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Any Port in a Storm :: Dockside Dining :: The Galley :: Cooking rice
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kerouac2
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Cooking rice
« Thread Started on Feb 23, 2010, 9:44am »		[Quote]
Some people still have some problems with this (I read that on another thread!), so probably we should discuss the subject.

For years I have mostly made steamed rice, which I consider to be super easy and almost impossible to mess up.

Basically, I put the rice in the cooking pot and rinse it several times until the water is almost clear (if you try to get the water completely clear, you will go crazy and waste a lot of water). Then I just cover the rice with about twice as much water as the quantity of rice. No salt or any other seasoning.

For cooking, the heating rules vary considerably but what works for me it to turn on my stove to maximum heat (it is electric), and the moment it starts boiling, I turn off the cooker and cover the pot. In ten minutes, all of the water is gone and the rice is perfect.

Next.
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existentialcrisis
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #1 on Feb 23, 2010, 10:36am »		[Quote]
But what if the instructions say to do exactly what you just said, except to simmer the rice for 15-20 minutes... letting it stand for 10 minutes won't work, no?
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #2 on Feb 23, 2010, 10:43am »		[Quote]
It depends on the kind of rice -- have a look at the cooking time mentioned on the package.
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kerouac2
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #3 on Feb 23, 2010, 10:51am »		[Quote]
I generally use Thai rice. American long grain rice would almost certainly take longer.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #4 on Feb 23, 2010, 12:14pm »		[Quote]
I always use Basmati.
I don't measure how much water, I put the rice in a pan and then add water until it is about a finger width, 1cm or so, above the level of the rice. Bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes then turn the heat off but make sure the lid is on tight and leave it.
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kerouac2
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #5 on Feb 23, 2010, 12:50pm »		[Quote]
I remember childhood with rice cooked in a big pot of water which was later drained off. Usually served with a big dollop of butter if it was not part of another dish like gumbo or red beans and rice. My brother loved rice that way (and probably still does), but not me.

Of course most people in France fix their rice that way anyway, except of course there is the innovation of the permeable plastic bag for boiling it. Makes less of a mess but it sure doesn't taste any better.

I'll stick with my steamed rice.
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bixaorellana
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #6 on Feb 23, 2010, 3:15pm »		[Quote]
two quotes from another thread ~

Feb 23, 2010, 7:26am, existentialcrisis wrote:
I am terrible at cooking rice! I didn't do anything wrong, I'm sure, but it was both undercooked and overcooked at the same time!

Feb 23, 2010, 8:34am, hwinpp wrote:
Best method is 'steaming', though it's actually a process that involves boiling the water away. The rice is perfect.

My recipe for rice is below, and is pretty much foolproof. That said, you might think about changing the brand of rice you buy, Existentia. Since I know my rice is going to turn out perfect every time, I was shocked recently when I had a batch just like what you describe -- sort of mushy on the outside and with some crunch left within. The next time I made rice I was extra careful to check that I was doing everything right, but the same thing happened. This was an off-brand of rice I'd picked up somewhere when I was in a hurry, and I'm sure it was the culprit.

PERFECT STEAMED RICE

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 1/2 cup water
pinch salt
a couple drops of olive oil or a half teaspoon butter

Bring the water to a boil in a nice heavy saucepan with a tightly fitting lid.
Add the salt & the oil.
Pour in the rice and give it a good stir.
Let the water return to a boil, then lower the heat as low as possible.
Put the lid on and do not take it off for 14 1/2 minutes.
Turn off heat.
Fluff the rice with a fork and immediately replace the lid.
Allow rice to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe can be doubled, but becomes less successful when tripled.
I do not rinse rice before cooking, but if you are buying it in bulk from an open container, you may wish to do so.
Do keep the rice covered after it's cooked to prevent it drying out. You can also put a folded dish towel over the lid to keep heat in.
Store any leftover rice in the fridge. It can be revived by adding just a little water then putting it on the flame (covered!) until you can hear the water sizzling. Turn off the heat & let it rest a few minutes to absorb the heat and steam.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #7 on Feb 23, 2010, 9:03pm »		[Quote]
Salt and oil! Heresy!
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #8 on Feb 23, 2010, 10:28pm »		[Quote]
I cook perfect Basmati rice.....if you don't believe me ask my daughter, my recent and perhaps the late cyber friends who stayed so long with me...perfect rice and perfect chilli prawns....

My rice recipe is 'an old Iranian one' and works every time. NO soggy rice.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #9 on Feb 24, 2010, 2:08am »		[Quote]
Heresy? Make a batch, then tell me what you think.

Spindrift, you aren't going to give us your Basmati rice recipe?!
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #10 on Feb 24, 2010, 6:22am »		[Quote]
Maybe we'll have to wait for the old Iranian to show up again. ;)
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #11 on Feb 24, 2010, 8:53am »		[Quote]
Such a memory he's got ::)

PERFECT BASMATI RICE

The amounts of rice and water must be equal.
I'll be using two cups of rice and two cups of water here.


