How to cook long grain rice correctly. How to cook steamed rice

Side dishes for meat or fish face a rather difficult task - to correctly highlight the flavor range of the main dish. Housewives know that one of the universal options is boiled long-grain rice. However, quite often even experienced cooks are afraid of this cereal, because they do not know the exact answer to the question of how to cook long-grain rice.

What's good about long grain rice?

Rice groats come in three types, differing in the amount of starch they contain:

round (suitable for porridges, casseroles, making sushi and rolls, that is, dishes where it is important that the grains stick together; this type of rice contains quite a lot of starch);
medium grain (added to soups);
long-grain (if properly prepared, it turns out crumbly, ideal for garnishing meat and fish, since the starch content in it is minimal).

It cannot be said that this or that type of rice is better or worse: they each do their job perfectly. But at the same time, you should not rely on long-grain rice when preparing sushi, and try to cook a crumbly side dish from round rice. It is also worth considering the variety: yellow is the healthiest, black or red is indispensable for the diet.

How to cook it correctly?

The ability to cook long grain rice is one of the indicators by which culinary skill is assessed. To make the side dish crumbly and tasty, you need to carefully prepare it for heat treatment:

sort out the cereal and place in a colander;
Rinse;
Lightly shake the rice in a colander to drain.

In order not to waste time sorting through grains, it is better to purchase not a loose product, but a selected one, in packages. The cereal is washed with warm water until the water flowing from it stops turning white. But before drying, the rice should still be rinsed with cold water - then the grains will become elastic again. Only after preparation can you start cooking the rice.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. long grain rice;
2 liters of filtered water;
2/3 tbsp. l. table salt.

Preparation:

Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil, add some salt.
Add the rice and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the grains do not stick to the bottom of the dish.
The finished cereal is washed with cold water and doused with boiling water before serving - the side dish will become hot again.

How long to cook long grain rice in a slow cooker and steamer?

Kitchen appliances can significantly reduce the cooking time of a particular dish. This is also true for long grain rice.

The secret of friability when heat treated in a slow cooker is to maintain the proportions of rice and water - 1:2. Also, all products are loaded into the bowl of the unit at the same time. And one more important point: the most delicious side dish is cooked in the “Pilaf” mode. However, please note that running this program full cycle may brown your rice. Therefore, it is better to turn off the device 15 minutes before automatic shutdown.

In the double boiler, the timer should be set for 30 minutes, and the proportions of cereal and water should be taken as for cooking in a slow cooker - 1:2. The new generation of steamers has a “Cereal” mode, which will automatically turn off the device when the side dish is ready.

Features of preparing polished and steamed rice

Polished (white) rice is distinguished by the speed of cooking: it only takes 10-15 minutes to bring it to the desired condition. However, there are no particular subtleties in the question of how to cook long-grain polished rice. Except that due to multi-level cleaning, you won’t have to wash it for a long time.

As for how to cook steamed long-grain rice, it is important to take into account the fact that when steamed, a shell remains on the grain (which is why the grain has a yellow tint). This means it will take longer to cook. In general, no matter what type of rice you choose, be sure to periodically test the readiness of the product - this is the only way to determine the condition of the side dish.

What to serve with rice side dish?

A versatile side dish served on wide plates. Ideal for rice:

meat (fried, stewed);
fish (baked, fried);
sautéed vegetables;
tomato sauces.

If you cooked a lot of rice and didn’t eat it at one time, it doesn’t matter. It can be reheated quite easily in a saucepan or microwave - 1-2 minutes is enough. Just add a little water so as not to dry out the side dish.

What do we know about rice? A useful crop with several thousand varieties. It is grown in China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Brazil, USA, Japan. This food product is valued for its high content of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Long grain is a type of rice grown from Oryza Sativa, native to the tropics. Various side dishes, cereals, desserts, and puddings are made from it. We will tell you how to cook it below.

Facts about rice

Long grain rice is divided into polished and unpolished. By the way, the same rice that we know as Basmati also belongs to the long-grain family of cereals. Of all the subspecies of long-grain cereals, white rice occupies a special place in world cooking, although it does not have the same beneficial properties of grains as its colored varieties, since the husk is removed from it and polished. Without these manipulations, black, brown, purple and red varieties retain all their beneficial properties, so they are used in healthy eating, diets, and medicinal purposes.

