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<\/p>\nNothing ruins a meal more than soggy or starchy rice. Cooking rice always seems pretty straightforward when you\u2019re reading the back of the rice packet, yet somehow it never turns out quite as good as the rice from your favourite takeaway spot. We\u2019re here to tell you that there\u2019s hope for you yet. It\u2019s time to learn how to cook rice perfectly, every time.<\/p>\n
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In order to cook rice perfectly, you must rinse your rice. Much like other grains, there is a starchy coating over rice. In order to remove that coating, you need to properly rinse it. If you don\u2019t rinse, the starch will give a slightly slimy\/gummy texture to the rice when cooked. It doesn\u2019t have to be too complicated, simply rinse your rice in a sieve or strainer under cold running water. Check to see if the water is running clear, that should be your marker that the rice has been rinsed properly.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve got time, consider toasting your rice. This step isn\u2019t the be-all and end-all, but it certainly can enhance the flavour of the rice. Use the same pot that you\u2019re going to boil your rice in; put in a bit of olive oil or butter, add the dry rice and stir it frequently. You\u2019re going to do this until the white rice turns a little bronze in colour or until it starts to smell a bit toasted\/nutty.<\/p>\n
Remembering the 2:1 ratio, will get you far. For every 1 cup of rice, you should add 2 cups of water. Other rice varieties, like basmati or brown can be a little different, but it has more to do with timing. If you\u2019re meal prepping and you\u2019re making a lot of rice, you can double or even triple the recipe \u2014 but make sure you\u2019re using a pot big enough to allow for the rice to expand as it cooks.<\/p>\n
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Do you know how important it is to season your pasta water? Well, rice is the same. You don\u2019t want it to taste like the ocean but you want it to be close. Adding a generous amount of salt while your rice is cooking will help enhance the flavour by the time it’s served. If you add salt to it only after it\u2019s cooked, there will definitely be a flavour imbalance.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve all been taught to just add the rice when the water is boiling and then let it cook. Not entirely wrong, but the best way to do it is to add the rice before the water is boiling, let it come up to a boil and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Once your rice is simmering, put the pot lid on and let the rice cook. Cooking rice at too high a temperature can result in the rice cooking unevenly. The outside might be soft, while the inside is still hard and raw.<\/p>\n
Uncovering the rice during its cooking time lets the steam out and lowers the temperature within the pot. Leave the lid of the pot untouched until the timer goes off, there is no need to check on the rice while it cooks as it doesn\u2019t require any stirring. Which brings us to the next point \u2013 don\u2019t stir your rice. It just breaks up the grains in an unpleasant way and can result in a plate of pappy rice.<\/p>\n
You must resist the urge of straining your rice! In order to make sure your cook your rice perfectly, you must let it rest for about 10 minutes after it\u2019s done cooking. That way you\u2019ll achieve optimum texture, and will be extra fluffy.<\/p>\n
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Once the rice has rested for a bit, it\u2019s time to fluff. All this means is that you should stick a rice paddle or fork in there once it\u2019s done. With the fork or the paddle, you want to break up any grains that could have possibly been clumped together. This step does exactly what it says, it makes the rice fluffier and avoids a clumpy mess on your plate.<\/p>\n