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?

[FunnysInLaJardin]

I was always rubbish at rice, despite being a reasonable cook generally.

I discovered that the easiest way was to bake it in the oven. So 500g rice - never bother to rinse - 1 litre of stock in a baking dish with a lid. Bake in the oven for 25 mins at 180 and viola, perfect rice!

[Oceanus]

@Jellychat I just assumed you'd never cooked it before you posted you'd already cooked it... Many many apologies for the mansplaining!

[MrsPnut]

I use the absorption method, one cup of rice to 2 cups of boiling water.
lid on the pan and bring to the boil then turn the heat down to lowest and cook for 15 minutes for basmati. Do not stir no matter how much of a spoony fucker you are.
Once the 15m are up, remove from the heat and place a tea towel under the lid to extract the steam and dry out the rice, fluff with a fork before serving.

[longtompot]

Basmati rice, I don't rinse it (I know, heinous), bring a pan of water to boil and at the same timeI boil my hob kettle. Add a teaspoon salt to the pan then pour in 400g rice, give it a stir set timer for 10 mins and bring to the boil, stir again then simmer at a good bubble for the time, empty into a colander and rinse with the boiled kettle water. Leave in the colander add some dried leaf coriander and maybe some butter and put a tea towel over the top and let it sit steaming for at least 5 mins.

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

@WhatHaveIFound

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.

This is my method - works perfectly with Tesco Basmati rice.

[Lillygolightly]

I have Sistema microwave rice cooker which helps.

I always use basmati and soak my rice first and for as long as possible, I then rinse until the water runs clear.

I add rice to the sistema (it’s less than a tenner I think) pour boiling water to roughly 2 inches above the level of the rice. I then microwave it for 13 minutes, leave it a further 5 minutes before lifting the lid. Always had perfect rice this way, it’s also easy to add flavouring to the rice if you wish.

[CoffeeMad18]

Microwave it - two cups rice three cups water. 10mins - fluffy rice every time.

[endofthelinefinally]

Always wash rice in 6 lots of water before cooking. Especially if you buy it by the sack.

[endofthelinefinally]

Depends on the type of rice. I use a rice cooker which is the only way for the Chinese rice we eat. I can use a pan if necessary. Measure rice and water carefully. Water should be just about 1 finger tip above the rice. Bring to the boil, put the lid on and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. After about 15 minutes the rice is cooked, fluffy and no water to drain.
My rice cooker is about 40 years old and practically a family heirloom.
I believe that baking is the correct way for basmati rice.
Soaking then rice cooker for Japanese rice.
I personally wouldn't eat any other sort of rice apart from those 3.

[Sockmonkeysloth]

I cook rice in the oven. Preheat to 200c. Spray a non stick baking tray/dish (high sided) with oil. Rinse rice in sieve until water runs clear. One part rice to two parts boiling water. Add salt. Seal with foil so it steams while it cooks. Oven for 30 mins. Take out, use spatula to get all the delicious crispy bits off the edges.

if I’m making loads for the freezer, one part rice to two parts boiling water, salt. Tight fitting lid on large saucepan. Half an hour in oven. Remove lid, put tea towel over, replace lid. Leave for ten minutes.

have just bought an air fryer, so trying to not use the oven for one portion of rice… am currently perfecting the art of air fried rice… wish me luck!

[SoggyPaper]

@justamushypea

I love that you leave the rice to come to terms with itself.
That made me snort with laughter.
Maybe that is why my rice is always shite - not enough therapy time before serving!!!

That will definitely be it. Rice is very highly strung. It needs some quiet time to compose itself before it can appear in public for dinner. 🤣

[justamushypea]

@SoggyPaper

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.

I love that you leave the rice to come to terms with itself.
That made me snort with laughter.
Maybe that is why my rice is always shite - not enough therapy time before serving!!!

[BeanyBops]

The absolute best way to cook rice (imo) is in the oven!

Oven 180.
Put 1 cup basmati rice in an oven dish
Mix 575ml boiling water with a pinch of salt and a TSP oil.
Pour water over rice in oven dish.
Bake for 25 mins.

It's foolproof.

[broccolibush]

@karmakameleon

Joseph Joseph microwave rice cooker. Perfect rice every time.

Seconded! I could never get it right on the hob and had a cheaper microwave rice cooker that used to leave slime all over the microwave. The Joseph Joseph one gives me perfect rice every time, and no slime/sludge to clean out of the microwave afterwards.