The Chinese knew that this product is important for the human body 5 thousand years ago. And Emperor Shen Nung generally forced his people to plant rice every year and eat it. True, it is not known whether “then” rice was short-grain or long-grain. But modern scientists confirm its benefits for:

Improved digestion;
Regulate blood pressure;
Preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases;
Reducing cholesterol levels;
Reducing the risk of cancer and diabetes;
Eliminate heartburn;
Weight loss.

A lot of dishes are prepared from long-grain rice: cabbage rolls, pilaf, risotto, paella, appetizers and salads. It is the basis for porridges, desserts, milk soups, because the use of this wonderful product enriches the children's diet with protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, as well as calcium, iron, and folic acid. However, for the sake of fairness, it should be noted that rice also contains a carcinogen. But it is contained in such small quantities that it is not capable of causing any harm to human health. That's what the doctors say! But it’s better not to take risks and buy those varieties of rice that were grown in Thailand, Pakistan and India.

Features of cooking rice

Long grain rice is not only healthy, but also a popular side dish. It is consumed together with meat, fish, seafood and vegetables. Since it contains a lot of starch, the cereal is thoroughly washed before cooking. Cook rice in a large amount of liquid - it absorbs it well and increases in volume.

Undoubtedly, fluffy rice is more tasty and suitable as a side dish than rice cooked to a sticky viscous mass. If it turns out exactly like this, it means it was cooked incorrectly. So, let's cook the rice!

How to cook rice in a saucepan

To do this, you need to find a suitable vessel for cooking: a saucepan with a non-stick bottom or a cauldron. Rinse the rice well so that the water remains clear. Then pour it into a container and fill it with liquid. It can be water, milk or broth - depending on what purpose the boiled rice is needed. The liquid should be twice the volume of the bulk ingredient. So, for a glass of rice you will need two glasses of water.

Before you put it on to cook, you need to salt the water. Turn the burner to medium level and place the pan on it. Keep it open until the water with rice begins to boil. Then cover the container with a lid and turn the heat down to low.

The cereal does not need to be cooked until completely cooked. To achieve an ideal result, the pan with the almost finished product is removed from the stove and left in the container so that it “reaches” the desired condition. To be sure, the pan is insulated by placing it under a blanket. Some people add butter first to let it melt into the hot rice before sealing the container and placing it in a warm place. In about 15 minutes, the wonderful crumbly side dish is ready!

How to cook rice in the microwave

Wash the cereal in several waters until transparent. Place in a heat-resistant container, add drinking water (the liquid should be twice the volume of the cereal), cover with a lid. Place the container in the microwave for 15 minutes of cooking. When the timer beeps, leave the bowl of rice inside the microwave for about a quarter of an hour so that the rice becomes softer. After removing the container from the microwave, season the rice with butter and place on plates.

How to cook rice in a slow cooker

To get a crumbly side dish of rice, you need to rinse it well and soak it in cold water for an hour. Then it is drained and transferred to the multicooker bowl. Pour water in an amount twice the volume of the cereal - this is described in the rice preparation section in the instructions for use. After closing the lid of the multicooker, you need to set the “pilaf” mode. After 10 minutes, turn off this mode by setting the timer to the “heating” option. This way the product will reach the desired condition.

How to cook rice in a frying pan

You may not have heard of this method of cooking rice, but it exists. It requires a frying pan, which needs to be heated until “hot”. Grease its bottom with vegetable oil and lay out the rice. Heat it over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring with a spatula. Then add salt and add water, but not cold, but hot drinking water.

The liquid will boil quickly, and then the pan should be covered with a lid. High heat is no longer needed, so it can be reduced. Cooking time: 18-20 minutes. Then remove the pan with rice from the stove, but keep it in it for another 15 minutes without opening the lid.

How to cook rice "Chinese style"

And finally, let’s turn our attention to China, or rather to its kitchen. Of course, the Chinese know everything about rice and its proper preparation better than anyone else. It is thoroughly washed, placed in a colander and allowed to drain. Pour drinking water, such as filtered or bottled, into a large saucepan.

