How to get rice "right"?

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Rice is difficult and a jerk and incredibly annoying to clean when it burns.

Maybe, but I've never found it to be difficult, however I've only ever really used the standard boiling method for cooking it with one or two exceptions in a couple of middle eastern dishes I make. I haven't ever burnt rice though.

I think it is the same as with pasta. You either can make it to how you like it or you can't and there never seems to be an in between.

If rice is difficult for you, how do you manage with other grains? Or don't you eat other grains such as freekeh (roasted green wheat), wheatberries, rye berries, barley, Pearl barley, quinoa etc?

 

[Puggles]

Maybe, but I've never found it to be difficult, however I've only ever really used the standard boiling method for cooking it with one or two exceptions in a couple of middle eastern dishes I make. I haven't ever burnt rice though.

I think it is the same as with pasta. You either can make it to how you like it or you can't and there never seems to be an in between.

If rice is difficult for you, how do you manage with other grains? Or don't you eat other grains such as freekeh (roasted green wheat), wheatberries, rye berries, barley, Pearl barley, quinoa etc?

I don't do rice a lot, but every time I have, I've followed the instructions on the package and they have seldom been correct. I could get a rice cooker but I don't make rice enough to justify buying one. I'm perfectly content with being mad at Rice.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I don't do rice a lot, but every time I have, I've followed the instructions on the package and they have seldom been correct. I could get a rice cooker but I don't make rice enough to justify buying one. I'm perfectly content with being mad at Rice.

I eat rice a lot and don't have one. I don't need to keep rice warm all day or have it ready for breakfast so never saw the need for one. The only thing I follow is the actual simmering time. Hubby will put rice in cold water and bring to the boil, I do the opposite, add rice to already boiling water. Never any salt, boil for however long is needed (my brown basmati rice is 12 minutes), drain well and you're ready to serve.
Wild rice, green wheat, rye berries, wheat berries, pearl barley are all similar but the actual simmering times are different.

Pasta is similar, but far easier in my experience to overcook.

 

[GadgetGuy]

My brother cooked some rice last weekend. Some of it wasn't cooked all the way through & was a little hard.This told me that he didn't add enough water to it.

Usually, the rice & water ratio is one cup of rice to two cups of water if you're using parboiled rice.

For short-grain or Carolina rice, the ratio is 1cup of rice to 1-3/4 cups of water.

 

[TastyReuben]

I don't do rice a lot, but every time I have, I've followed the instructions on the package and they have seldom been correct. I could get a rice cooker but I don't make rice enough to justify buying one. I'm perfectly content with being mad at Rice.

In my experience, rice cookers are fantastic tools. They let you get gummy rice with half the effort of cooking it on the stove.

I’ll make some different rices using different methods in the next couple of weeks, just for fun, and post it here.

 

[Puggles]

In my experience, rice cookers are fantastic tools. They let you get gummy rice with half the effort of cooking it on the stove.

I’ll make some different rices using difference methods in the next couple of weeks, just for fun, and post it here.

Rice is great when you're hungry and want four thousand of something.

 

[GadgetGuy]

In my experience, rice cookers are fantastic tools. They let you get gummy rice with half the effort of cooking it on the stove.

I’ll make some different rices using different methods in the next couple of weeks, just for fun, and post it here.

Oh, snap!! If the rice gets gummy, it's going in the trash or down the toilet. I can't stand gummy rice!! Gotta go!!

 

[Morning Glory]

Maybe, but I've never found it to be difficult, however I've only ever really used the standard boiling method

I mentioned above that if you cook whole grain rice/brown rice then the boiling in water method is fine because it really doesn't go 'claggy'. In fact (in my experience) you'd be hard pushed using any method to produce sticky wholegrain/brown rice. Its white long grain/basmati which causes problems and I don't think you ever cook white rice (?).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Its white long grain/basmati which causes problems and I don't think you ever cook white rice (?).

We always used to eat white basmati rice and I never had issues with that or the long grain white rice he'd buy in 20kg or 25kg bags. But you are right, I prefer brown rice, (or red or black) over white rice any day. However having once lived off white rice, I thought I could contribute and I never had issues cooking it.

