How to cook rice correctly?

Rice is considered an excellent side dish, a great addition to almost any product. But how to cook rice correctly, so that instead of a crumbly beautiful side dish, slurry does not come out? Not only young housewives are tormented by this issue. Many people who cook amazing complex meals at home are afraid to take rice as a side dish.

How to cook fluffy rice

The first method will not surprise anyone. Everyone can buy rice in bags and cook it in portions perfectly crumbly. But is it worth it to spend that kind of money to cook so little rice when you have ordinary rice in a bag at hand?

To cook friable rice, you need to correctly determine its variety. Do not buy round grain rice, it absorbs moisture well and sticks together, so it is more often used for sushi, desserts and casseroles. Medium-grain rice will also be viscous, as it also has a lot of starch and absorbs water well. For a crumbly side dish, get long-grain rice, it does not stick together when cooked properly.

Cook friable rice strictly according to the instructions:

1. Proportions of rice and water: water should be twice as much as rice. For example, take 1 cup of dry cereal and 2 cups of water.
2. While the water in the pan is boiling, rinse the rice with plain water 3-5 times. Salt the water.
3. Pour washed rice into boiling water. No seasonings can be added now!
4. Cover the pot with a lid and make the fire low. It is better to take a transparent lid so that the entire cooking process can be seen. The lid must not be opened during the entire process.
5. Now the most important rule: how much to cook rice? Remember! Cook rice for exactly 12 minutes! Proper proportions and a small fire ensure that the rice does not burn.
6. Remove the pot of rice from the stove and let the rice stand and roil for another 12 minutes without opening the lid or stirring it.
7. Only after that you can open the lid of the pan and, if desired, add seasonings, oils.

How to cook steamed rice

Parboiled rice retains its yellowish color because it is steamed rather than polished. Due to this, rice retains more minerals and vitamins. When cooked, the color of the rice becomes white. When parboiled rice is cooked, its grains never stick together, so it turns out crumbly even after reheating the dish. You need to cook steamed rice longer than usual, because without polishing, the rice grains become harder and less boiled. Cooking time is 20-25 minutes.

How to cook brown rice

The brown color of rice is due to the fact that the shell of the grain is preserved. This variety of rice is very useful, since it is in the shell of rice that the most useful substances are contained. Brown rice takes even longer to cook because its grains are even firmer than parboiled rice. Cook it up to 40 minutes. It perfectly cleanses the human body of toxins and promotes weight loss. Before cooking, rinse the brown rice, soak it in cold salted water for about 15 minutes. Then drain this water and rinse the rice again. Throw it in boiling water and cook for 40 minutes.

How to cook wild rice

Wild rice is black. In our stores you can often find it mixed with long grain. It contains a lot of fiber and other beneficial substances. This side dish goes well with fish dishes. For 1 cup of wild rice, you need to take 5 cups of water. After the rice has been washed, dip it into boiling salted water and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Then cover the rice pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook wild rice in this way for 40 minutes, stirring it.

How to cook round rice

As already mentioned, round grain rice is best for sushi, casseroles and puddings, as it tends to stick together. Round rice is cooked with a lot of water, as it absorbs it very quickly. That is, for 1 glass of rice we will take not 2, but 3 glasses of water. Cook the rice until it absorbs all the water.

Understanding the intricacies of cooking rice is not so easy, so it is not surprising that many do not know how to cook rice correctly in order to turn it not just into a more or less edible mass, but into a real culinary masterpiece. Rice is one of the most popular and beloved cereal crops on the planet. A real culinary chameleon and opportunist who is friends with both salt and sugar, fish and meat, fruits and vegetables, sauces and spices. Such amazing compatibility and love of rice is explained by its neutral taste. Heather like a real Asian! And the East, as you know, is a delicate matter!

