Do not think that it is impossible to cook fluffy white rice, the grains of which are separated from each other without looking like porridge. It is possible if you know a few culinary secrets, such as the right amount of water, heat and having a tight lid on hand.
Here are the steps that will help you accomplish this task:
1. Rinse and soak
Rinse the rice several times in cold water. There are two reasons for rinsing rice. Some rice factories use talc as an aid in grinding. The other reason is that this washes away the starch, which makes the rice sticky.
For most dishes you can get a good result without soaking the rice. If the rice is old, soak it for 30 minutes, which makes the grains more tender. Be sure to drain the water well so that you do not use more water when boiling.
2. A simple cooking method
There are many different methods for cooking rice, but the simplest is the method of absorption: the rice is cooked in the measured amount of water so that all the water is absorbed during cooking. As the water level drops, the steam will finish the cooking process.
The key to this method is to determine the right amount of water. The general rule is to use 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cups of water per cup of long-grain white rice. Plain rice is boiled in a 1:3 ratio with water.
Brown rice needs more water and shorter grain requires less. Bear in mind that more water gives you a softer and stickier rice and less water leads to hard rice, suitable for rice salads.
3. Let it rest
After about 12 minutes, the liquid should be absorbed. If you serve the rice now, you will see that the top layer is fluffier than the one below it, which can be much more moist and brittle. Now you have to be a little patient.
Let the rice stand away from the heat for at least 5 minutes or 30 minutes max, undisturbed and covered with a lid. This allows the moisture to be redistributed, resulting in a more even layer structure.
Of course, if you want you can cook the rice in a special rice pot. But if you do not need such a large amount, you better save yourself the money for this purchase and carry on cooking it on the stove.
Now that you know how to make the perfect rice, we can recommend some of these wonderful rice recipes:
- lean rice;
- rice soup;
- rice balls;
- rice pudding;