METHOD

Put 2 cups of rice in a bowl. Pour over enough Boiling Water to cover. Stir well. (Dirt and starch come out)....rinse well under cold running water.

In a cast iron (or similar saucepan) bring two cups of cold water to the boil. Add a minuscule amount of salt (optional). As soon as the water boils throw in the rice and let it boil for exactly 2 minutes.

Now, put a lid on the saucepan and turn the heat down to absolute minimum and leave on this lowered heat for exactly 20 minutes. DO NOT LIFT THE LID DURING THIS TIME.

On completion of the 20 minutes, take lid off, add as large knobs of butter (optional), put lid back on and leave for 10 minutes to absorb.

Now stir rice with fork and it will be perfect with separate grains.....

This is an Iranian way of making rice.

NB. You can't cook rice this way if you use a thin-bottom saucepan. It needs prolonged minimum heat...I do put a trivet under the heavy saucepan to prevent burning.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #12 on Feb 24, 2010, 9:04am »		[Quote]
Just to confirm my mathematics isn't failing - you say -
Measure rice with teacup and add twice as much water

Then you say -
I'll be using two cups of rice and two cups of water here.

Shouldn't it be one cup rice and two water or two rice and four water?
Or did I miss something?
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #13 on Feb 24, 2010, 9:10am »		[Quote]
Oh dear....I'll look it up. sorry.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #14 on Feb 24, 2010, 9:12am »		[Quote]
The amount of rice must match the amount of water..... so 2 teacups of rice would require 2 teacups of water. The same amount for each.

I've corrected my mistake. thank you.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #15 on Feb 24, 2010, 9:16am »		[Quote]
I was cooking white basmati rice and the package said to let it cook 15-20 minutes. I did notice the water looked a little starchy so I will try spindrift's method of rinsing... but I don't have any heavy bottomed pots. I will let the water boil first next time, then add the rice (contrary to package directions). I will let my rice stand for 10 minutes next time. If this does not work, then it has to be the brand. Either that or I'll have to buy a ricecooker...
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #16 on Feb 24, 2010, 9:31am »		[Quote]
Particularly with basmati rice, you have to rinse it well before you cook it. Otherwise, you get a lot of gunk in the water.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #17 on Feb 24, 2010, 1:30pm »		[Quote]
I suppose mine is similiar to K's except I leave the heat on the lowest setting as we have a gas cooker so it doesn't hold the heat.

Rinse Basmati Rice (I don't bother if it is Tilda)
Twice as much water as rice (I have a small coffee cup, one of those of rice is perfect for each person)

Put rice and cold water in pan, bring to boil with lid off, as soon as it boils turn heat down and put lid on. Leave for 10 minues then turn heat off an leave for another 5. You gotta trust the pan and not take the lid off at any point until the end. Fork through.

I could eat this rice all day long. Its the way my Mum cooks it too and I learnt it from her. WhenI have a stomach bug I eat bowls of it.

I could also have eaten Spindrift's rice all day long (and the chilli prawns).
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #18 on Feb 24, 2010, 1:46pm »		[Quote]
Something that I need to experiment more with was a Pakistani friend's way of preparing rice. He would put oil in a pan and heat it until it started smoking and then throw the dry uncooked rice in to fry it until it started turning brown. He would also throw in some cardamom pods and a few other herbs. After that, he would put in some chopped onions and chilis to fry them a bit and then throw in some pots of plain yogurt. He would mix it all together with some more spices, turn the heat to a minimum and let it simmer covered until the rice was cooked. Sometime the bottom of the pot would burn, but that didn't bother him, and sometimes he would check and add a little water -- it was all very mysterious to me, but it came out good every time. He would serve it with lamb or chicken and mix in uncooked chopped tomatoes and cucumbers and cilantro.

I suppose it was some sort of version of biryani.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #19 on Feb 24, 2010, 2:41pm »		[Quote]
K - your Pakistani friend's method sounds very tasty. Tucked away somewhere I have my mother'in-law's receipe for making biriyani (which is very involved).... also her receipe for kedgeree (not the anglicized version).

Tilly? thanks.... :D
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #20 on Feb 24, 2010, 3:54pm »		[Quote]

Feb 24, 2010, 9:16am, existentialcrisis wrote:
... I don't have any heavy bottomed pots. ... Either that or I'll have to buy a ricecooker...
Do you have a flame-spreader, Existentia? They are great for rice or for anything you want to simmer very gently.

Unless you eat great quantities of rice every day, my suggestion would be to use money earmarked for a rice cooker for good heavy cookware instead, especially since you like to cook so much. It doesn't have to be expensive brand name stuff either. You can find "sandwich-bottomed" sets that perform very nicely.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #21 on Feb 25, 2010, 3:07am »		[Quote]
Yes we plan on buying some cookware right after we move ... April.

