How to cook rice: main rules and secrets

How to cook rice: main rules and secrets

We tell you how to cook it in a saucepan, frying pan, slow cooker and microwave.

How to cook rice

If you want to cook fluffy rice, you need to wash it under cool water before cooking. This way you will get rid of starch, which is responsible for stickiness. Wash the rice about 5 times or more until the water runs clear. It is most convenient to perform this function using a small sieve.

Footage: Tasty/YouTube

To make certain dishes, such as risotto, you need glutinous rice. In this case, there is no need to rinse it. Or you can limit yourself to one rinse to wash away all excess.

To make the rice cook faster, you can soak it for 30–60 minutes. Then the production time will be reduced by almost half. But with all this, it is better to reduce the amount of water used for cooking.

How much water to take

It is usually believed that twice as much water is needed to make this cereal for us. 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 coffee - 1: 2.5–3;
• for a wild one - 1: 3.5.

Be sure to read the instructions on the packaging. The manufacturer literally understands what kind of processing the rice has undergone and gives a hint about the best volume of water for the grain.

Measure rice and water with a measuring cup - it’s even more convenient. The usual serving for 1 person is 65 ml of dry grains.

What to add to rice

You literally need salt. For 1 cup of grains, ¹⁄₂ teaspoon is enough. Although it is better to adjust the quantity according to your preferences.

Rice is not bad because its taste can always be changed a little. For example, using the following seasonings:

• 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 herbs, citrus zest, or cooked not in water, but in meat or chicken broth.

How long to cook rice

It depends on the method of production and the type of rice. Therefore, cooking time can vary from 20 to 60 minutes. Below you will find all the details.

How to cook rice in a saucepan

It is better to use dishes with a thick bottom: the temperature is distributed moderately in it.

First, bring salted water to a boil, and then pour the cereal into it. Stir the rice once so that the grains do not stick to the bottom. Then wait until the dish begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.

Footage: Downshiftology / YouTube

During the cooking process, do not lift the lid - otherwise the rice will take longer to cook. If you want the cereal to be crumbly, do not mix it (except for the first time). Otherwise, the grains will break and release starch.

The average cooking time after re-boiling, depending on the type of rice, is:

• for snow-white - 20 minutes;
• for steamed - 30 minutes;
• for coffee - 40 minutes;
• for the feral - 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 finished porridge, drain it or cover the pan with a dry towel: it will absorb excess water.

Footage: Downshiftology / YouTube

How to cook rice in a frying pan

Use a frying pan with a diameter of 24 cm, high sides and a lid.

Rice is cooked in it almost the same way as in a saucepan, except for one aspect: 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 it must be poured with boiling water and cooked in the same way as in the method above.

How to cook rice in a slow cooker

Place the rice in the multicooker bowl. Add water and the spices you need. Close the lid and set the mode to “Cereals”, “Rice”, “Pilaf” or “Buckwheat”. The approximate cooking time for rice is:

• for snow-white - 30 minutes;
• for steamed - 30–40 minutes;
• for coffee - 50 minutes;
• for a feral - 50–60 minutes.

Footage: AmyLearnsToCook / YouTube

How to cook rice in the microwave

Place the rice in a microwave-safe container. It is better that the cereal does not take up more than ¹⁄₃ of the volume of the dishes. Add water and spices.

Cook white and steamed rice for 15–20 minutes at full power. Then stir, cover and leave in a closed, turned off microwave for 5-10 minutes.

Cook brown and wild rice for 5 minutes at full power first. Then stir, set the power to medium and cook for another 20-25 minutes. Leave covered in a closed microwave for 10-15 minutes.

If the grains remain firm, continue cooking, checking every 1-2 minutes and adding water if necessary.

Savory rice side dishes: TOP 4 recipes

• Secrets and individualities of manufacturing
• Rice with vegetables
• Fried rice in a frying pan
• Rice with shrimp and tomatoes
• Rice with vegetables and mushrooms
• Video recipes

Cooks all over the world of the most recognizable conventional cuisines find extensive use for rice. It is added to casseroles, salads, and soups. But among the huge number of recipes, side dishes occupy a special place. Risotto, rice with vegetables, rice with seafood, casserole with rice, Indian rice... - these are all hearty and tasty side dishes that include rice. Do you want to expand your culinary horizons and find out how to prepare beautifully flavored rice side dishes? This section offers the TOP 4 recipes that can not only highlight the taste, but also preserve all the nutrients in the dish.

Secrets and individualities of manufacturing

How to cook rice correctly? Each package contains {instructions} detailing this common activity. But in order to get crumbly rice and not a mushy mass, you need to know certain rules.

• When buying rice, pay attention to the grains. Refuse the pack of broken rice. The chaff is cooked faster than whole grains, and as a result the side dish will be overcooked.
• The healthiest varieties of rice are wild and unpolished. They retain a maximum of the necessary substances, and when finished they always turn out crumbly, grain by grain.
• The most common method for making fluffy rice is to drain it in a colander and drain the water. You need to repeat the function until it becomes transparent. But with this method, some of the necessary substances are lost along with water.
• Use only cool water for rinsing. Since the rice will begin to absorb warm water, and as a result, during the cooking process you will end up with a slimy and sticky porridge.
• In order to preserve all vitamins (a group of low-molecular organic compounds of relatively simple structure and varied chemical nature), heat water in a saucepan and add washed and dried rice to boiling water, adding vegetable oil. You can also fry the rice in oil in advance, stirring so that the rice grains are one hundred percent saturated with oil and become transparent. Then pour boiling water over it.
• The proportions of rice and water are 1:2. During cooking, the rice will absorb all the water.
• Cook rice in a thick-walled saucepan and cauldron. Such dishes heat up moderately and retain heat for a longer time. In an enamel and narrow pan, the rice burns within a day, while the top layer still remains raw.
• Cook the rice under the lid and do not remove it during cooking and do not stir the rice. After the water boils, reduce the heat to low.