And now attention: for 1 glass of rice you need to take 1.5 glasses of water, and not a drop more. Moreover, the container in which you are going to cook the rice should be wide and spacious, and water should not be allowed to leak out from under the lid during cooking. By the way, it will be more convenient to monitor the process through the transparent lid.

So, pour the rice into a saucepan, fill it with water and place the container on high heat. You must have a watch before your eyes: Each stage of cooking provides a specific amount of time: 3-7-2-12. What kind of magical numbers are these? Everything is very simple. The rice is cooked over high heat for the first 3 minutes, over medium heat for the next 7 minutes, and over low heat for 2 minutes. Then the pan with rice is removed from the stove and wrapped in a blanket or blanket. It remains to keep the rice warm for 12 minutes. Thus, it will take you only 24 minutes to prepare the famous crumbly side dish “Chinese style”.

All of the above tips apply to cooking white rice. Brown or black rice requires longer cooking times and more water. In any case, remember that when cooking rice, do not remove the lid from the vessel!

Cooking rice is a real pain for some, especially beginner cooks. Either it burns, even though it is raw, or instead of crumbly rice you get a viscous sticky mass... Especially for those for whom cooking rice causes stress, we will reveal a few secrets of cooking it correctly. By the way, we note that long-grain rice turns out crumbly, but some dishes require rice that is more boiled and sticky. In such cases, it is better to take round rice.

The easiest way to get fluffy rice

The most basic way is to buy rice in special perforated plastic bags. It is enough to put such a bag in salted cold water and place the pan on the stove, turning on medium heat. 15-20 minutes after the water boils, the bag is removed, hung over the sink (so that the water can drain) - and the crumbly rice is ready. The secret of bags of rice is that the rice there is not ordinary, but steamed before polishing with hot steam under pressure. This rice is said to retain beneficial substances and vitamins. As for vitamins - maybe, but what is absolutely certain is that such rice never sticks together when cooked. It is not necessary to buy steamed rice in portioned bags, but there are practically no differences in its preparation: twice as much water is taken per glass of rice, the cooking time remains the same, and you should not stir the rice during the cooking process.

Cook rice in a slow cooker, microwave and steamer

Multicookers were originally invented as devices with which it is convenient to cook rice. So you don’t have to worry that the rice won’t work out in the slow cooker. The main thing is to correctly observe the proportions indicated in the recipe. And they are, in general, standard: for one measure of rice, take one and a half to two measures of water, add salt, oil and turn on the “rice” or “pilaf” mode. After 20-30 minutes, your rice will be ready, which the multicooker will notify you with a squeak.

Cooking rice in a steamer is also not difficult. The required amount of rice is washed, and at this time the water is brought to a boil in the steamer. The washed rice is placed in a steamer and cooked for 30-40 minutes.

As for the microwave oven, you won’t be able to save time on cooking rice with it. But some people love microwaves so much that they cook everything only in them. So, you will need to take a large bowl, pour rice into it, add water (the proportions are approximately as follows: for 450 g of rice - 600 ml of water). Cover the bowl with a lid and place in the oven. Turn on the microwave at full power for 5 minutes, then reduce the power by half and cook the rice for another 15 minutes. Then turn off the stove, but do not open it and leave the rice to rise for another 10 minutes. There is no need to stir the rice with this method of cooking.

Rice in a cauldron, in a saucepan and in a frying pan

You can cook rice in a regular saucepan, in a cauldron, and even in a frying pan. Before cooking, rice is washed in seven waters (make no mistake, rice is not produced under sterile laboratory conditions). Then the rice is poured with salted water and cooked under the lid until tender for about twenty minutes. If you want crumbly rice, fill it with cold water. If you need sticky rice for sushi or minced meat, add boiling water. If you plan to cook rice in a frying pan, take a better saucepan and fry the rice a little in oil before cooking. Experts say that rice turns out the most delicious in a frying pan. But here is the secret of good rice for pilaf. Before you start preparing the pilaf, soak the rice in cold water and fry the meat, onions and carrots - in general, follow the recipe. When everything is ready and only rice remains to be added to the pilaf, drain the water, pour the rice into the cauldron and add water on top so that it covers the rice by two fingers. That is, the thickness of the water above the rice should be approximately 3-4 cm. The lid should be closed only when all the water has been absorbed into the rice.

