Rice did not make a good first impression with me; it bubbled over once or twice (I have to watch this pan? Boring.), tasted either too dry or way too moist, and it did this to my pan:
Multiply that by at least ten, though. The pan was sacrificed, and there wasn’t even a good spoonful of rice to show for it.
From there, I learned my first tip: spray that pan! PAM it, or if you’re not a fan of oil via aerosol, just put a drop on a paper towel and spread it around. The other thing you should do is refrain from burning the rice. That helps immensely. (Image source)
I avoided cooking this fluffy grain for at least a few years after destroying at least two pans. I was also of the Mitch Hedberg opinion, “Rice is great if you’re hungry, and want 2,000 of something.” Only on rare occasion did I crave 2,000 of anything.
The next very important lesson that I learned with rice: measure {very} carefully. This didn’t really fit my care-free (read: reckless) kitchen personality, and I chalked up my lack of rice-cooking-skills to failure. I can’t cook rice very well– that’s something I can live with.
Fast forward two years, and suddenly I’ve decided to buy long-grain brown rice in bulk from Whole Foods. I also bought some “Wild Rice”, because that sounded more interesting. By the time we moved in August, I was tired of having two containers of rice taking up space, so they were combined.
It’s been housed in one large glass container for five months now, and Betty finally inspired me to give it another try. Chipotle may have had some influence here, too – their burrito bowls with rice get me every time!
In the very first section, Cooking Basics, I realized I’ve been breaking a cardinal kitchen rule for a long time – dry vs. wet measuring cups.
Those on the left are intended for dry ingredients only*. The cups on the right are meant for wet ingredients only. I know this rule, but I cave entirely out of laziness sometimes (wash more than one set of measuring cups? Tough life.)
*Also referred to as Graduated Nesting Measuring Cups (you know, because they can all sit inside each other, “nesting”).
Alright, Betty, let’s have your rice tips!
- Measure the water and rice carefully – in their respective dry/wet specific cups!
- Do NOT STIR while it’s cooking. Risotto is the only exception.
- When it’s done cooking, fluff with a fork to separate the grains.
- “Perfectly Cooked Rice: the grains are fluffy and separate from each other.”
- My addition (I can say this, because I think she would agree): add a little bit of butter or oil, once it’s done cooking. I add either 1/2 – 1 Tbsp butter or 1/2 Tbsp olive oil before “fluffing”. It adds just the right amount of flavor and texture!
Last night, I cooked 1.5 cups of dry rice (yielding ~3 cups cooked*).
1.5 c dry brown rice
3 c water
Salt/pepper shakes
1 Tbsp butter
Bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir gently to separate it around the pan (vs. the lump it sits in when you dump it out of the measuring cup). Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes (check the rice after about 30- 35 minutes and assess!). Once the water appears to be all absorbed, remove from heat, add in oil/butter, fluff with a fork and let sit for ~5 more minutes before serving.
For our stir-fry, we sliced and sautéed 1/2 yellow & red pepper, 1/4 yellow onion and 1 c of mushrooms. Add in a little bit of low-sodium soy sauce (~1 Tbsp) and any seasoning you’re craving. Ours also had chopped tempeh, but add in your protein of choice! Mix with the rice, and voila! Dinner is served.
*I always make this in batches, because it’s rare that I want to spend 40-45 minutes tending to rice. Leftovers are a bonus!
What are your rice-cooking tips? Anything you would to our list?
Favorite rice dish (Leftovers = needing ideas)?
{“Fluff” word-usage count: 5}
