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Food/Recipes

How do you cook rice?

80 replies

Jellychat · 20/05/2022 10:05

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?

OP posts:
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KittenKong · 20/05/2022 19:29

You have to start with decent rice! Good quality basmati - if you have an Asian store nearby go there (Tilda is ok) or if you have a supermarket with a good Asian section.

rinse and rinse the basmati in cold water until the water runs clear, and leave to soak in water

cook in boiling water until almost done then sieve and rinse in cold water

put about 2mm of water in the bottom of the pan and a teaspoon of oil, heat high

Pour back the rice and scoop it up into a pyramid shape

lid on - heat high.

leave for a minute or two then take kid off, drizzle some more oils around the edges then pour in about 1/4 cup of water - pop a tea towel over the pan and add the lid (tight). Tie tea towel over the top or it WILL catch fire.

pan down low and leave for at least 20 mins to steam

perfect rice yum yum.

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SisyphusDad · 20/05/2022 19:28

Heat a tablespoon of oil in the pan. Once very hot, add the rice (with a bit of salt and pepper). Stir the rice in the oil until coated (a few seconds). Add double the volume of boiling water and return to the boil. Cover the pan with a lid on top of a folded tea towel. Reduce the heat to minimum and cook for 12 - 13 minutes. Eat.

From my mother via the Katherine Whitehorn book 'Cooking in a Bedsitter'.

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Sunnytwobridges · 20/05/2022 19:22

Notgotanyidea · 20/05/2022 10:13

Use an electric rice cooker.

LOL! I was about to post the same thing!

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HelenHywater · 20/05/2022 18:43

I microwave it - put rice in a bowl, cover with boiling water (about half a finger higher than the rice), covered with clingfilm which you pierce in a few places, cook for 12 minutes. It's always perfect. I couldn't cook it before this either.

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viques · 20/05/2022 18:30

Twice times amount of liquid to white basmati rice . Brown rice needs different timings I think.

Bring liquid to boil, add rice. Bring it back to boil, put on pan lid, turn heat down to absolute minimum . Set timer for 10 minutes. No peeking, no stirring.

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DolphinaPD · 20/05/2022 18:25

1 part rice to 2 parts water.
Wash rice.
Boil kettle.
Pour in pan and bring to the boil.
Add salt and a touch of oil. Maybe a stock cube.
Pour the rice in.
Bring to the boil.
Put lid on and turn the hob off but leave pan in place.

10-15mins later you should have perfect rice.

This is the only method that works for me.

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mommybear1 · 20/05/2022 18:19

Joseph and Joseph rice cooker - I have never been able to time the rice properly EVER! I finally gave in and this rice cooker has been amazing! Perfect rice ever time no matter what type of rice 🍚

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cottagegardenflower · 20/05/2022 18:18

Put the packet in the microwave for 2 minutes.

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HipsterCoffeeShop · 20/05/2022 18:18

Rinse the rice, 2 cups water to 1 cup rice, lid on, bring to the boil, turn the heat down as low as it will go. Cook for 15 min then take it off the heat for another 5 mins.

Or buy a rice cooker.

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erikbloodaxe · 20/05/2022 18:11

Rice cooker all the way. Rice, water turn on done in no time and keeps it hot. You can also throw chopped veg in ( broccoli, mushrooms etc) with the rice comes out great.

I don't even bother washing the rice and it turns out beautifully.

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Roastonsun8 · 20/05/2022 18:03

Oh and add butter to prevent rice sticking.

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Roastonsun8 · 20/05/2022 18:02

It's easy once you know there is a bit of a naked to it though!

Stick with basmati.... keep away from the cheap long grain the taste is not worth it.

Buy a rice cooker quick and easier if you can't get the hang! Mine broke but I need another.

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jammyrose · 20/05/2022 18:02

In my rice cooker. Put rice in. Add water. Press button.
Freshly cooked fluffy rice, perfect every time. It can make oats and cake too!

Completely recommend them.

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SheSaysShush · 20/05/2022 17:59

SoupDragon · 20/05/2022 10:19

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

Think it was me 😆

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Georgyporky · 20/05/2022 17:59

Another endorsement for the Joseph Joseph microwave rice cooker - so easy to use & perfect every time.

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SheSaysShush · 20/05/2022 17:58

Any amount of rice (I always use basmati) any amount of boiling water. No need to rinse.

7-4-2

Boil for SEVEN minutes.
Drain, return to pan, lid on, rest off heat for FOUR minutes.
Fork through, leave for further TWO minutes.

Perfect rice, every time. I swear.

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Jellychat · 20/05/2022 17:45

Babdoc · 20/05/2022 13:59

OP, everyone seems to be giving you timings for unhealthy white rice.
If you want to cook brown rice - which has all the fibre and B vitamins of the husk still on it - then it will take 25 minutes simmering in a saucepan from when it comes to the boil.
it also has the advantage of not sticking together when cooked, and has a lovely nutty flavour, especially wholegrain Basmati.

Thank you!

This year, I want to cook ALL rice.

OP posts:
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JesusSufferingFuck22 · 20/05/2022 15:39

WhatHaveIFound · 20/05/2022 10:12

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.

I do pretty much exactly the same with basmati rice.
Bring to boil, simmer for 10 with lid on, then switch off and leave for 10.

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SoggyPaper · 20/05/2022 15:28

If the OP wanted instructions for
cooking brown rice, I think she would have specified.

’Healthy’ is a determination to be made at lifestyle level not individual food stuffs.

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toastofthetown · 20/05/2022 14:10

OP, everyone seems to be giving you timings for unhealthy white rice.
No food is healthy or unhealthy in isolation. White rice is lower in fibre, and vitamins than brown rice, but that doesn’t make white rice a bad food or ‘unhealthy’. Many nations around the world, e.g. Japan, have diets which revolve around white rice and they are healthier nations food wise than us.

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Babdoc · 20/05/2022 13:59

OP, everyone seems to be giving you timings for unhealthy white rice.
If you want to cook brown rice - which has all the fibre and B vitamins of the husk still on it - then it will take 25 minutes simmering in a saucepan from when it comes to the boil.
it also has the advantage of not sticking together when cooked, and has a lovely nutty flavour, especially wholegrain Basmati.

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Tee20x · 20/05/2022 13:58

You should never have to drain your rice!!!

Put however much you want in rice cooker/pot, wash thoroughly. Cover with water - I don't measure just eyeball it but enough water so that it's just over the rice. Put some butter in as well as salt and pepper, cover and boil.

I'd get a rice cooker though, a cheap one for about £20.

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Clevs · 20/05/2022 13:57

Half a mug per person, tip into boiling water and boil for whatever time it says on the packet. Drain in a sieve and pour freshly boiled kettle water over to rinse it.

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DisforDarkChocolate · 20/05/2022 13:54

Joseph Joseph microwave rice cooker, fantastic for anything but brown rice.

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Jellychat · 20/05/2022 13:53

@Oceanus No! I haven’t cooked it! Gousto isn’t cooking!
Thank you for rice-spraining. I am going to work through each method on here for the of 2022.

and I might be a rice cooker (but I won’t buy an instapot yet… maybe in 2023).

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