Brown rice

Brown rice is cooked exactly the same as white rice, only longer - about 45 minutes. Therefore, after the rice is washed and filled with water, it is covered with a lid, brought to a boil and reduced to a minimum. The lid must be closed throughout the cooking time. Don't be afraid - the rice won't burn over low heat. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the stove, but do not touch the lid - let the rice sit for another 10 minutes. After this, the brown rice is completely cooked. Wild rice is prepared in approximately the same way and in the same amount, only you can use more water: for a cup of rice - three cups of water.

Milk porridges and soups with rice are also prepared simply: either the rice is boiled in water until almost completely cooked, and only then milk, salt, sugar and butter are added to it, or the rice is immediately poured with milk and boiled in it. Since there are no special requirements regarding friability for rice in porridge or milk soup, it is allowed to be stirred during the cooking process.

Despite the huge number of recipes and tutorials, learning how to cook perfect rice can only be done through practical exercises. Don't be intimidated, experiment, and sooner or later your rice will turn out great.

Side dishes for meat or fish face a rather difficult task - to correctly highlight the flavor range of the main dish. Housewives know that one of the universal options is boiled long-grain rice. However, quite often even experienced cooks are afraid of this cereal, because they do not know the exact answer to the question of how to cook long-grain rice.

Rice groats come in three types, differing in the amount of starch they contain:

round (suitable for porridges, casseroles, making sushi and rolls, that is, dishes where it is important that the grains stick together; this type of rice contains quite a lot of starch);
medium grain (added to soups);
long-grain (if properly prepared, it turns out crumbly, ideal for garnishing meat and fish, since the starch content in it is minimal).

How to cook it correctly?

The ability to cook long grain rice is one of the indicators by which culinary skill is assessed. To make the side dish crumbly and tasty, you need to carefully prepare it for heat treatment:

sort out the cereal and place in a colander;
Rinse;
Lightly shake the rice in a colander to drain.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. long grain rice;
2 liters of filtered water;
2/3 tbsp. l. table salt.

Preparation:

Pour water into a saucepan and bring to a boil, add some salt.
Add the rice and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the grains do not stick to the bottom of the dish.
The finished cereal is washed with cold water and doused with boiling water before serving - the side dish will become hot again.

How long to cook long grain rice in a slow cooker and steamer?

Kitchen appliances can significantly reduce the cooking time of a particular dish. This is also true for long grain rice.

Features of preparing polished and steamed rice

What to serve with rice side dish?

A versatile side dish served on wide plates. Ideal for rice:

meat (fried, stewed);
fish (baked, fried);
sautéed vegetables;
tomato sauces.

If you cooked a lot of rice and didn’t eat it at one time, it doesn’t matter. It can be reheated quite simply in a saucepan or microwave - 1-2 minutes is enough. Just add a little water so as not to dry out the side dish.

Rice is loved by many families for its healthy qualities, mild taste and consistency. Housewives prefer to cook cereal as a side dish, and this is not surprising. Boiled rice goes well with fish, meat, stewed vegetables, and mushrooms. Thanks to its versatility, the dish will not leave even the most sophisticated gourmet indifferent. However, during the cooking process, difficulties may arise associated with the heat treatment of a particular variety of rice.

How to cook steamed rice as a side dish

A special feature of this type of rice is its hard shell. First you need to rinse the grains under plenty of water. It is necessary to eliminate white deposits; after washing, the water should become clear.
Then you need to soak the rice. To do this, pour the grains into a deep bowl or pan and fill with purified water. The exposure time is 35-45 minutes, during which time the shell will soften.
Now you can start cooking. Pour 500 ml into the pan. water, add your favorite spices if desired or use chicken broth as a base. Salt the liquid and bring to a boil.
For 0.5 l. water is 200 grams. rice grains. Pour them into the boiling liquid and stir immediately. Turn the burner to low and cook the rice, covered, for 20 minutes.
When the set time has elapsed, remove the dishes from the stove, add butter (optional). Close the container with a lid and let the rice sit for a quarter of an hour. Use as a side dish.