According to ancient Chinese and ancient Indian manuscripts, rice was known to man more than six thousand years ago. In addition to eating rice, starch, alcohol, and beer are obtained from it. Rice came to Russia about three hundred years ago and very successfully fit into domestic culinary traditions. Today, rice is served as a separate dish, used to make pilaf, soups, added to salads and desserts.

cooking rice step by step

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Rice Preparation Secrets

Cooking rice is an art that most Asians are fluent in. They are familiar with rice, so they know perfectly well which rice should be doused with boiling water before cooking, which one should be soaked in water for several hours, and which one should be washed with cold water and boiled immediately. Well, let's try and we find a common language with rice.

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Washing and soaking

Before cooking rice, it must be washed and, if necessary, soaked. The washing procedure allows you to remove large debris, small particles of dust and excess starch from rice grains, making the taste of rice brighter and richer. You can wash the rice with a sieve under running water, but it is better to use a deep bowl: pour the required amount of rice, pour cold water and stir lightly with your hand. We repeat the procedure 3-5 times, each time draining and pouring fresh water.

Soaking improves the color of the rice and makes it more fluffy. In addition, by absorbing moisture, rice will cook much faster, but for some dishes, such as risotto, this procedure will be redundant. To soak rice, one part of the cereal is poured with two parts of water and left for about half an hour. After draining the water, the rice is slightly dried with a towel.

Short round rice, which is suitable for making porridge-slurry and stuffing for pies, is usually soaked for 15 minutes in warm water and only then washed with cold.

Longish, but not thin rice, after washing with cold water, is additionally scalded with boiling water, then again poured over with cold water and only after all these manipulations is boiled.

Small, thin, almost transparent rice, without washing, is soaked for 5-8 hours in salty cold water and only then washed several times.

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The nuances of cooking universal cereals

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How to cook fluffy rice in a pan

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Cooking rice for garnish in a saucepan

Take one part rice and two parts water. We wash the rice and put it in boiling salted water. Set the fire to medium. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not forget that the rice for the side dish should not be too soft, but even slightly undercooked. After cooking, remove the rice from the heat and rinse well. Rinsing is a must! Water washes out the starch that sticks the grains out of the rice mass, and we get not rice, but just a feast for the eyes - a grain in a grain! It is not necessary to wash only steamed rice. To prevent the rice from sticking together, add a little vegetable oil.

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Oriental rice

We wash the rice 5-7 times. Pour water into the pan (one part rice - two parts water), bring to a boil, salt to taste and add rice. Cover with a lid and cook over high heat for three minutes, two minutes - on medium and about seven minutes - on low. Let stand for another 12 minutes, add a little oil and enjoy wonderful fluffy rice.

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Japanese rice

Pour a teaspoon of salt and a glass of washed rice into a glass and a half of boiling water. Close the lid tightly and simmer on low heat for exactly 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for another 12 minutes.

Milk rice porridge

For a change, you can remember your childhood and cook hearty and healthy rice porridge with milk. In this case, you don’t have to worry about friability, because the consistency of porridge should resemble a white sticky mass. For a glass of rice we take 2-2.5 glasses of milk. Pour rice with milk and bring to a boil. Add sugar and salt to taste and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. When serving, you can add fresh fruits or berries to the porridge, and use jam instead of sugar.

Well, the rice is ready, and this is like a canvas on which, with the help of bright, delicious colors, you can “draw” the most delicious culinary masterpieces. Create! Enjoy your meal!

And hello again, dear lovers of culinary arts! Do you know how to cook delicious and crumbly rice? Strange as it may seem, but for many even experienced housewives this becomes a problem.

I also had difficulties until I learned some secrets on how to cook rice in a pot on water. Today I will share the most useful tips with you.

In order to properly cook rice, it is necessary to take into account all the nuances - from the choice of cereals to the duration of cooking.

You can cook in many ways, it all depends on its purpose - for a side dish or for porridge. In this case, you can use a slow cooker, a saucepan, a frying pan or a double boiler.
This culture has been used since ancient times. It is known that her homeland was Asia.

In Russia, rice began to be used in the 19th century.

