How do you cook rice?

[Jellychat]

Is it easy? Does it work?

I have set myself a 2022 target of learning how to cook rice, but I find it totally overwhelming?

How do you do it?

Twice the volume of rice to water, so 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cover and leave for 13 minutes. Don't be tempted to check on it as that will release all the steam. Perfect rice every time.

That's the timings for my pans/hob so it may need a bit of tweaking for yours.

The easiest way that I have found to cook rice is to:

put however much rice I want to cook in a pan with some salt
boil a kettle
pout boiling water over rice and stick on hob
set a timer for 10 Mins.
let it boil (but not boil over) with the lid sort of on.
Drain after 10 minutes
put back in the pan with the lid on and leave for c. 5-10 mins to steam and come to terms with itself.

serve.

no measuring required.

Use an electric rice cooker.

In my rice cooker! I just rinse the rice, add water to the right line, press start and come back when it beeps at me. I got it last year and it’s changed my life!

Before I had the rice cooker (for basmati, which I think is one of the most common UK rices) I used a 1:1.5 ratio by volume of rice to water (or stock), bring to a boil, put lid on and turn right down for 11 minutes, then remove from heat and leave it with the lid on for another 10 minutes. Soaking the rice in cold water for 30 minutes does make it better, but I would sometimes forget or not have time. For Japanese short grain rice I use less water but similar method.

I do one cup of rice to 2 cups of cold water. Boil until most of the water is gone - the rice is still wet and not sticking to the pan but there isn’t much excess - then take it off the heat and stick a lid on for 5-10 minutes until the rest of the water has been absorbed. Don’t stir.

However much rice i want in pot. Cold water just over top like an inch. Knob of butter and sprinkle of salt. Medium/high heat until it starts to boil. Cover with tight lid on low heat until it steams.

I only use basmati

Rinse you rice first.
Put rice in pan, cover with cold water, tip of finger on top of rice and water up to knuckle.
Cover and heat.
Check and stir.

if you have to drain your rice you’ve done it wrong.

Cheap rice cooker that goes in the microwave.

I could not cook rive until someone on MN said:

Rinse. Cover and boil for 7 minutes, drain and let sit covered for 4 minutes, fluff with a fork and leave for 2 minutes.

works perfectly every time and I could not cook rice successfully at all before

I do 80ml rice and 160ml water per person (60ml for younger kids).

Boil water. Add rice. Put on lid. Wait until
boiling again. Turn down to lowest gas on smallest hob. Wait 20 mins for Basmati or 40 mins for brown rice (and don’t take the lid off, you’ll mess it up!).

Basmati, 1 cup of rice, 1.5 cups of water knob of butter,

bring to the boil turn heat down to lowest level (use smallest hob) stick lid on leave to cook for 12 minutes

Leave lid on take it off the heat and don’t open for ten minutes.

Sistema microwave rice cooker.

It has a 2 lid system so you can't just use a normal microwavable plastic bowl. Perfect every single time. Double the water to rice ratio, into microwave on 750w setting for 15 minutes. Never let me down.

My sister recommended it, glad she did.

I rinse rice first with boiling water, then place in boiled salted water and turn the heat down to low, it’s cooked in 10 minutes. I use basmati rice as it cooks faster and is lovely and fluffy.

Same method as above but rinse then leave to fry first, makes it so much nicer if you have time

Dry not fry!!

Wash your rice really well in cold water to remove the starch. Put your rice in a pan with salt then pour boiling water over the top until it’s roughly up to the first knuckle on your pointer finger (don’t stick your finger in, just eyeball it!) then put the lid on the pan and boil hard for 5 mins (turn down a bit if it’s boiling over). After 5 mins switch off the heat but leave the lid on for about 15 mins (or longer if you’re not in a rush). Then fluff up the rice with a fork and you’re done. Best to put it in a huge pan.

The 15 minutes is perfect for both basmati and long grain.

I use basmati from Lidl or east cook and use two cups of water for one cup of rice. I play it by eye so don't know the timings but I strain it straight away after and leave it for a bit

Joseph Joseph microwave rice cooker. Perfect rice every time.

I put some water in a saucepan, put it on to boil, put the rice in, and leave it about 15 mins. I don’t measure/rinse/fluff/reheat anything, it usually comes out ok. I’m sure I could do better though!

I do use the “easy cook” rice - not sure if that makes a difference.

Yes and wash starch off rice first before cooking.

Another rice cooker vote here.

I only got it because I was replacing 2 items (Kettle and toaster I think) and Argos had a 3 for 2 offer so it was basically free.

It keeps the rice warm for hours after it has cooked.

Rice in a pan.
Wash it until the water runs almost clear,
Add water - enough that when you touch the rice the water lever is at your first knuckle.
Add salt.
Bring to the boil.
As soon as it's boiling, whack the heat down to low.
Cover with lid.
Once the water is gone, turn the heat off, fluff with a fork and leave covered for a few minutes!

Mine always comes out perfect. The only thing I do is to wash it really really well in cold water to get as much starch out as possible. Makes all the difference

Basmati:

• pour 1 cup of dry rice into a bowl. Rise a few time under cold water. Then fill the bowl with cold water and let the rice soak for at least 30 mins (longer does not hurt)

• drain rice then pour it into a saucepan with 1 + 1/3 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, stir, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to the lowest possible temperature on your hob. Do not lift the lid!!

• cook for 20 mins, then remove from heat and let stand for 5 more minutes. Then lift the lid and fluff with a fork.

This is Madhur Jaffrey's recipe and it is totally foolproof. Even my husband can do it reliably