rice

[blossomchris]

have real problems with cooking this correctly. is a rice cooker advisable for numbskulls such as me. HELP please

 

[Pete MB&D]

1x rice 2 x water bring to a boil and then turn right down and cover, usually works for me.

Pete

 

[JTC]

Use decent rice. Basmati is worth the extra over long grain. Avoid 'easy cook' types. We use a simple steamer for rice, it's just a plastic pot with an inner and outer lid. Soak the rice for at least 30 minutes if you can, even better if it can get an hour or two. Boil the kettle; whilst that's happening, drain the rice. Pour just enough freshly boiled water over the rice to cover it and nothing more, then fit both lids. Mee-cro-wah-vey for 8 or 9 minutes depending on how much rice, let it sit for a minute after, then serve. 100% reliable. I think our steamer contraption is pampered chef or something.

 

[Nagraboy]

I genuinely don’t see what people find so difficult about cooking rice, provided it’s just plain the boiled stuff. I just pour boiling water over it and leave it for as long as it takes to cook.

All you need to do is make sure that there’s enough water covering the rice so that it doesn’t boil away and leave the rice exposed. It’s not possible to use ‘too much’ water if all you’re doing is cooking plain rice. If you’re doing something that requires reducing the liquid and mixing with spices etc then that a different matter.

What problems are you experiencing cooking rice btw?

 

[blossomchris]

1x rice 2 x water bring to a boil and then turn right down and cover, usually works for me.

Pete

for some reason not happening here, been trying for yonks

 

[JTC]

Or use the pan and cover method, but you have to be careful not to mess with it too much, and I've seen it go wrong from time to time. This is the best option for flavoured rices, though, say you want to do a pilau or whatever.

 

[JTC]

for some reason not happening here, been trying for yonks

What kind of rice? Like I say, it's worth getting basmati. Doesn't have to be fancy basmati, Tesco or Aldi or whatever, all good.

 

[blossomchris]

I genuinely don’t see what people find so difficult about cooking rice, provided it’s just plain the boiled stuff.

All you need to do is make sure that there’s enough water covering the rice so that it doesn’t boil away and leave the rice exposed. It’s not possible to use ‘too much’ water if all you’re doing is cooking plain rice. If you’re doing something that requires reducing the liquid and mixing with spices etc then that a different matter.

What problems are you experiencing cooking rice btw?

tends to be waterlogged, but think you may have answered the question

 

[Nagraboy]

tends to be waterlogged, but think you may have answered the question

Yes, it will get like that if the water boils away too much because the liquid gets thick and sticky so won’t pass through a sieve properly. Just make sure you use plenty of water on top of the rice and take it off and serve it when it seems nicely cooked.

 

[mjw]

Boiling water and salt in a pan (plus slice lime or lemon). Tip rice into water and turn gas to lowest. Stir to separate grains but then, no lid - it’ll cook too quickly. When grains start to look bigger, bite test until how you like it then strain and give the pan a shake to release more steam. Usually works fine for me (only ever cook basmati).

 

[Stuart Frazer]

I tend to use a rice cooker. Different types of rice have different absorption rates. Too much water in the rice cooker and you get mushy rice, too little and it becomes a bit undercooked and bitty. As a general rule, I tend to wash the rice under cold water to get rid of the starch. Soaking for say 30 minutes helps too. Then use 1:1 rice:water for long grain and basmati types and 1:2 for brown.

For a rice cooker, you can go simple with something like this:

Buy Cookworks 1.5L Rice Cooker - Black | Rice cookers | Argos

Or, if you really want to go for better, get a Zojirushi:

Category: All Rice Cookers - Yum Asia EU – No.1 For Premium Rice Cookers (yum-asia.com)

 

[Tony Lockhart]

If brown rice, I put the rice in the pan, then add enough water so that if I touch the rice with the tip of my little finger, the water is at the top of the fingernail. That’s usually about 1.5x the volume of rice.

2x the volume of water to rice would be awful.

I then turn the heat on full until it starts to bubble, sprinkle salt and/or turmeric in, turn the heat down low and put the lid on.

Don’t take the lid off yet! The rice needs to absorb all the water, and taking the lid off lets a lot of it escape as steam.

With brown rice, I leave the low heat on for ten minutes, then turn the heat off. Leave the lid on! About 20 minutes later it’ll be hunkydory.

With white rice, as soon as the rice comes to the bubbly bit, I turn the heat off. Lid on. Leave it on. 10 minutes or so later, it’ll be done.

 

[PsB]

For white rice:
Use good quality rice cooked in lots of water (for 2 persons, one glass of rice and 1.5 to 2l of water, salted at 10g/litre). Pop the rice into the boiling salted water, stir well for 15 seconds to ensure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, turn the heat down to simmer gently (not a roiling boil, more the way you would poach fish) without a lid for about 10 or 11 minutes. Drain the water, leave the rice in the (still warm) saucepan with a lid on for a few minutes until you're ready to eat. Works every time for me with Thai or Basmati rice, so I consider it idiot-proof.

Purists complain that this method results in valuable minerals and vitamins getting washed away with the water, but this method at least prevents GPM (goopy mass syndrom).

 

[Rodrat]

Basmati, boil water put in some olive oil, just a teaspoon or so. Leave it in for 10 mins and drain. Perfect rice every time.

 

[Snufkin]

Water in pan with a dash of olive oil, bring to boil, tip in rice, simmer for 20 minutes(ish) for brown basmati, drain and rinse with fresh boiling water – ready to serve.

 

[dweezil]

Much the same but i use 1:1.5 water bring to just about boiling and bung in the oven at 150C for 20 minutes, lid on.

Salt first if you like, bit of butter, oil, coconut or whatever.

White is quicker but i'm normally on brown basmati, wholemeal and organic as poss or red rice.

If it needs draining you've overdone the water.

 

[Fatmarley]

Perhaps try one of the Youtube tutorials?

 

[Cav]

Cover rice (Basmati) with cold water so that there is 1cm of water above the surface of the rice; bring to boil; salt well; turn down heat to lowest and put a lid on; when the water has almost evaporated, turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes. This always gives me well separated grains, well cooked.

 

[Euan]

1 Cup (for 2 people) of basmati in a large pan of boiling, salted water. At least a litre.

Boil it for 5 to 6 minutes or until you think, "That could probably do with a minute longer." Turn off the heat under the pan.

Drain it in a sieve, add a knob of butter to the pan and throw rice back in on top. Put lid on and leave it to steam for a few minutes until your main is ready.

Perfectly done, separated grains and not stick or soggy.

 

[zygote23]

I use Jasmine rice ... I think it is Cambodian in origin. Sometimes Thai. 1/2 mug rice washed and drained ... 1 cup boiling water... couple of shredded Kaffir Lime leaves. Stick on the heat and when it boils stir once, turn to lowest, cover and leave till most of the water is absorbed. Then turn off and let sit for 15 or so mins till you get your green, red, yellow etc curry ready.