What is a flame-spreader? Is that like a flame-thrower? :P
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #22 on Feb 25, 2010, 4:09am »		[Quote]
Why, yes ~~ yes it is! A little tricky to use in the house, but it gets rid of household pests and also cooks food so much faster.
[image]

Okay. These are different kinds of flame spreaders. "Heat diffuser" seems to be the term of choice online. http://fantes.com/trivets.html

This is sort of like the one I have, except that mine has a removable handle.
http://kitchendance.com/heatdiffuser.html

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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #23 on Feb 25, 2010, 6:59am »		[Quote]
When my rice cooker was broken I used my thin walled aluminium pot to cook rice. Exactly (more or less) as Mark and Jack do it. Works perfectly. I put the rice in then add water. The water level goes to the first finger joint of my finger if I stick the tip into the water and it touches the rice.

Now, if you're cooking sticky rice, that's completely different.

Soak the rice in water for 4- 8 hours, the longer the better. Put the rice into a basket and the basket onto a pot with boiling water:

[image]

Cover with a lid that fits the basket and leave over the boiling water for 30 minutes. The rice should not be floating in the boiling water. This is true steaming:

[image]

When done pour the rice onto a clean dish cloth and let it breathe. Knead it a bit to get more air at it, be careful though, it's extremely hot. Once you can handle it with your hands fill it into the individual serving baskets and bring these to the table.

[image]

In restaurants each guest has his own basket, at home there's a big communal one.

Break off little chunks, knead and roll it (if done well it will not stick to your hands) then dip in whatever you are planning to eat it with.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #24 on Feb 25, 2010, 8:08am »		[Quote]
I have never made sticky rice, but I keep planning to one of these days! Thanks for the tips.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #25 on Feb 25, 2010, 7:27pm »		[Quote]
Wonderful pictures and explanation, HW! Is that method of cooking and then serving in the little baskets specific to one country in particular, or several?
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #26 on Feb 25, 2010, 10:41pm »		[Quote]
I was invited to dinner tonight and was served boil-in-bag rice. :P
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #27 on Feb 25, 2010, 10:46pm »		[Quote]
I had a boil on the bag once - nasty!
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #28 on Feb 26, 2010, 12:45am »		[Quote]
Diana Kennedy's recipe for Arroz a la Mexican (in her Recipes from the Regional Cooks of Mexico) gives perfect results every time. This is not the swill served as "Spanish rice" in many so-called Mexican restaurants. It's more of a light pilaf and a very typical dish. To be honest, I hardly ever go through all the steps but the rice is really better if you do.

Arroz a la Mexicana

Hot water to cover
1 12 cups long-grain white rice
1/3 cup neutral vegetable oil
1 large tomato (@1/2 lb.), roughly chopped
1/4 med. onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
3 1/2 cups well-salted chicken broth
1/3 carrot, peeled & thinly sliced (optional)
2 T. peas (optional) <-- I don't recommend!
1 whole sprig parsley (optional)
salt to taste

Pour the hot water over the rice & let it stand for @ 20 minutes. Drain & rinse well in cold water, then shake the sieve well and leave the rice to drain for @10 minutes.
Heat the oil, give the rice a final shake, then stir it into the oil until the grains are well covered. Fry to a light golden color, stirring & turning the rice over so that it will cook evenly and not stick.
This should take @10 minutes & should be done over high flame. [At this point she says to tip out the excess oil. I prefer simply to use less oil.]
Put the tomato, onion, & garlic into the blender & blend until smooth. Add the puree to the fried rice, then, continuing to stir & scrape over a high flame, cook until the mixture is dry.
Add the broth, carrot, peas, & parsley. Add salt if necessary, then stir well. Do not stir during the cooking time. Cook over a medium flame, uncovered, until the liquid has been absorbed and small air holes appear in the rice. Remove the pot from the flame, cover tightly, and set it aside in a warm place for @ 20 or 30 minutes so the rice can continue cooking in its own steam.
Before serving, stir the rice well from the bottom.

You can vary the vegetables -- try zucchini or chayote. Chopped cooked giblets are a nice addition. No vegetables are okay, too, although a sprig of parsley or a whole serrano pepper gives a nice subtle flavor.
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Re: Cooking rice
« Reply #29 on Feb 26, 2010, 3:57am »		[Quote]

Feb 25, 2010, 7:27pm, bixaorellana wrote:
Wonderful pictures and explanation, HW! Is that method of cooking and then serving in the little baskets specific to one country in particular, or several?


Sticky rice is the staple starch in Laos. It's eaten in the northeast of Thailand as well, the majority population there being Lao.

As an ingredient for desserts or as fillings it is used from China to Indonesia.
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