For many Asians, a meal is simply incomplete without rice. Even some forms of Western cuisine incorporate rice in their dishes. There are many ways through which you can cook rice. You can cook it in traditional copper or ceramic pots or you can also use a more modern technique – with the help of the rice cooker.
Rice comes in different varieties. Although the same rule of cooking applies to all types of rice grains, there are certain differences particularly in the amount of water that is required to get the grains cooked.
What you will need:
- rice cooker
- 1 cup of uncooked rice grain
- Water
- Salt (optional)
Instructions:
- Measure one cup of rice grains and put it in the cooking pot. You can add as many cups of rice as you need for your meal. A cup of uncooked rice usually yields three cups of cooked rice.
- Rinse the rice to remove starch and other impurities. Read the package instructions first because some types of rice do not need washing because they are enriched with nutrients such as folic acid, niacin, iron and thiamin. Unnecessary rinsing will remove these water soluble vitamins as well. Unless the packaging says otherwise, it’s important to wash the rice before you cook it. Rinse and drain until the water is no longer too cloudy.
- Add water. As a general rule, you need to add one and a half cups of water for every cup of rice. However, this measurement varies across different types of grains. Brown rice, for instance, requires two cups of water for every cup of rice while basmatic rice requires two and a half cups of water.
- Use a rice cooker to cook the rice. Cover the cooking pot and place it in the rice cooker. Plug the cooker, switch it on and leave the rice to cook. Don’t remove the lid to check on the rice to keep the steam from escaping the pot. The rice cooker will automatically turn itself off once the temperature in the pot goes beyond boiling point.
- If you’re going to use a saucepan, cook the rice with water in medium heat. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. You may need to stir the rice until it boils.
- Cover the saucepan and let the rice simmer on low heat. Depending on the type of rice you’re cooking, you need to let it simmer for anywhere between 15 to 45 minutes. White rice cooks the fastest. Brown rice will require 45 minutes of cooking time.
- Fluff up the rice with a fork to loosen the grains. Serve warm with meat or vegetables.
Tips:
- Some people add salt to rice to enhance its flavor. In some countries, sunflower seeds and other grains are even added to add nutritional value to the rice.
- Store uncooked grains in airtight containers. You can store brown rice for up to six months.
- Cooked rice should be stored in airtight containers and placed in the refrigerator.