How to cook long rice as a side dish

Long-grain rice has a high content of starch and foreign dust, so rinsing is indispensable. Place the mixture in a sieve or bowl and pour water over it 6-7 times. When the liquid becomes clear, proceed to the next step.
Prepare a heat-resistant dish for cooking; it should have a thick bottom and sides. Place 200 grams of rice grains in a pan, pour 450 ml. filtered water at room temperature. Do not add salt at this stage.
Place the container on fire and set the power to medium. Bring the mixture to a boil with the lid closed. Now you can salt the rice to taste. Set the heat to maximum, simmer for 5 minutes, reduce to minimum.
Continue cooking the rice for another 12-15 minutes, covered. There is no need to mix the composition, otherwise the grains will stick together and form a porridge. After the allotted time has passed, turn off the burner.
If desired, add a piece of butter. Let the side dish sit for 15 minutes; for best effect, place a towel over the pan. Start tasting.

Cooking begins with preparing the grains. This step should not be skipped, as it sets the tone for the entire dish. To begin manipulation, you need to pour the rice into a sieve, then rinse under the tap 5-7 times.
You can carry out the procedure in a colander. After all actions, the water should become completely transparent. It is this feature that suggests that you can go further.
Now move the grains into a deep bowl or basin, fill with filtered water and wait 20-30 minutes. During this time, the rice will soften a little, making it easier to work with.
You can start cooking. Drain the liquid and rinse the cereal again under the tap. Take a thick-bottomed pan, pour 2 parts water to 1 part rice.
Don’t throw in the grains yet, add salt to the water. Place on the stove and wait until the first bubbles appear. When the salt granules dissolve, add 30 ml. vegetable or olive oil.
Add rice to the boiling liquid and immediately begin stirring. Reduce the burner power to medium and cover the pan with a lid. Cooking time is 12-15 minutes.
During the entire heat treatment, rice should not be stirred. Otherwise, the grains will stick together and you will not be able to use the grains as a side dish.
After the specified period has passed, turn off the heat and do not open the container. Place a towel on the pan and wait a third of an hour. Many housewives prefer to add butter at this stage.

How to cook black rice as a side dish

The cereal must be processed in advance. Rich black rice is difficult to prepare, so follow the basic instructions. Sort out the dry grains, place them in a saucepan and cover with running water.
Wait a certain period of time for the rice to settle to the bottom and the excess dust to remain at the top. Drain the liquid, repeat the steps 4-5 more times. Each time you soak, knead the grains vigorously. Once all the dirt has been removed, move on.
It is advisable to soak black rice in water at room temperature; it will become softer and more pliable. To do this, pour filtered liquid into a bowl, add grains, and leave overnight (at least 7 hours).
Start cooking on the stove. Prepare a thick-walled pan, fill it with water so that for 1 part of rice there are 3 parts of water passed through the filter. Don't add the grains yet.
Bring the liquid until the first bubbles appear, keeping to the maximum mark. Pour black rice into boiling water and wait until it boils again.
When this happens, reduce the heat on the stove to low and add salt to taste. Cover with a lid and simmer the exotic cereal for about 25-30 minutes. During this time, the rice will soften and cook.
Remove the dishes from the heat, place the cereal in a colander or sieve. Rinse from a pitcher of filtered water, removing excess starch. Now scald the mixture with boiling water, wait a little, and serve.

Cooking brown rice always begins with pre-rinsing. This must be done to remove dust and starch residues. Place the mixture in a sieve and rinse under the tap. You need to bring the water to a clear state.
Now scald the grains with boiling water to seal the beneficial elements inside the shell. Place the rice in a bowl, cover with purified water, and let sit overnight. If you don't have a lot of time, reduce the duration to 4-5 hours.
Place the soaked rice in a thick-bottomed pan, add 20 grams. salt per 250 gr. grains Now add 650-800 ml. purified water, place the cookware on the stove. Stir and bring to a boil.
Cover the container with a lid and cook on maximum heat for about 7 minutes. Next, reduce the power to between medium and minimum. Stir the mixture, simmer the cereal for another half hour, do not open the container.
After the set period has passed, turn off the burner, add a slice of butter (optional), and place a towel over the lid. Let the side dish sit for 30-45 minutes, then serve on plates.

