Uncle Ben's Rice is being advertised on Mumsnet

[morningpaper]

And do you know what

It IS perfect every time

How is that?

You can't overcook it, it doesn't stick and you can cook it in advanced and it is STILL perfect

Is it like witchcraft

Please explain how they achieve this

Well EXACTLY

who wants a saucepan soaking ad infinitum on the side full of white gak when you can immerse the oats in the milk overnight bung it in....

beep

eat

wash

embrace dh with the love that still remains and has not been extinguished by porridge wrath.

I'm a hit and miss cook but rice is really one of the easiest things in the world to get right, surely? Eclipsed only by couscous.

If you've overdone it and its gone a big gloopy, boil up another kettle of water, dollop rice into rice strainer and pour whole kettle of boiling water over to wash the starch off.

['o' level home economics emoticon]

I make perfect rice every time.

Uncle Ben's is an abomination.

I use basmati rice.

-Gently sautee the rice in a little oil whilst boiling the kettle.
-When kettle boiled, and rice is kinda translusent, pour on enough boiling water to cover.
-TURN OFF HEAT!
-Cover pan with a clean tea-towel and tight fitting lid.
-Leave alone until dinner is ready. Will take about 9 minutes.
-Fluff up wiv fork.

Bada-bing, perfect every time.
Tis how the rest of the world cook rice, ladies.

(Sorry if this is Delia's method. Didn't click the link.)

i think you are all shit buying it processed

Cranky, I saute in oil too, but I thought mentioning that might make the Uncle Benners keel over

And SEE DanDruff "tight fitting lid" - it's compulsory.

rice should be cooked using the absorption method - ie with just enough water to be absorbed by the rice to cook it without needing to drain it. Draining rice means that a lot of the flavour of the rice is washed away esp if you are sensible and use basmati rice which has the best taste!

cranky... so do you remove from heat or just turn it off ie hob is still warm from being on

suspect i'm over thinking this but i make BAD rice every time!

rice in pan.

add loads of boiling water, don't measure

quick stir to seperate rice, heat on med

set time for 10 mins

come back when timer bleeps and sieve off excess water.

never had burnt rice.

I use slubber's finger measuring method too- works perfectly for me... but DH finds it impossible (has v long fingers).

Sometimes I rinse the rice first, sometimes I don't... always comes out nice and fluffy though.

cranky- what is the teatowel bit for? is the teatowel under the lid or over?

MP why don't you invest in a rice cooker and buy proper rice rather than processed rubbish? You can get rice cookers that are also slow cookers and porridge makers so very versatile.

All you people who sieve rice you are WRONG WRONG WRONG.

There is only one way to cook rice - that is the 2-3 absorption method which works perfectly no matter what quantity you use.

But if you put more water than you need in and sieve off the excess then you don't have to faff about measuring water and weighing rice.

I assume the tea towel goes between the pan and the lid, unless you are so embarrassed at being caught cooking rice in which case put it over the lid to hide the pan .

The point is though the rice will be wet if you have to sieve off the excess.

Properly cooked rice should be dry when cooked.

You don't have to measure anything with the 2-3 method.

You take two measures (any measure will do depending on how much rice you want - cups/mugs/teacups/pipkins/buckets/watering cans/bathtubs) of rice and 3 measures of water.

That's all. No weighing. No measuring.

I am a crap cook but find it really easy to make perfect rice every time. Just put in random amount of rice; add lots of boiling water; stir ONCE then leave alone; simmer till soft enough; rinse.

My only problem is the disease that makes me always cook twice as much rice as needed. Does fine for the next day though (and isn't a gluey mess by then).

Here is what I do - it works every time using basmati rice.

Hot pan.
2 cups of rice.
Saute in a little oil if you like - it just helps prevent sticking.
3 cups of water.
Bring to boil.
Cover with lid.
Turn off heat.
Done in 10 minutes from the point of turning off heat.

Also the other good reason for not draining rice is that it goes through the holes in a colander and ruins sieves.

Sieves should be used for flour ONLY and NOT for draining veg, pasta or rice. There is NOTHING more disgusting than gluey rice starch in the holes in your best baking sieve.

[Tiny kitchen dictator, me]

Miamla, either I guess. I have a gas hob, so just turn it off.

Eachpeach, the tea towel goes under the lid, and just serves to make the lid tighter fitting I think. DH's Iraqi colleagues do it that way. He's seen them take Uncle Ben's out of the packet, cook it that way, and made it taste yummy!

Just looked at the Deliah link, and she says a tea towel absorbs excess steam.

*Itsallabitnoisy", you're right! People who don't use lids are wrong wrong wrong!

Mmmmm I may try the non-sieving method and see if it works. I don't think I notice is the rice is wet to be honest as I have to mix it straight into my curry/chilli. Can't bare it being separate.

As for the sieve - if you rinse it straight after use you don't the starchy residue left on.

best way to do rice (basmati) is boil in loads of water until it's not quite cooked (think my rice is done after 8 minutes, so after 6 minutes). drain roughly and return to pan with lid on, leave for 5 minutes. will keep perfect and ready to eat for another 15-20 minutes.

Soak you basmati rice before cooking, then rinse it.
I cook it as per theyoungvisitor plus others, except I use slightly over x as much water as rice, becasue I always seem to start off with the hob on too high.

Leave the lid on the rice whilst you cook it (unless you have to check to see if you've burned it!) for 10-12 mins. Then leave it with the hob off but the lid on for another 10 mins.

Eat. Yum.

Sorry MP, I'm not an Uncle Ben's fan either, but for the same reasons you like it. (Nursery puddings, shudder....)

FGS, how am I let out in public.

your basmati rice, and 2x as much water.

You should always wash the rice first and then soak for as long as possible. I also rinse my perfectly cooked rice with boiling water to take off any excess starch not removed by washing and soaking.

If cooking fried rice, rinse and soak as before. I soften finely chopped onion in a little olive oil then add slicedmushrooms, pine nuts, sweet corn, peas, sultanas (any or all if you want), add rice, fry for a few minutes, then cover rice with boiling water, LID ON, low to moderate heat and cook for 10 minutes. Perfect!

see my rice is fine without any washing or rinsing at any stage.

Slubberdegullion - I take it the water is cold as you're pouring it over your finger

Have to admit I like the Uncle Bens that you just leave in the bag & boil ... is that hugely wrong?????