How long to cook and how to do it depends on the type of grain:

1. Long grain should cook for about 20 minutes. At the same time, two waters are taken per glass of rice. It does not stick together, it is served with fish, meat or used for salads.
2. Medium grain boil for 15 minutes. Water is taken in a ratio of 1 to 2.25. In this case, pre-soaking for 15 minutes is required. It is suitable for pilaf, pickle and cereals.
3. Round grain must be boiled for 15 minutes. A glass of rice is poured with 2.5 glasses of water. It is used for casseroles and sushi.

Groats are also divided according to processing methods. There is polished or white rice, brown or unpolished, as well.

It matters in which dish to cook rice so that it does not burn.

Rice preparation

In order for the product to turn out crumbly, it is important to properly prepare it.

Here's how it goes:

1. The packaging is opened and foreign matter is sampled.
2. Rice is washed under running water at least five times. This will also reduce the amount of starchy components.
3. If necessary, the grains are pre-soaked.
4. Then the product can be discarded on a sieve to remove excess liquid.

Soaking makes the rice crumbly so it doesn't stick together. Long grains of jasmine can be scalded with boiling water and then rinsed with cold water.
I hope you enjoy the following tips:

1. You can not oversalt the dish. To make rice for a side dish for 4, one teaspoon of salt is enough.
2. If the rice turned out like porridge, it can be used for.
3. Do not stir rice while cooking.
4. If the cereal is not cooked, then you can add half a glass of water and boil for another 5 minutes.
5. Use seasonings to add color to the stew. To create a yellow tint, turmeric is suitable. A ruby ​​hue will turn out if you add beetroot juice, curry will also make the product more yellowish.
6. To prevent the grains from sticking together during cooking, add quite a bit of vegetable oil.

How to make fluffy rice?

Consider the traditional recipe. To prepare it, you will need 200 grams of cereal, half a liter of water and a little salt.

It will take 50-60 minutes to cook.
The cooking process consists of the following steps:

• Pour cold water into a heavy-walled saucepan. Its amount should be twice as much as rice;
• put on fire and wait until it boils;
• add cereal and cook for 20-30 minutes, depending on the type of product;
• Drain the rice in a colander and pour over with hot water.

Many people use rice in bags. It takes approximately 15 minutes to prepare.

How to cook fluffy rice

Cooking methods depend on the type of rice.

Steamed

To prepare this kind of rice, you need to take a glass of cereal for two glasses of water, and a teaspoon of salt.
Prepare like this:

1. Two glasses of water are poured into a thick dish.
2. Salt the water after boiling.
3. Then you should pour the washed and clean cereals.
4. After that, wait until the mixture boils and turn off the heat.
5. The dishes should be covered with a lid and not removed from the fire. After 40 minutes, a crumbly product will turn out.

Brown

To prepare, take a glass of rice, 2.5 glasses of water and salt.

To prepare a crumbly dish, follow these steps:

1. Pour 2.5 cups of water into a thick-walled dish.
2. Salt after boiling.
3. The groats are pre-soaked for 50-60 minutes.
4. Then the cereal is poured in and when boiling, the fire should be reduced.
5. After turning off, let the dish stand with the lid closed for about 15 minutes.

Long grain and round grain

For a glass of one or another cereal, you need 2 glasses of water.

The preparation procedure includes the following steps:

1. Rinse the cereal at least 5 times.
2. Pour cold water into a bowl.
3. Put on fire and wait until it boils.
4. Grains can be soaked for 20 minutes.
5. Salt boiling water and add rice.
6. The mixture should boil again.
7. After the cereal boils, reduce the heat, or turn it off completely.
8. The grain will absorb water and reach full readiness.

How to cook rice in a slow cooker

It is enough just to cook cereals in a slow cooker. It must be washed, put in a bowl and pour boiling water in a ratio of 3 to 5.

