it rather than add it afterwards to coat it. So, for chicken rice, I'd cook it in a strong chicken stock and then add peas or other bits. HTH.

VfM4meplse

Try some mushroom soy sauce and tomato sauce, and use rice that has been cooked in advance and is well-chilled. Be generous - rice has a habit of sucking up flavour - and you will be pleased with the result.

milasavesmoney

Do the store bought ones use MSG? I'm trying to think of why they would have a stronger flavor.

nuatha

The flavour needs to be absorbed into the rice as it cooks. Its not a sauce that's added to cooked rice. For golden rice I'd use 1/2 tsp each of tumeric and white pepper, and cook it in vegetable stock (I tend to use Marigold bullion powder, if I don't have my own stock made). Adding other ingredients during the cooking as appropriate.
Fry your onion until its almost transparent, add your spices, stir through the onion then add your rice. Fry for another minute before adding your stock.

Chicken, I use a 1/4 teaspoon of curry powder and strong chicken stock.
Mexican, I use 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, add garlic to the onion and cook in passata diluted 50:50 with water.

HTH

Dustyblinds

I often take savoury rice with roasted veg for my packed lunch, sometimes have chicken breast or chorizo if I'm not counting the calories.
When I boil my rice I use chicken stock cubes and some chopped garlic to flavour it.
I often wonder how a bovril cube would flavour the rice, I used to love batchelors beef savoury rice when I was younger, we didn't get it very often as my mam was very much a cook from scratch mam, it was considered a treat. I keep saying I'll try it myself but if it doesn't taste nice then it's a waste......