How to Cook Rice Perfectly, Every Time
You can make a mean pasta salad, and your bean burgers are nothing to scoff at… but every time you make a pot of rice, it either sticks to the bottom of the pot or ends up watery. Sound familiar? How to cook rice is both an art and a science, and it can be easy to do, provided you have the right steps in mind.
How to Cook Rice Perfectly
Volume of Water
When making rice, be sure to use the correct volume of water. Some cooks swear by the two volumes of water to one volume of rice method, but yet another time-honored tradition, popular in Cajun families, can work even better. Add however much rice you would like to cook to the pot, and then add water up until your first knuckle of your index finger. No matter what size of pot you use, this should give you perfect rice to eat with your vegan tacos, or whatever dish you’d like to prepare.
Type of Rice
The type of rice you use is essential when cooking a perfect pot of rice. Using pre-cooked or quick-cooking rice will not only cause problems with timing, but these versions of rice lose out on taste and texture as well as health benefits, even if only slightly. Stick with real rice when you can; with our method, it’s not hard to make and is fairly hands off.
Method
How to cook rice perfectly begins by rinsing your rice to remove any excess starch. After this step, all of the secrets lie in the timing.
When timing your rice, begin with a pot of rice covered up to your knuckle with cold water and seasoned lightly with salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer on the lowest setting for 17 minutes. If you have an electric stovetop, you can even turn the burner off and let the rice steam on the still-hot burner. A perfect pot of rice will be waiting when you remove the cover!
Use either white rice or brown rice with this method, though brown rice will need to steam an additional 10 minutes to be perfectly cooked.
Related on Organic Authority
A True Superfood: Black Rice is Extra Nice
5 Healthy, High-Protein Foods You Can Eat Instead of Rice
7 Unusual Uses for Rice Around the House
Image: Debs