Then you need to add oil and salt and set the cereal mode. You need to cook until the end of the program.
In the slow cooker, you can also cook a delicious steamed dish. For example, it can be rice hedgehogs. In this case, the steamer mode is used, and the product is infused for 5 minutes with a covered lid.

Pan cooking

You can cook a delicious dish in a pan. To do this, you need 200 grams of cereal, 400 grams of water and vegetable oil.
This is how it should be prepared:

• the grains are washed and, if necessary, soaked;
• sunflower oil is poured into the pan and heated;
• then grits are poured and fried;
• after frying, water and seasonings are added, and covered with a lid. You need to simmer for 20-40 minutes.

Recipe for a steamer

For 200 grams of rice, you need to take so much water so that it covers the grains from above by 5-6 cm.
You need to prepare like this:

• rinse and sort out the cereal;
• pour water into the steamer bowl;
• put all the ingredients and put on a special mode.

Dish in the microwave

It is easy to cook delicious food in the microwave. First you need to sort and wash 200 grams of rice, then put it in a special dish with a lid.

Pour in water and add salt. Set it on for 20 minutes.

Features of cooking rice with milk

You can cook a delicious product with milk. For cooking, you will need a glass of rice, half a liter of milk, butter, salt and sugar.
Here's what to do:

• rinse the cereal, pour a glass of water, put on fire and wait until the moisture is absorbed;
• pour ¾ cup of milk and boil, then leave over low heat;
• Add milk little by little as it thickens. Pour in salt and sugar. Then put in the oil.

You can add nuts, raisins and fruits to the porridge.

If you know some valuable advice, then write it in the comments. Until we meet again, dear readers!

Rice is an extremely versatile cereal: you can serve it as sweet as Japanese desserts, mixed with spicy sauces, or with little to no spices. It can be both a main course and a side dish for meat. It often happens that the hostess's rice comes out too viscous, boiled and soft, no matter how hard she tries. In this article, you will learn several methods for avoiding such cooking of rice, as well as the secrets of the correct preparation of this cereal.

How to cook fluffy rice

If you want to get a grain-to-grain side dish, then long-grain and round varieties of rice should be chosen. Such rice absorbs too much water, gradually becoming soft. You do not need any special ingredients, everything is extremely simple:

• Take a glass of rice.
• Two glasses of clean water.
• The pan should be with thick walls, like a cauldron.
• Salt and spices to taste.

Put the water to boil, only then start rinsing the rice. Such an algorithm is due to the fact that the contact of cereals with water should occur almost before cooking itself, otherwise the rice will have time to absorb excess water, which will lead to boiling.

It is necessary to rinse the cereal at least 8-10 times until the water becomes completely transparent. You can use a colander for this if its holes do not let grains through.

As soon as the water boils, salt it. Add other loose spices if desired. You need to send rice to the pan strictly in hot boiling water so that the cooking process starts immediately. The cooking temperature must be changed, namely:

• As soon as you put the rice in the pot, the fire should be high so that the water boils again as soon as possible.
• Turn the heat down to low when the water is bubbling.

Cover the pot and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Just forget about her. When you open the lid. you will see crumbly cooked rice. Leave it for another 15 minutes to stand under a closed lid with the fire turned off so that the remaining moisture is absorbed into the cereal.

How to cook rice in a slow cooker

Usually, to cook good rice in a slow cooker, a slightly smaller amount of water is taken. Take one and a half glasses of water for a glass of cereal. Be sure to rinse the rice well.

• Pour water into the multicooker bowl.
• Pour in the washed and squeezed rice.
• Add spices.

Please note that the cereal must be evenly distributed along the bottom of the bowl, otherwise some grains will not boil well.

Now close the lid and set the program to “Rice” or “Pilaf”. Some multicookers differ in a set of options. The cooking time will be 15 minutes.

If you have the “Keep warm” function, then put the rice for another 20 minutes to bask with the multicooker lid open. So all the moisture will go into the grains, leaving them crumbly.

