Rice: How do you cook yours?

[Northerner]

I never seem to get perfect fluffy rice. Secrets please

in a rice cooker!

I could never get it right any other way I tried

What are these rice cookers?

Maybe I need one.

rice cooker.

put in pan .. cover with twice as much water .. add a bit of salt .. bring to boil .. turn down to simmer for 10 mins .. check and eat

northerner only use basmati as it doesnt look like clumps

put in twice as much water and boil
turn off heat after 10 mins
then leave in pan for another 10 mins
rinse rice in hot water until water runs clear

perfect rice every time

or use american long grain and wild rice mix from sainsbury's .. delicious ..

now basmati can be difficult to get right .. my dad (born and brought up in India) says you must add oil to cold water

i get it right every time twiglett
took me 20 yrs to realise basmati needs loads of hot water

Here's my method:

One cup (or multiple thereof) of basmati rice, well rinsed.

Two cups of cold water, and a tsp of salt.

Put into a pan with a tightly fitting lid and heat on the lowest flame for about half an hour, or until the surface of the rice is well dimpled.

i fry the rice in olive oil until it is opaque and add boiling water and a stock cube, til the water is about 2 inches over the rice, cover with a lid and leave til the water has cooked off

sometimes i add tomato puree

My rice cooker is fab. Now that I have got the hang of using it (in that I know how much water to put in!) it produces perfect rice every time - whether its white, brown or basmati.

I have no idea about rice cookers in the UK but over here in Thailand they are really really cheap because absolutely everyone uses them. Mine cost me less than a fiver.

Hmmm......I think there could be a business opportunity there - exporting rice cookers (as well as fisherman's pants) to the UK!!

you can get cheap rice cookers in ikea..

we use our steamer and it turns out great.

oh..and it's really really important to rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking.

like desperateScousewife's only slightly diff

for basmati: rice x 1, water x 2, pan WITH TIGHT LID
Bring to boil, ensure really is boiling, turn down to lowest possible heat for 11 mins
turn heat up for few seconds and then off
leave without touching for 11 mins

then is OK for up to 2 hours

absolutely delish rice. brown rice more tricky.

umm uncle bens microwave for 2 mins rice

dh gets a cup of rice, 2 cups of water and then cooks it until it is done, stirs it a bit I think.

I have no idea, I just watch from the doorway with my wine.

I use Delia's method and we generally have brown basmati rice. Heat oil in pan, add rice and stir to coat grains, add double amount of boiling water or stock (sometimes bung in a spoon of marigold), put lid on and cook for 40 mins.

Delia's method = no stirring.

I've got a good microwave rice cooker, which I ordered from Betaware. Different types of rice do need very different times and the cheaper the rice, generally speaking the more rinsing you need to do beforehand.

Delia.
Supermarket own brand white basmati, don't rinse.

heat tsp oil,
stir 1x rice till translucent and kettle has boiled.
add 2x boiling water, stir once, put on lid
test after 10min, normally needs 12

We bought American quick cook rice once recently by mistake and it was rank - realise that was why I hated rice so much when I was growing up.

The other reason I like this method is you can fry half a finely-chopped onion in the oil first then add the rice, and it turns from Dull Carb into Proper Side Dish with v little effort. Also easy to turn into slightly spiced pilau-type by dry frying the spices before the onion. Or coconut rice for Thai curry by dissolving some coconut cream in the boiling water.

i have a rice cooker, given as a gift, very cheap from China.
I'm sure you can buy them here .. argos? probs a basic one, but it will do the job.

rice cooker should come with a cup, so 1 cup of rice you fill water upto the 1 mark .. 2 cups of rice = 2 water mark, etc.. easy!
close lid, switch on, it will click off automatically when rice is cooked.

I love rice threads and always think of Sophable who says... you must steam steam steam!

my way was taught by a Peruvian friend and I will never go back

My way very similar to Mrs Badger. But I cook 2 cloves garlic in oil until you can smell it cooking, then add equal amounts rice (rinsed to get out starch) and water. Put on lid and when its starts to boil, reduce heat to lowest setting. About 12 minutes. Don´t take off lid until finished... which is why glass lids are useful

basmati rice is easy

just boil it and then drain like pasta

perfect always here

long grain rice harder which is why I never buy it

Brown rice takes a long longer than white according to Delia but we nearly always have brown.