How to cook red rice as a side dish

Red rice is an unpolished type, so the grains must be sorted before cooking. Remove foreign debris and damaged specimens. For convenience, place rice on the table one handful at a time.
When the entire volume of grains has been sorted out, spread the rice in a thin layer over the work surface. Once again, evaluate whether the composition contains pebbles, crushed elements, or husks. If necessary, eliminate everything unnecessary.
Place the red rice in a deep bowl and rinse under the tap until the water becomes completely clear. You will need 5-8 repetitions.
If desired, rice can be soaked in water at room temperature and left for 2 hours. If you don't have time, start cooking. Pour 0.6 liters into the pan. filtered water, add 0.2 kg. rice, add 10 gr. salt.
Place the container on the fire and cook at maximum power. When the water boils, remove the foam, cover the container with a lid, and reduce the burner to low.
After 35-45 minutes, evaluate the consistency of the grains; they should be soft. If the cereal crunches on your teeth, simmer the rice for another 10 minutes. Turn off the burner and leave the side dish covered for a quarter of an hour.
In some cases, the liquid in which the cereal is cooked takes on a brownish tint. In such situations, drain it immediately after boiling and add new water. Salt the dish 5 minutes before it is ready.

The difficulty in cooking wild rice is that the grains are quite hard. The bran-type shell inhibits beneficial enzymes, and the shell does not cook well.
Before cooking rice, you need to soak it. Thanks to this, the water will wash away the starch, making the finished dish crumbly and healthy. To soak, rinse the cereal under the tap 5-7 times, the water should not be cloudy.
Next, pour the rice into a bowl, cover with filtered water, and leave for 6 hours. After the specified time has passed, rinse the grains again. You can increase the soaking time to 10 hours to get healthier sprouted rice.
After washing and soaking, you can begin heat treatment. Pour 750 ml into the cooking vessel. clean water, salt, place the container on the stove. Wait until bubbles appear, then add the rice and cover the pan with a lid.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring. Now reduce the heat to low and cook the wild rice for another half hour. There is no need to stir it, otherwise it will turn out to be a mess. Readiness is determined by visual inspection; rice grains increase 3-4 times.

Regardless of the type of rice, do not neglect preliminary preparation. You need to rinse and soak the cereal, then you can start cooking. A tasty side dish is made from all varieties of rice grains, but the most useful are the brown, black, wild, steamed and red ones.

Video: how to properly cook fluffy rice

It would seem that what could be simpler than cooked rice? Perhaps you are one of those people who manages to cook perfect rice no matter the location, cookware, stove or type of rice. However, chefs, trying to create a unified formula for cooking rice, agreed that only experience and numerous experiments will help you find your ideal method. There are too many variables involved in the cooking process.

2. Soak the rice

Soaking allows the rice to cook faster and more evenly. Plus, soaking allows you to not have to think about two variables: curing and drying. Both processes affect the moisture content of the rice - the drier the rice, the more water will be needed to cook it. Since you are often not familiar with this information, soaking rice saves you unnecessary worries.

3. Cold or boiling water?

Depends on the method you will use to cook the rice. Typically, rice is cooked in cold water with the lid closed. When the water boils, reduce the heat and continue to cook the rice with the lid closed over very low heat until the water is completely absorbed. In boiling water, cook the rice with the lid open until the water boils away, then the heat is reduced, the rice is covered with a lid and it is steamed over very low heat. The method chosen depends largely on the type of rice and the dish being prepared.

4. To interfere or not to interfere? To salt or not to salt?

Do not stir or add salt if you want to cook fluffy rice rather than risotto or porridge. Stirring and salt destroy the structure of the grain, making it more sticky.

