WHY CAN'T I COOK RICE??

[catinb0oots]

In the past few years I've tried to improve on basics.

Now I can cook omelettes, steak, basic cakes, roast pork with proper crackling.

BUT I CAN'T COOK RICE

I’m half chinese and I can’t cook rice either. I’m my mums least favourite child.

Haha @StarScream22 this made me laugh and I feel your pain because I'm Irish and cannot (the SHAME) cook decent potatoes.

I have tried every variation of cooking method mentioned on here.
I’m a competent cook but rice is always shit.
I have given up and buy pouches.

I have always been shit at rice but I have mastered it! Still working on portions....but at least I can cook it!

Must be basmati. I buy a massive sack from the local Indian shop.

1. Rinse a few times until water runs clear
2. Soak for about 30 mins
3. Use 1.5 times the amount of boiling water to rice - as an accompaniment to chilli or something, I'll do a cup of rice so a cup and half of water.
4. Boil the water, and when it's nearly ready, melt a little butter in your saucepan and then add the rice, stir to coat
5. Add your boiling water, remembering to measure it. Add salt. Bring to a rolling boil then reduce to a simmer
6. Put a lid on it and simmer for ten mins. Resist the urge to lift the lid and stir
7. Once simmered for ten mins, turn off the heat and leave to steam for another ten mins. Do NOT lift the lid!
8. Fluff with fork, dot with butter if feeling decadent, and serve.

Serious game changer. I'd eat rice like this all the time. It has such a gorgeous texture.

I'll tell you a secret.

Just boil basmati in salted water like pasta for 8 mins. Drain.

I can cook everything but I cannot make Yorkshire puddings with holes in. They rise and they taste fine. BUT THEY NEVER HAVE HOLES.

And I live in Yorkshire. The shame!

@LurpakIsTheOnlyButter your pan/oil/oven isn't hot enough.

Tesco do an easy cook rice. It’s a game changer. Rice is always perfect.

Tear corner of packet a couple of centimetres.
Stand in microwave and cook for 2 minutes.
Serve.

I just chuck some rice in a pan with water, boil and drain (apart from the time I forgot about it, burnt it like I’ve never burnt anything and still can’t get the pan totally de-burnt).

I've been cooking rice since I was a little one - watched my mother do it practically every day; I don't even measure. But you should master the absorption method - boiling it and draining is just weird - and as posted earlier, it's essentially the 2:1 method.

1. Measure your rice - for example, a mugful. You will then need 2 mugs of water.
2. Rinse the rice under cold water (in a colander if it's easier) until it the water runs clear.
3. You can skip this step but it makes for a nice texture if you have time- let the rice sit in water for 30 mins.
4. Put rice in pan, add pre-measured water, a tbsp of butter or oil, and a bay leaf.
5. Bring to the boil. Let it boil fiercely for a minute.
6. Turn down to lowest setting. Cover and let cook for 15 mins.
7. Turn off heat, and let it sit, still covered for another 5 mins.

Take off the lid and your rice will be perfect. Remove bay leaf and serve. Basmati rice is very forgiving of any mistakes.

Now I can cook, but if someone could please teach me how to make yorkshire puddings that are crisp, light and airy, rather than doughy and dull, I would be super grateful!

Different rices require different methods.

For fluffy, seperated rice:
Use basmati (I like Tilda, it’s fairly consistent)
Wash it before you do anything, until water runs clear
I like to use a ratio of 2:3 for rice:water a cup should be a good 4 portions, so one cup rice, one and a half cups water
Add a little oil in the pan and salt
Medium high heat until boiling (7-10mins)
While it’s heating, skim the starch off the top with a spoon
As soon as it’s boiled you need to turn to lowest heat, the rice should have absorbed all the water at this point. If it hasn’t, you put too much water in, drain it
If you drain the rice or just remove it in a collander temporarily, you have the option of heating a little oil in the bottom of the pan and adding potato or flat bread to fry with the rice (optional)
Add any herbs or saffron water at this point (optional)
Use end of a wooden spoon to create holes in the rice, it helps the rice steam consistently, you can also add a little bit of oil down each hole to help fry the bottom of the rice (optional)
Put a clean kitchen towel around your saucepan lid
Now let it steam with the wrapped lid for 35-45 minutes
Do not stir but do check it every once in a while - it should be on the smallest ring, lowest heat the aim is to slowly steam it so the rice fully separates and isn’t mushy but is cooked through

If you decide to do the rice cake option, then don’t forget to put a plate on the pan when you remove the lid, before flipping the pan over

Voila

You have a cake made of rice, fluffy on the inside, fried on the outside

Can always tell those with Iranian families on the rice threads

A rice moth is a destroyer of a perfectly decent chicken tikka masala (other curries are available)
www.environmentalscience.bayer.com.au/pest-management/whattocontrol/rice-moth

Another vote for a microwave steamer, cheap, dead easy, perfect results every time and no space needed for another gadget on your worktop!

Rice cooker. My husband is Chinese and would not even contemplate messing about with pans of water. Also a rice cooker will keep the rice ready for when you need it rather than overcooking like in a pan so no need to think about timing etc.

This thread is making me laugh a lot! So many different people saying 'forget all the other ways, do it this way ' and there are like 175786 different ways

It's easy.... boiling water 10-12 mins then rinse with more boiling water. Perfect!

I'm another Pyrex bowl in the microwave fan. My version is

Basmati in, boiling water on top to about an inch over the rice. Full power, lid off for 13 minutes. Look at the bottom of the bowl to check all the water has gone and there are steam holes on the top of the rice. Cook for a couple of minutes more if it hasn't yet. Remove from microwave and put a lid on the bowl for about 5 mins for it to go fluffy in the steam.

@Secretlifeofme

This thread is making me laugh a lot! So many different people saying 'forget all the other ways, do it this way ' and there are like 175786 different ways

Even persians (who are self proclaimed rice experts!) have many different ways of making rice And we have different “levels” of rice depending on how fancy and nice we want to make it you know you’re in the good books if you get party rice

I have no advice. I fuck up rice every time. You are not alone.

I boil my rice.

Usually basmati, though long-grain or jasmine is acceptable. Rinse. Drop in pan full of boiling water, no measuring required. Boil for 10-12 minutes (or more like half an hour if it's brown basmati). Drain.

The grains nicely separate, it's not sticky at all.

Basically, cook it the same way I cook dried pasta, except rice need a rinse first.

@Moondust001

I've never been able to cook rice.

A little while ago though I followed the Wagamama's recipe for their Katsu curry and rice and OMG perfectly cooked rice!

It takes a bit longer than how I used to do it as you soak the rice for a while first and you leave it in the pan for a while once cooked. Apart from the extra time though it was very easy and absolutely perfect rice. The curry was good too.

I can only cook it on gas. Where we're staying at the moment has an electric hob and I'm burning absolutely everything. I turned the ring off completely earlier and the bastard rice kept at a full rolling boil for five sodding minutes afterwards.

Now I want to know what and how to do party rice the Persian way.

In fact I want a Persian rice cookbook please!