Rice is a versatile grain with many valuable nutritional properties. Although it often appears on our tables, it is often difficult to prepare. Cooking rice will no longer be a problem for you if you learn a few simple tricks.
Some dishes require rice to have a loose consistency, while others require it to be sticky and soft. To ensure that the result of cooking rice is not just a coincidence, it’s a good idea to know how to achieve the desired consistency.
How a dish will come out with rice largely depends on the variety of rice. But not only. Sometimes the wrong way of cooking changes the structure and taste of this grain cardinally. We will also cook rice differently in the bag and without the bag, differently on water and on milk. See how to cook rice properly.
If you want to cook rice loose, rinse it with cold water. This will get rid of the starch, which is responsible for the stickiness of the product. Rinse the rice about five times, or even more, until the water becomes transparent. It is most convenient to do this with the help of a fine sieve.
For some dishes, such as risotto, we need sticky rice. In this case, it is not worth rinsing it. Or you can limit yourself to a single rinse to wash all the impurities out of it.
To cook the rice faster, you can soak it for 30-60 minutes. This will almost double the cooking time. In this case, however, it is better to reduce the amount of water you use for cooking.
It is commonly accepted that the ratio of water to grains of rice should be two to one. But this is a rough ratio. It’s better to depend the amount of liquid on the variety of rice:
If you decide to cook rice in a bag, you need enough water so that the bag is completely submerged in the liquid.
Be sure to read the instructions on the package. The manufacturer knows exactly what treatment the rice has undergone and will tell you what amount of water will be optimal for it.
It is best to use a pot with a thick bottom for this purpose – in it the temperature is distributed evenly. First, bring salted water to a boil and throw the rice into it. Stir once to prevent the grains from sticking to the bottom. Wait until the water boils again, turn the gas down to low and cover the pot with a lid.
Do not remove the lid during the cooking process, otherwise the rice will cook longer. If you want a loose consistency, do not stir the rice (except for the first time). Otherwise, the grains will break and release starch.
The average cooking time after bringing the water back to a boil depends on the type of rice and is:
When the rice is cooked, take it off the heat and let it stand covered for 10-15 minutes. If water remains in the cooked rice, pour it off or cover the pot with a dry towel to absorb excess moisture.
An alternative to rice in water is rice in milk. How to prepare it?
Prepare a cup of white round rice and rinse it well. Put it in a pot and pour half a cup of water over it. Then bring the contents to a boil and cook for about ten minutes, covered.
The water should have almost completely evaporated from the pot. In a separate pot, bring half a cup of milk to a boil. Pour it into the pot with the rice, add salt to taste, and sugar if desired.
Cook the rice, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spoon so that it does not burn. When it is ready, add a piece of butter. Enjoy!
Special Japanese rice is best suited for sushi. However, it may be replaced by regular round rice. Before cooking, rinse the rice 5 to 7 times. Then pour cold water over it in the proportion of 1 : 1.5. You can add a piece of nori seaweed to the pot for flavour, but before the water boils, you must remove it.
The rice is cooked covered. In the first stage – before the water comes to a boil – on medium heat and then on minimum for about 15 minutes. After this time turn off the gas and leave the rice covered for another 15 minutes.
When the rice is ready, season it with the special sauce. You can buy it or make it yourself. To do this, pour two tablespoons of rice vinegar into a separate pot, add one teaspoon of sugar, one teaspoon of salt and heat the mixture over medium heat until all the loose ingredients dissolve.
Transfer the rice to a wide bowl, pour the sauce over it and carefully stir it with a wooden spatula. Then cool the rice and get on with preparing the sushi. Good luck!
Photo by Pille R. Priske/Unsplash
