Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Tip: Rice


Our son Tyler loves rice!  When he first went to college, Minute Rice was all he would cook.  After going to Japan to live for a summer while he attended an intensive language study program, he became a rice connoisseur.  When he returned to the good old USA, he chucked the box of Minute Rice and went to the store and purchased several bags of rice.  After his first batch of rice came out sticky, he called for help, and these are the tips I passed along to him.

1.  Rinse your rice a couple of times under cold water before you cook it.  That's the way my mom taught me.  According to her, it makes the rice less sticky.  It works for me. 

2.  Use a heavy pot to keep the rice from scorching in the bottom of the pan.  The pan should also have a tight fitting lid to keep the steam in the pot.

3.  Don't get in a hurry.  Let the rice sit.  Leave the lid on the pot for at least 5 minutes before serving.  It gives the rice a fluffier texture.  Fluff rice with a fork before serving.


My son and I would love to hear your rice cooking tips! 





26 comments:

  1. Did you get my email?
    I always cook rice in the microwave. I use tastic rice which is South African but I guess it will work for different rice as well.
    1 cup rice
    3 cups water
    optional tablespoon of rice spice or chicken stock cube. Salt to taste if you like.
    Put all in microwave in high glass pyrex dish with lid. Cook at 750 for 8 minutes then 20 minutes at 300. Allow to stand for a while before fluffing up with a fork. I generally cook my rice in the morning and then just forgrt it until I want it in the evening. Fluff it up and microwave for 3 minutes on 750. My husband could never cook rice but he finds this very easy and always a success. Diane

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  2. Thanks Diane, Great Tip! Your comments are always so helpful!

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  3. My tip for cooking rice...a rice cooker. I never get good rice on the stovetop. It's either overdone or underdone.

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  4. I keep wondering if I should buy one. What brand do you recommend?

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  5. I like tip #1 and wish I had known that before getting a rice cooker. I usually use a rice cooker and get great results every time, with fluffy rice. Have a good day!

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  6. Nice useful tips, even i usually use a rice cooker, comes out perfect in it...

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  7. I hesitated getting another kitchen appliance that I would have to store, but with all the great comments about rice cookers, I guess I will have to get one!

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  8. I love your rice cooking tips. I'm with you, I'd love a rice cooker but I hate buying another appliance. I have no place to store it when I'm not using it!

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  9. I grew up in South Florida. I learned early about rice and have had a rice cooker for over 20 years. It is an appliance that I could not do without.

    I typically buy jasmine or basmati rice, should I admit it ? I purchase twenty-five pounds bags at a time, and purchase it at the Asian grocery for a fraction of what it would cost in the regular market.

    This was a great post about rice.

    btw. I really hope that you enjoy the lemon sorbet. It is so delicious. Please let me know what you think, if you do make it.

    Cheers-
    Velva

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  10. I love jasmine and basmati rice! Great tip about purchasing it as Asian grocery stores.

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  11. Hi! The short grain rice (normal staples of Japanese, Korean & Taiwanese) are the sticky ones.. The long grain rice (thai jasmine) which are not sticky..so no matter how you cook it, it will not end up sticky, unless you put a lot of water, then it will become more soft porridge consistency. If you eat rice often, its good to invest in a rice-cooker, they do all the work for you. :)..just add the right amount of water and once it's cooked,it will keep warm for you. :)

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  12. Linda, for me rice cooker suits the best.

    Basmati rice is available in Sam's Club and Meijer stores as well.

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  13. Thanks for the tips Uma and Faithy!

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  14. I have never had luck with a rice cooker and do mine the old-fashined way (as you described!). Great post!

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  15. Hi Linda, I used rice cooker and get perfect result all the time. Highly recommended to purchase the rice cooker since it could be used to cook other dishes too most importantly to add sufficient amount of water if too little the rice turns hard and grainy.

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  16. Thanks for the tip about the water and rice cookers.

    Does anyone have a brand of rice cooker they would recommend?

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  17. I use an Aroma brand rice cooker and I have two of them since I cook for my husbands work. I also have cooked for the leadership team at church. I like to use Jasmine rice since the aroma is so good and the grains are nice and long. I make fast soups, couscous, quinoa and some desserts in the cooker as well. I bought both at Costco for $29.99 each. You can't go wrong with a rice cooker, perfect rice every time!

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  18. Thanks Dee! We don't have a Costco in our town, but I am going to go on line and order one. You sold me on it!

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  19. I love jasmine rice! I do have trouble with it sticking to my pot, even though I use a heavy bottom one. Great tip on rinsing the rice! I'll give it a good couple of rinsings next time and see what happens. Does letting it sit, kind of "sweat" it? Possibly unsticking it from the pan?

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  20. Great Question Jane Deere! Letting the rice set redistributes the moisture. Giving the rice a uniform texture.

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  21. I am of spanish descent, I put rice one cup in a pot, a little oil and cook it until the rice is translucent and then the water or broth, bring up to a boil stir one time good, pop the lid on and turn to simmer for about 15 minutes, take off the burner..let rest for about 5 minutes open the lid up, stir gently with a fork and I mean gently it will be perfectly cooked, I learned this at about 5 years old my rice never burns nor is it hard...I also used to make a rice with annaneto seeds, you take some oil put the seeds in it, cook them for about 2 minutes watching carefully for no burn to happen take it off the burner and drain the seeds, keep the oil...Use this oil for the rice and voila you have the best tasting rice in the whole world...it is fantastic, my mom used to put shrimp in when the rice was nearly done on top of the annaneto seed oil with a dash of tomato paste or sauce...it was yummeee, the rice was the main dish in many of our meals, the meat little, chicken more, fish lots, that is how they ate in spain on the coastline where she grea up...pork also was used but it was baked slowly for hours studded with garlic and green olives after it was brined with a sauce of garlic smashed, green olives, olive oil and pimentos...in the fridge over night then baked early christmas or new years on low for hours, it was ready at noon, after mass and a tiny breakfast of mainly grain cereals, we ate so much fish, pork,veggies, fruits, hard rolls the feast of the pork would be in tiny slivers and more rice and fruit...I never tasted manufactured foods until after my mom passed young, but I was taught the way of most spanish little girls, rice, annaneto oil, grains, fish, chicken, pork and little beef..Have a wonderful new year in 2012 your blog is great...

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  22. Great tips! The rice dishes you make sound delicious! Thanks for sharing this with me! :)

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  23. I leave rice with oil and salt for a few minutes before I add water.. Never had a problem on the stove top

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  24. This might be a bit late, but I usually steam my rice for 20 minutes. This ensures that the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

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  25. Linda,
    You did not say how long you cook the rice, and do you start it in cold water or let the water come to a boil ? Also do you add some oil and salt ???? we need to know these things....not everyone is a rice expert :) thanks

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  26. angelsnoopers has left a new comment on your post "Tip: Rice":

    I use a rice cooker. Never could get it right on the stove. Also, my rice cooker has a steamer basket on top and I put a meat with varoupps spices in that and let the juices dribble down to the rice as it cooks. Always good everytime. Love my rice cooker. Measuring is even made easier with lines on the inside of the pan. I have the "Aroma Rice Cooker and Steamer". Works great.

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