5. Proportions of water and rice

You can write a “doctoral dissertation” about this, hundreds of pages long, with a bunch of formulas, calculations and tables. I will limit myself to just a few conclusions. The proportion of 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water is far from universal. To prepare fluffy rice with a moisture content of 64%, 145 grams of water are needed per 100 grams of rice with a moisture content of 12%. One glass of rice is approximately 205 g, which means that you need 1 glass of water, or 240 grams, to cook it. Provided that the water does not evaporate during the cooking process.

So, it all depends on how much water evaporates during the cooking process and the cooking time itself.

Most white rice takes 15-20 minutes to cook. If the rice has been pre-soaked, the cooking time is reduced by almost half (but this does not mean that half the water is required, since most of the water evaporates).

Water loss depends on two components: the tightness of the lid and the width of the pan. If you cook rice in a deep and narrow pan, you will need less water, and vice versa.

Since it is impossible to predict all these components, it is not possible to give universal instructions. Therefore, the only way to perfect rice and ideal proportions of water and rice is trial and error. However, let me point out that the more rice you cook, the less water you will need. For example, to prepare fluffy long-grain rice (without pre-soaking), the following “golden” rule applies:

1 cup rice – 1 ½ cups water

2 cups rice – 2 ¾ cups water

3 cups rice – 3 ½ cups water.

I hope the above tips will help you improve your rice cooking process and achieve outstanding results every time. And as a bonus, I suggest you watch an exclusive video: 3 brilliant rules, and you will always get fluffy rice!

The most popular product in the whole world is not potatoes, as many may believe. After all, everyone probably thought so all the time. But this product is the well-known rice. A huge number of dishes are prepared from it, ranging from simple boiled rice and pilaf to sushi, which people eat both in Japan and around the world. Rice is essentially a unique product, especially considering its cheapness compared to other cereals and cereals. And, probably, it was the low cost of this product, as well as its nutritional value, that made rice the most popular product on our planet. In addition, rice is very easy to prepare; for the simplest rice dish you only need water and salt.

But often, housewives who want to cook rice for their family do not get the proportions of rice and water right, so it either turns out boiled or even burns at the bottom of the pan and has to be simply thrown away. To prevent this from happening, you need to know how to cook rice: the proportions of water and rice. With such knowledge, you will never go wrong and make rice exactly the way you want.

Rice and its role in the lives of people on our planet

It is believed that the homeland of rice is Southeast Asia. This is where this product came to us. And even today, you can’t find rice terraces in the country, so all the rice is imported. And in Asia they eat it every day. They don’t even have the idea that they can eat anything other than rice. There seems to be a rule that rice must be present in all dishes prepared for the family.

This is all because rice contains fast carbohydrates (just like bread), therefore, you can quickly get enough of it and the body will have enough energy received from a portion of rice for a long time. Therefore, you should not eat rice with bread, especially for those who are actively struggling with excess weight, because this, one hundred percent, will harm your figure.

It is also worth saying that rice comes in different types, for example, crushed, polished, round. For example, polished rice is used to prepare pilaf, and round rice is used for sushi.

Also, rice is very popular in South and North America. Here people love to eat it combined with boiled beans, which makes the dish even more filling.

If you delve deeper into this topic, you will find out that so many dishes are prepared from rice that no other product can boast of a similar amount. Therefore, based on this, we can draw a logical conclusion that rice is a universal product. After all, it has a fairly neutral taste, which means that rice “absorbs” the taste of what it is served with, for example, the taste of fried meat.

How to cook rice at home

In order to cook rice, you need to correctly calculate the proportions of rice and water. This can be done in two ways.

The first one is suitable for those who want to cook fluffy rice. To do this, you need to take 1 part of rice and mix it with 2 parts of water, that is, 1:2. Cook the rice with the lid closed over low heat.

The second method will be useful for those people who want to cook not fluffy rice, but, as it were, rice porridge. You don't need any specific skills for this. It is worth taking the rice, rinsing it and putting it in a pan. After this, add enough water so that it covers the rice and is 5-7 centimeters above its level. This rice should be cooked with the lid closed and over low heat.

Using these rules, your rice will always come out exactly the way you want it to, and you will no longer be frustrated by the rice being burnt. Therefore, you will never again enter the phrase on the Internet, in the search bar: “How to cook rice, proportions of water and rice,” because now you know it all by heart and will even be able to give advice to your friends about this, and they, in their turn, they will be very grateful to you.