But it depends entirely on who does the shopping. Hubby does like white basmati but where I can I try to get over to brown... luckily the current brown basmati takes less than 13 minutes to cook so he's happy to eat that but he won't do 45 minute rice.

If you were to raid my rice shelf, you'd find white rice in there in the form of arborio and jasmine rice, along with a medium brown rice, a packet each of red rice and people or forbidden rice, wild rice, brown basmati and a red glutinous rice. I'm pretty certain there is another variety I have forgotten about, excluding the rice flour and the 2 types of koji rice for making miso.

 

[Morning Glory]

If you were to raid my rice shelf, you'd find white rice in there in the form of arborio and jasmine rice,

Both arborio and jasmine are glutinous sticky or creamy rices so you wouldn't expect them to be separate. I don't know. If you say you have cooked long grain/basmati in the boiling water method and its been perfectly separate grains then I can't argue. My own experience is that it has a tendency to clag if cooked that way. TastyReuben has promised to try long grain rice using boiling water so we can await his results.

 

[TastyReuben]

Rice pilaf is normally made with white long-grain rice (at least here it is) and it’s never sticky. It’s sort of a characteristic that the rice grains are very much separated, nearly as separated as when it’s uncooked.

That’s usually what I’m looking for when I make rice.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

That’s usually what I’m looking for when I make rice.

That's how my rice always has been but I've only every boiled rice.

Both arborio and jasmine are glutinous sticky or creamy rices so you wouldn't expect them to be separate.

I'm aware of that. Its why I purchased them, you make better rice rolls with because my source of red glutinous rice disappeared. My list was just to show I easy a lot of rice. I actually prefer it to pasta.

In fact I actually don't like the rice that gets served to us at the Vietnamese restaurant wet use because it is so sticky. The only good thing about it is that it makes it easier to pick up using chopsticks!

 

[Puggles]

That's how my rice always has been but I've only every boiled rice.


I'm aware of that. Its why I purchased them, you make better rice rolls with because my source of red glutinous rice disappeared. My list was just to show I easy a lot of rice. I actually prefer it to pasta.

In fact I actually don't like the rice that gets served to us at the Vietnamese restaurant wet use because it is so sticky. The only good thing about it is that it makes it easier to pick up using chopsticks!

What kind of rice do they use at Arabic food restaurants? That kind is really good... Dammit, now I'm craving Arabic food.

 

[LissaC]

I tried making rice boiling it like pasta today. Wow - how come no one ever taught me this before I never made rice with such a good texture in my life. The grains were fluffy and perfectly separated. I wish I had known this method 10 years ago. I wish I can go back in time and teach it to my grandparents so they can teach it to my parents so they can teach me. This has to be the best and easiest way to make rice ever.

I used this recipe but as usual I modified it a bit. I boiled the water, added the rice, and stirred it a couple times. I tasted the rice and it was almost cooked but there was only still a tad bit of water in the pan so what I did was turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it sit for another 15 minutes undisturbed. I didn't drain the rice, because it wasn't needed. By the time I removed the pan from the heat the rice was perfectly cooked and had the perfect texture.

This is the only way I'm cooking rice again, forever and ever

 

[medtran49]

It was Basmati.

That's your problem. Basmati is a 1 to 1.5 ratio, NOT 1 to 2. Jasmine is also 1 to 1.5.

Of note , some brands of basmati recommend soaking for 30 minutes, then draining for at least that long. If I am using 1 of those brands, I use a little less water for cooking.

If you rinse your regular long grain rice, you have to let it drain for at least 30 minutes, then also use a little less than the 2 to 1 ratio.

Different types of rices use different ratios so you have to look them up unless directions are on package, or you can't read them because they are in another language.

Other than black rice or a wild rice mix, I bring the water to a boil, add salt, add rice, stir, cover, and turn off heat, then let sit for at least 20 minutes. I do this at start of cooking because the rice won't need any more attention and it will stay hot for quite a while as I cook rest of meal.