Anyone a pro at cooking rice?

[Bumbun]

I’m not bad at cooking rice, it’s perfectly acceptable - never mushy, never hard. However… we had rice yesterday at a Persian restaurant and it was just divine! It was so super soft, light and not one grain was stuck together, it was cooked to perfection. It was relatively plain (saffron rice) and I’d love to be able to recreate it at home.

Any ideas on how to get that perfect texture?!

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1. Rince rice then heat a tablespoon of oil in a pot.
2. Dump the rice in and saute it until some of the rice grains are lightly toasted and coated with the oil.
3. Add boiling water at a ratio of 1 part rice; 2 parts water (white basmati rice).
4. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer with a lid for 20 minutes.
5. Once done leave lid on for a further 5 minutes and allow rice to steam.

At the saute stage you can add onion, garlic depending on the flavour you're going for. I also often use stock instead of plain water.

Never fails me. Better than the rice cooker we had, I binned the rice cooker.

I also always double batch and freeze.

As above poster says, use stock instead of normal water!

We have a lot of nationalities at our church so we eat a lot of different rice. The Iranian rice is delicious with crusty, golden bits in it from the bottom of the pan and the women from Sudan make delicious rice too - apparently they fry it in oil for ten minutes before adding water. Oil and salt seems to be the key to tasty rice.

Depends on the rice too
We use basmati for dishes like chilli and curry and Jasmine for Chinese dishes and fried rice

You need an Asian style IH rice cooker from a Chinese supermarket or Amazon. Wash until the water runs clear before cooking.

Yes, exactly this. My dad got me cooking basmati rice delia’s way 30 years ago from the old cookery course book, and that’s the basis of how I still do it. Enables the adding of loads of spices, herbs, flavours etc. as well. I’m sure it’s not “her” invented method, but one she learnt from people who know how to cook basmati rice - but she’s the one who explained it to my parents in the 70’s via the books and it works!

Interesting
I use a 3 to 1 ratio

Same method as you after but I do run the rice under the tap until the water runs clear before cooking

I also use the 3 to 1 ratio to make a 3 grain salad ( hot not cold). Putting Rice, barley and cracked wheat in the oven with stock, oregano, thyme and fried onions . Leave covered for 30/40 minutes until the onions rise to the top and the liquid is all gone

I use long grain rice. It never sticks. Perhaps it’s because I run it under water first 🤷

Controversial, but works every time.

Large bowl, rinse if you want but no need.
Double cold water to rice.
Cover and microwave full power for 10 mins.
If the top is fluffy...mix once with a chopstick and put the lid/cover back on and leave til serving.

This works for 2cups of rice...
increase micro times by 5 mins per cup increase. 👍

Always wash rice. You’ll find that cultures that cook rice a lot are very thorough with washing rice.

Buy good quality rice. That's number 1.

We always buy Tilda.

Number 2 rinse it until the water is clear.

Number 3 is a rice cooker. You can't go wrong then.

https://www.easypeasyfoodie.com/easy-peasy-pilau-rice

I have cooked Persian rice dishes a few times, lots of washing, soaking, steaming it’s quite a process but the best rice dishes I have eaten have been been Persian rice dishes they are amazing

I have a microwave rice cooker and it’s really good. Sometimes I need to add a little more water (I rinse the rice (noticeably for less time than some in my Asian family who make great rice), then add water so it’s about 1/2 cm over the rice) sometimes it’s too much and I have to dry fry the rice after to dry it out a little

there isn’t a perfect ratio as rice batches will differ (I cook with basmati) when using ratios water to rice. But rice cookers are very helpful and it takes time to get the hang of if

many times I have been cooked rice by people who will swear by the two cups of water to one rice or water ever ratio they use boiled in a pan and it’s not good rice imo, if using a pan put a tea cloth or kitchen towels over the pan before securing the lid to collect the stream

there is an art to cooking rice what is good rice to some (probably from people who are less likely to eat rice regularly) it will be poorly cooked rice to those who have eaten rice regularly all their lives

It's surprising how different each cooking method is and yet we all still get perfect rice.

I don't rinse the rice at all ,
I don't measure it but it's probably about 2 to 1 ratio
Rice goes into cold water ,
stired straight away ,
Brought up to the boil
Reduced to a fast simmer for 12/15 minutes.
It is not stired again .
Very occasionally I need to add a splash more hot water .

Like pp , I only use good quality basmati either asher or tilda usually

My son used to work as a pot washer in an Indian restaurant - I was forever asking him questions to get some inside knowledge. Regarding rice, the head chef said the main thing was the quality of the rice - he said if you look at the rice in the supermarket, there are so many broken grains (particularly in the cheaper brands) - these just overcook and turn to mush. The grains of rice in the restaurant were much longer than supermarket brands, and had a wonderful aroma. Now I'm trying to think of the brand they used......

My "cheats" way of making Basmati rice: wash rice, boil in lots of salted water, when the rice is at the stage of "I would eat it I really had to, but would rather it was cooked some more", drain very well, put back in pan with lid and leave for 15 mins. Perfect every time.

Come from a rice culture.

Basmati only. Not a big deal if you don't wash. Use a cup to measure, just a little over 2:1 boiling water:rice ratio. Bring to the boil, give it a stir, then reduce to the lowest possible heat and cover. After 18 or so minutes, turn off the heat and leave to continue steaming for another 5 min, or whenever you're ready to use it. Perfect every time.

Edit to add: a few whole cardamom pods/saffron strands makes a good difference.

Funny how we all have different methods. I usually cook jasmine rice. Melt butter/saute some garlic, add rice. I do 1 cup with 1 1/2 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil with lid on, turn down to the lowest hob setting. 20 mins later, perfect rice. I don't wash rice, I've actually never heard of this being a thing.

If you look on Nisha Katonas instagram she has reel ‘ called the how to cook rice video you’ll ever need.
The method she uses is very similar to IguessIcoulddothat’s above.

I’ve always boiled and then drained it. Basmati rice, rinse before cooking, simmer for ten minutes. Perfect every time.

Rice cooker. Plus wash the rice.

I’m interested if there are any African or Asian or Wedt Asian posters in here who grew up in a household where the person doing the cooking was African or Asian or West Asian. Did any of them NOT pre-wash the rice?

Yes, I did grow up in such a household. Always washed rice to remove dust and starch.
But my mum used a pressure cooker to cook rice. So did I in the past.

My latest rice cooker has a stainless steel inner pot. The rice doesn't stick any more than it did on our many previous non-stick versions. I wish we'd switched years ago! I do rinse the rice really thoroughly, though, so the reduced starch in the cooking water probably helps.

With regards to rinsing, using a sieve definitely doesn't cut it. I fill the rice cooker inner pot with cold water (while the rice is in the bottom of it) and then swish my fingers around in it quite vigorously. Then dump out the cloudy water. (If you don't pour it too quickly, the rice stays in the bottom of the pot.) Depending on the rice variety and brand, I probably do that 3 - 5 times, until the water runs clear, before leaving the rice to soak for ~10 mins (should ideally be longer, I think) and then turning on the cooker.

Yes a lot of people do not wash their rice enough.

https://m.facebook.com/watch/?v=396233544470167&vanity=Realdealcomedyjam

No because it won't cook properly and will be all soggy and gross.

Dont know anyone from a rice eating country that cooks rice in boiling water. If you know why you wouldn't, then you just wouldn't.