Someone needs to tell me what's so wrong with draining water from rice!

[MonsteraCheeseplant]

I just saw and feel personally attacked . But seriously, what's wrong with how she's cooked the rice? I've heard vaguely before that you're supposed to cook rice in a certain amount of water but a completely clueless about the rules and why. So if you know, please educate me. I am clearly offending millions of people if only they knew my dirty secret...

OP didn't ask how other people cook rice, she asked what is so wrong with cooking and draining. I see no clear answer to that so far.

@Fatted and yet you opened a thread about it

Children under 5 shouldn't drink rice milk due to arsenic levels.

I always cook rice in the microwave. Wash it, then cover with water by 3cm. Microwave for 6 mins. Perfect rice.

My mind is blown by people on this thread recommending:

3 cups water to 1 rice

1 cup water to 1 rice

1.5 cups water to 1 rice.

I've always done 2 cups cold water to 1 rice. Bring to boil and time 12 minutes. Turn off heat, leave to stand 3 minutes.

Works for us, and I can't see how 3 or 1 cups could do the same thing?

Different strokes, eh?

I rinse boil drain and rinse again.

I hate the texture of rice when it’s done by absorption, and I don’t really like basmati rice either.

The very best rice is Persian chelo rice. It take a couple of hours but is the very best rice ever. It is the only way I cook it. If you have Persiana, then you have the recipe- if not, here it is by a fan of Sabrina Ghayour.

gingerandbread.com/2014/07/01/iran-chelo-rice-the-one-with-the-slightly-burnt-bottom/

I have a plastic microwave rice pot from Amazon which came with a measuring cup. So easy to get decent basmati every time with minimal faffing.

The instructions reduce the proportion of water to rice as you cook larger quantities:
1 cup rice+ 1.5 cups water
2 cups rice + 2.75 cups water
3 cups rice + 4.25 cups water

Also had no idea about the arsenic!

Have never washed rice before cooking & I often don't use much water & it boils away but I then don't rinse the rice.

I'm fucked, aren't I??

That makes sense because evaporation is probably less for larger quantities.

I always wash/rinse rice 2 or 3 times than the absorption method BUT I use basmati which has lower levels of arsenic - prewashing means you sort out dust, dirt etc its like washing jacket potatoes or new potatoes before cooking

Now gotta add rice wars to 2020 hall of shame.
BOGOF if we use a South African accent.

" basmati which has lower levels of arsenic"

Oh well that's something-so maybe I'm not entirely fucked!

We eat rice every day, I've never heard of an arsenic issue...

Ah x-post- we have basmati only, so maybe ok?

If babies can't eat rice, someone needs to let the continent of Asia know.

I was always taught you cook rice in 3 times it’s own volume of water, in order to dilute the toxins and trace metals that the crops absorb eg: arsenic.

I don’t know how much absorption cooked rice someone would have to eat for arsenic poisoning to be a problem though!!

Rinse
1 cup rice
2 cups cold water
Bring to the boil
Turn it to a simmer, stir once, tight fitting lid
Leave for 12 mins. No peeking!
Turn off, serve when you're ready

Just on this thread we have had people recommend using ratios of one cup of rice to one cup of water, one cup to two and one cup to three. All say that this makes perfect rice.

I’m not good at cooking rice and this thread has convinced me it’s an arcane art that I will never master. I’m off to buy some potatoes.

The traditional way to cook rice in all Asian countries is washing, soaking, and draining the water. This not only get rid of the arsenic, but also makes the rice soft and tender without overcooking it. Asian don’t like to do it now because it’s a faff and because rice cookers / pressure cookers have replaced actual cooking skill over there.

Asian middle classes

To try and answer the OP: I think you ruin the texture and flavour if you do it that way. It will still be edible but quite bland, and won't taste as nice. I think the grain is supposed to end up firm on the outside and fluffy inside, and you can't get that if you just boil and drain - it will be cooked through and a bit mushy.
People from 'rice cultures' seem to cook rice in ways that make it tasty enough to eat on its own.

If babies can't eat rice, someone needs to let the continent of Asia know.

Babies can eat rice. They can't drink rice milk because of the arsenic thing. TBH, with my critical thinking hat on, I don't think it can be much of an issue- doesn't Japan have one of the longest life expectancies in the world, despite consuming a fair bit of rice? But I'd rather not risk it with my own toddler. Besides which, I find rice tastes good with the draining method. And it's easier. So 🤷

@ItWasNotOK

the rice arsenic thing is nonsense.

www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/arsenic-in-rice