If you want to cook fluffy rice, you need to rinse it under cold water before cooking. This way you will 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.

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Some dishes, such as, require sticky rice. In this case, there is no need to rinse it. As a last resort, you can limit yourself to one rinse to wash away all 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 you need twice as much water to cook rice. But this is an approximate proportion. It is better to measure the amount 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.

Measure rice and water with a measuring cup - it’s much more convenient. A standard serving for one is 65 ml of dry rice.

Dishes

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

Cooking rules

If you cook rice in a saucepan, first bring salted water to a boil, and then pour the cereal into it. Stir the rice once to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom. Then wait until the dish begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.

Do not lift the lid during cooking, otherwise the rice will take longer to cook. If you want the rice to be fluffy, do not stir it (except for 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 sit covered for 10-15 minutes. If there is any water left in the cooked rice, drain it or cover the pan with a dry towel: it will absorb excess moisture.

If you cook rice in a frying pan, use dishes with a diameter of 24 cm, high sides and a lid. Rice is cooked in it 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 you need to pour boiling water over it and cook as described above.

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Seasonings

The good thing about rice is that you can always change its taste a little. For example, using the following:

saffron;
curry;
cardamom;
cumin;
caraway;
cinnamon;
carnation.

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

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

Bonus: How to Prepare Sushi Rice

Special Japanese rice is used to prepare sushi. You can replace it with regular round grain.
Before cooking, rice should be washed 5-7 times. It is better to discard the floating grains.
Pour washed rice with cold water in a ratio of 1: 1.5. You can add a piece of nori seaweed to the pan for flavor, but you need to remove it before boiling.
Cook the rice covered: before boiling - over medium heat, after - at minimum for about 15 minutes. Then you need to remove the rice from the stove and let it stand for another 15 minutes.
Ready rice must be seasoned with a special dressing. To prepare it, pour 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar into a separate pan, add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt and heat the mixture over medium heat until the bulk ingredients are completely dissolved.
Place the rice in a wide bowl, pour over the sauce and stir gently with a wooden spatula. After this, cool and start preparing sushi.

Do you know other ways to cook delicious rice? Share your secrets and recipes in the comments.

Boiling rice, like cooking, is a seemingly trivial matter, which in practice can end in failure. Depending on the type of rice and its further purpose, cooking technologies may differ, and what you previously considered ideal rice may in fact be very far from the classical understanding of this term. We will discuss how to properly cook rice as a side dish below.

How to properly cook short grain rice as a side dish?

Cooking round rice can be the biggest challenge since round grains have the highest starch content. Here it is necessary to strictly adhere to proportions and preparation time.

Ingredients:

round rice - 1 tbsp.;
water - 1 1/4 tbsp.

Preparation

First, wash the rice grains in plenty of water, changing the liquid 3-4 times. Pour a new portion of fresh water over the rice grains and leave for half an hour. This procedure will restore the moisture content in the dried grains and avoid them from overcooking in the future. After time has passed, let the excess liquid drain, pour the rice into the pan and fill with water and calculate 1: 1.2. After placing the pan over the fire, immediately cover it with a lid and leave everything to cook for 12-13 minutes over low heat. After time has passed, look under the lid to make sure all the water has been absorbed. Cover the pan again and leave the rice for 10 minutes, no longer over the heat. The preparation of the fluffy rice for the side dish is finished, all that remains is to mix it with a special spatula and you can try.

The rules for cooking long grain rice are similar if you want to get crumbly cereal, only in the case of long grain rice, cooking water should be added based on a 1:1 ratio.

Before preparing delicious rice as a side dish, rinse the cereal until clean, fill it with fresh water and leave for half an hour. Place the rice in a colander and allow all excess water to drain, then pour the cereal into a bowl with a thick bottom and a tight-fitting lid. Pour in twice as much water and leave the grains on low heat for 12-14 minutes. Once cooking is complete, allow the remaining liquid to be completely absorbed, leaving the rice covered for another 20 minutes.

You can also cook by selecting the appropriate mode on the device for an automatically set time. At the end of cooking, stir the rice with a fork and season with butter.