Rice - I cannot cook it to save my life.

[thickymcthick]

I am usually a good cook and a little creative. However, I cannot cook rice to save my life. I think that it may be something Freud could have looked at. I do not make it for myself (as I find it boring) but my kids love it. When I make it I either burn it, overcook it or it's too sticky. It should be the simplest thing I believe.

Can someone please share a fool proof way of cooking lovely, fluffy, edible white rice. P.S. my local brands (e.g. Thai Fragrant rice in a bag) has no cooking instructions.

Thanks in advance

[Rice Cooker]

Buy a rice cooker, perfect white or brown rice, you don't have to watch it, just set it and go. You can get small cheap rice cookers for $30ish, middle range $80ish, and then around $120ish for the top shelf.

[pykee]

yeah, rice  cooker makes it really simple... for cooking in rice cooker- rice:water= 1:2.5 portions.

this is how i make it usually.

any pan/cookin vessel can be used.
rice : water 1 : 3 portions

boil and let the rice cook for about 15-20 mins...
stir it occasionally...
once rice is boiled to the right level ( try a sample while it is being cooked), just take it out and let it cool for a couple of minutes..
 then just seive/filter the water out.. you can get the seive easily in any supermarket/grocery store..
cheers..

[Ginger Mo]

Ok, pay attention because I'm only gonna say this once.

If you are a rice newbie forget the absorption method or any other complicated nonsense.

If you can boil water and have a timer you can make perfect rice....every time.

Rice for 4pp as a side dish.

1. in a large saucepan fill to 2/3 with water.

2. Add 1 heaped teaspoon iodised salt

3. Bring water to boil

4. Add 2 cups of rice. (Thai is fine, and the Aussie stuff is cheaper and just as good)

5. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

6. Stir the rice with a fork after 1 minute to separate the grains and ensure none are sticking to the bottom.

7. Stir again after 4 minutes by which time the whole thing should be boiling furiously and you may have to back off the heat a little to prevent boilover.....but keep it boiling.

8. At 12 mins scoop some rice out with a fork and try it. Good? If it's too hard, give it another minute.

9. Carefully tip the rice and water into a colander, drain, and stir (fluff) with that fork.

10. Serve and enjoy.

[randyvanderveen31]

If your kids love to eat a rice do your best to make it,.When you put a water on a rice measure it on a half of ur middle finger,,Only half of your middle finger of water does your rice have,.

[rice cooker]

please just buy a rice cooker! you'll get perfect rice every time and it's worth it if your kids love rice....

[In the pink]

If your kids love to eat a rice do your best to make it,.When you put a water on a rice measure it on a half of ur middle finger,,Only half of your middle finger of water does your rice have,.

C'mon Yoda, we know you're wise and everything but you can't cook to save yourself. We all saw Luke's face when he tried your rice.

[kooker]

 Agree on the rice cooker, though you will have to tweak the water level or rice volume to get your personal preference. The best part is you can add flavour to the liquid -- chicken or veggie stock, some crushed lemongrass, coconut juice or a bit of coconut milk, even a bit of tomato juice. Throw in some toasted pumpkin seeds, pistachios etc a few minutes before you serve and the possibilities are endless.

[Riceisnice]

I've started cooking brown rice and it's a damn sight easier than white to get right.  You just soak it for a bit (15-20 mins) and then drain, add boiling water (out of the kettle), bring back to the boil and it's done in around 17-20 mins (keep testing it to see what you think).

My children were dubious about brown rice at first but they love it now, they think it has more flavour than white.  I do still occasionally cook white and have found that the best way is to keep trying it - leave it cooking for about 8 mins and then try every minute or so after that.  Like pasta, if you follow the instructions (assuming there are any) you overcook it, so you have to do it by personal taste.

Another thing with rice is that sometimes there is excess water in it (or perhaps that's just me!), so I have to either let it drain well for a good 5 mins (with a lid over the sieve to keep it warm) or drain as well as possible and then stick it in a dish in the oven to keep warm (have the oven on very low - only 50-80 degrees C or switched off after cooking something else) and that dries it out a bit (also useful for cooking the rice 10 mins or so before the rest of the food is ready)

[scarbowl]

We bought a good Japanese rice cooker at Tangs.   We've had trouble getting rice to turn out well here but now it comes out perfectly every time.  Don't skimp on this - buy a good one and you will not regret it.

[dumb mum]

This is my father's foolproof method - you will get perfectly cooked, fluffy rice every time!

Measure out 1 cup rice  (cup size doesn't matter)
Place in saucepan and rinse well, until water is clear - may take a few changes of water.

Drain in sieve and return to pan, with well fitting lid.
Add 2 cups water (amounts can be increased proportionately 1:2)

Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on.
After 10 mins, turn off heat and leave for further 10 minutes - DO NOT LIFT LID!!

Fluff up with a fork and hey, presto, you have perfect rice.

[Second the PP]

I would second dumb mum's approach. Do not disturb cooking rice as something goes wrong with flavour if you keep checking it or stirring it. If you've washed the rice, not got too much water, covered it well and kept on low heat, it will come out fine. All this boiling of loads of water and then having to drain after just makes rice like pasta. I was taught how to cook rice when I shared a house with an Iranian guy at university and Iranians really know their rice! I have always stuck to his methods and impressed people with it in which ever continent we've lived in ever since. Reading dumb mum's recipe I think it would come out similar to what I was shown.
This is practically what goes on inside a rice cooker anyway.

[Claypot]

Claypot works good with dumb mum's method. The most important tip is "Don't open the lid" for more than 10 min after turning off the heat.

[JULIANA]

Hi there.. with Thai rice, do not soak but wash twice is good enough. do not soak as such grain type will get soggy.  After washing, place your palm to rest at the top of the washed grain and add water enough only to submerge top of your hand.  If you use a rice cooker, it will turn out perfect and fluffy and dry.  If you use stack cooking, same amount of water applies.  If you cook over fire, you need to use medium heat to boil the water then turn it down to low and stir it occasionally to prevent grain from sticking before it is cooked. Add water if necessary as it is starting to cook and if grain appears still undercook

[grandma's method]

Old Chinese hand-me-down method. Half a cup of rice per person. Put in cooker pot. Rinse with water a few times. (As an aside, the rice water is good for watering your plant). Put palm of hand flat over the rice, add water so that it just cover the back of your palm. Cover the cooker and let it do its stuff - do not fluff it or mess with it.