[CornishGem1975]

Put in boiling water, cook for 5 minutes from when it starts dancing around in the pan. Drain in a sieve, (reserving the water), put water back into the pan, put the sieve over the pan, cover in foil and leave to steam for about 10-12 minutes.

[Pipsickl]

I like to soak my rice first for a bit in water (so I measure 1 coffee cup of rice and slack in cold water for half and hour or so)

then I rinse the rice

put it in a pan with 2 coffee cups of cold water

lid on

cook with lid on till you can see little holes in the rice and no water is above the rice (about 10 mins)

turn off heat and leave for 10 mins (must leave lid on)

put some salt and butter on it and it will be lovely

[ReviewingTheSituation]

All these are way more complicated than my approach (which works for basmati or wholegrain rice - it might not for easy cook...)

Weigh rice (120-140g for 2 of us), add to a saucepan of boiling water (LOTS of water). Bring back to boil, stir so the rice doesn't stick together. Then leave for approx 7 mins (basmati) or 22 mins (wholegrain), keeping it at a decent boil (not mad boiling, but more than a simmer). Test to see if it's done (ie - if it's soft enough), then drain well and serve. Perfect rice every time - no sticking together or stodginess.

I do the absorption method if I'm making pilau and want to add flavour to it, but 99% of the time I simply boil it. I'm baffled whenever anyone says they can't cook rice - to me it's no different from cooking pasta.

[MarshaBradyo]

Absorption method on hob

just enough water to all go when cooked

generally lightest fluffiest outcome ime

[Jellychat]

I might try each method from each post and then feedback over the course of the year.

I am surprised that no one mentioned oven cooking in a roasting dish. Gousto made me do that once and I genuinely started to wonder if that was how you are supposed to cook rice.

[Jellychat]

Thank you so much, everybody!

I suppose I should go and make some rice, then…

[Oceanus]

The first thing I ever cooked by myself was rice. I added beans to it -without soaking them or cooking them first- needless be saying it took FOREVER to cook and it still tasted not-so-good!
This is how I do it and I've explained it as I would to my very clueless teenage self so just ignore what you already know:

1. boil water - twice the amount of rice in volume (so for 1 person I use 1 espresso cup of rice and 2 of water)
   
2. slice and dice an onion, fry it in a bit of olive oil (extra virgin oil is for salads, cheaper olive oil is for cooking, when you extra virgin it tastes like it was burnt to a crisp) - you can skip this part but I thinks it tastes better this way.
   
3. when the onion turns gold add the rice, stir a bit and then add the water (set the stove to high and then lower it when it starts boiling if you added cold water), add a Knorr (chicken's my personal favourite; half a Knorr per cup of espresso for me but this is a persnal choice; add salt instead of Knorr).
   
4. set stove timer to 10 minutes, check water is ok, add water if needed.
   
   Tips:
   i) Steamed (or vaporised in some countries) rice is the most foolproof. It always tastes nice even if you get distracted talking on the phone. It doesn't turn to moosh when you cook it too much.
   ii) Add hot water to the rice, not cold.
   iii) Some people measure rice using "spoons" but if you're getting started it's best to pick an espresso cup (less room to add more/ less than you should).
   iv) When you add the water you can add veggies/eggs/etc, just a pinch more water and you've got yourself a super cheap and easy meal.
   v) Add diced tomatoes to the onion or tomato pulp to the water.
   vi) Add canned tuna to the onion.
   vii) Adding spices to the water (rosemary, thyme, etc) can hide a multitude of sins.
   viii) rice "grows" so that little espresso cup is actually a full plate of rice. Avoid the temptation to add more because "surely that isn't enough and I'll be hungry".

[HopingForMyRainbowBaby]

Microwave rice or boil in the bag rice

[HavfrueDenizKisi]

Yup. Easiest foolproof method is double water to rice (however you measure it - mug, cup, jug etc). Then slow simmer.

[TheDogsMother]

I use Basmati. Bring water to boiling (about twice water to rice) and put measured portion of rice in, simmer for 12 minutes. During this time do not stir, prod or touch the rice at all. At 12 minutes try a few grains and if cooked to your liking pour into a sieve over a sink, fluff up with a fork and serve. I also recently decided to face my rice cooking demons after years of microwave rice pouches. They are very convenient but also pricy and bring more plastic.

[EatSleepReplete]

Electric rice cooker. I love rice, it's my favourite carb. I was really rubbish at cooking it before though, & DH wouldn't eat it at all. Now it never gets burnt or underdone, & even fussy DH & DD happily eat it. I have a mini 2-3 portion model as there are only 3 of us & often we're only making a single portion.