Do not forget about the thoroughness of washing the cereals, as there is rice flour between the grains, formed during the friction of the grains in the bag. If this dust is not properly removed, the rice will begin to stick together in the early stages of cooking.

If you are cooking rice for dishes like sushi, mochi or onigiri, then the very concept of proper rice is turned upside down. For Japanese cuisine, rice should be sticky, but not overcooked. This is difficult to achieve, so ideally, a special Asian vinegar is used, which can be found on store shelves in the sushi section. Add a few tablespoons of this vinegar when cooking rice and you get a sticky side dish. From it you can sculpt onigiri and twist rolls.

When rice is cooked for desserts, vanilla extract and other flavorings should be added directly to the water during the cooking process. Do not forget that such cereals in desserts should have only a light aroma.

Do not add to rice:

• Lemon.
• Oil.
• Ordinary table vinegar.

These are all culinary myths that will only ruin your side dish. Loose grains start to come out with experience, when you get the perfect cooking time and the exact amount of water for yourself.

To enjoy the cereal for a long time, transfer it from the pan to a wooden container or plastic container. This will keep it crispy for longer, even when refrigerated.

The most important information about the main types of product, proportions, cooking time and other features of rice making.

Training

If you want to cook fluffy rice, rinse it under cold water before cooking. So you get rid of starch, which is responsible for stickiness. Rinse the rice about five times or more until the water runs clear. It is most convenient to perform this procedure using a fine sieve.

Some dishes, such as risotto, require glutinous rice. In this case, it is not worth rinsing. In extreme cases, you can limit yourself to one rinse to wash off all the excess.

To make rice cook faster, you can soak it for 30-60 minutes. Then the cooking time will be reduced by almost half. However, in this case it is better to reduce the amount of water used for cooking.

Proportions

It is generally believed that rice needs twice as much water to cook. But this is an approximate proportion. It is better to measure the volume of water based on the type of rice:

• for long grain - 1: 1.5–2;
• for medium grain - 1: 2–2.5;
• for round grain - 1: 2.5–3;
• for steamed - 1: 2;
• for brown - 1: 2.5–3;
• for wild - 1: 3.5.

Be sure to read the instructions on the package. The manufacturer knows exactly what kind of processing the rice has undergone, and suggests the optimal amount of water for it.

Tableware

It is better to cook rice in a saucepan with a thick bottom: in it the temperature is distributed evenly. You can also cook rice in a large skillet. A cauldron is traditionally used for pilaf.

Cooking rules

If you are cooking rice in a saucepan, first bring salted water to a boil, and then pour the grits into it. Stir the rice once so that the grains do not stick to the bottom. Then wait until the dish begins to boil, reduce the heat to a minimum and cover the pan with a lid.

Do not open the lid during cooking, otherwise the rice will take longer to cook. If you want the rice to be fluffy, don't stir it (except the first time). Otherwise, the grains will break and release starch.

The average cooking time, depending on the type, is:

• for white rice - 20 minutes;
• for steamed rice - 30 minutes;
• for brown rice - 40 minutes;
• for wild rice, 40–60 minutes.

When the rice is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it stand for 10-15 minutes covered. If there is water left in the cooked rice, drain it or cover the pan with a dry towel to absorb excess moisture.

If you are cooking rice in a pan, use a pot with a diameter of 24 cm or more, high sides and a lid. Rice is cooked in it in almost the same way as in a saucepan, with the exception of one nuance: the grains must first be quickly fried in vegetable oil. Do this for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly so that the grains are covered with oil: then the rice will be crumbly. Then it must be poured with boiling water and cooked as described above.

condiments

Rice is good because its taste can always be changed a little. For example, using the following seasonings:

• saffron;
• curry;
• cardamom;
• zira;
• caraway;
• cinnamon;
• carnation.

Spices are added to the water during cooking or to a ready-made dish.

Also, rice can be supplemented with the taste of herbs, citrus zest, or cooked not in water, but in meat or chicken broth.