Rice with vegetables

A savory side dish of fluffy rice with vegetables. It goes well with meat, fish, salads. Any fruit can be used as vegetables. The proposed recipe can be supplemented with broccoli, eggplant, sweet pepper, green peas, corn, etc.

• Calorie content per 100 g - 125 kcal.
• Number of servings - 4
• Production time - 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 tbsp.
• Vegetable oil - for frying
• Carrots - 2 pcs.
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 2 tbsp.

Making rice with vegetables:

1. Peel the onion, rinse and chop into quarter rings.
2. Peel the carrots, rinse and grate on a large grater.
3. Pour vegetable oil into a thick-bottomed pan and heat it well. Add the onion and sauté lightly. Then add the carrots and fry until golden.
4. Wash the rice well, changing the water so that all the gluten is washed out and the water is clear. Then add it to the vegetables.
5. Fry rice with vegetables for 5 minutes, add salt and water.
6. Boil water, cover the pan with a lid and cook the rice until cooked so that it absorbs all the water.
7. Then turn off the heat and leave the rice and vegetables to stand for 10 minutes.

Fried rice in a frying pan

Fried rice in a frying pan comes out fluffy and very tasty. Preparatory frying before cooking makes it crumbly. This rice will be a good side dish for fish, meat, or serve as an independent dish.

Ingredients:

• Steamed rice - 1 tbsp.
• Water - 2 tbsp.
• Salt - 1 tsp.
• Seasoning for pilaf - 1 tsp.
• Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp.

Making Pan Fried Rice:

1. Pour vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat thoroughly.
2. Pour dry rice into hot oil and fry it over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, so that it absorbs the oil and first becomes transparent, and later turns yellowish-golden.
3. Salt the rice, add seasoning to the pilaf, stir and fry for another 1 minute.
4. Add cool water to the rice and boil.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and cook it over medium heat for 15 minutes so that it absorbs the water. There is no need to stir it during production.
6. After a while, turn the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes without stirring.
7. Then remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice for 10 minutes to steam.

Rice with shrimp and tomatoes

A simple and savory dish of rice, shrimp and cherry tomatoes. It turns out tasty and spicy. Instead of cherry tomatoes, you can use ordinary dense fruits, for example, cream. And if you don’t like shrimp, do without them or replace them with other seafood.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 tbsp.
• Boiled-frozen peeled shrimp - 300 g
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Cherry tomatoes - 15 pcs.
• Parsley - 3 sprigs
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp. for frying
• Lemon juice - 0.5 tsp.
• Salt - to taste

Making rice with shrimp and tomatoes:

1. Wash the rice and boil in salted water until fully cooked.
2. Pour boiling water over frozen shrimp and leave for 5 minutes. Then drain the water.
3. Wash the cherry tomatoes, dry them and cut them in half.
4. Finely chop the washed parsley.
5. Peel the garlic, chop finely and fry in a frying pan in olive oil for 1 minute, stirring.
6. Add tomatoes to the pan and stir.
7. Next, add shrimp, parsley to the pan and season everything with lemon juice.
8. Salt the products to taste and simmer covered over low heat for 3 minutes.
9. Add rice to the pan, stir, cover with a lid, turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes.

Rice with vegetables and mushrooms

A side dish of rice, vegetables and mushrooms - the dish is quite simple to prepare, but turns out to be catchy and very tasty. The recipe is suitable for fresh and frozen vegetables. This side dish can be served as a main dish, or supplemented with cutlets, sausage, meat, etc.

Ingredients:

• Steamed rice - 300 g
• Champignons – 300 g
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Carrots - 1 pc.
• Frozen green peas – 100 g
• Frozen green beans - 100 g
• Canned corn - 100 g
• Salt - to taste
• Vegetable oil - for frying

Making rice with vegetables and mushrooms:

1. Boil the rice until tender in salted water, in accordance with the instructions on the manufacturer's packaging. Place the finished rice in a sieve to drain excess water, if any.
2. Wash the mushrooms and chop coarsely. Place them in a deep frying pan with vegetable oil, put on fire and fry for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Peel the onion, cut into small cubes and sauté in a separate frying pan with heated vegetable oil, stirring, until golden brown.
4. Peel the carrots, cut into small cubes or grate on a large grater and add to the onion. Stir and fry the vegetables for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until half cooked.
5. Place the fried vegetables in the pan with the mushrooms and stir.
6. Next add the frozen peas and beans and fry for a few minutes. When the vegetables have softened, add the corn, stir and fry for a few minutes.
7. Place boiled rice in a frying pan, add salt to taste and add your favorite spices.
8. Stir the ingredients, keep them on the fire for 5-7 minutes, stirring, then remove from the heat, cover with a lid and let the side dish sit for 10 minutes.

Video recipes for making rice side dishes.

How to cook fluffy rice as a side dish - 4 tips, proportions

Rice goes well with any food, be it vegetables or meat, and is easy to make, which is why cereal is very popular among housewives. But even with a small mistake made during the cooking process, the side dish loses its taste and loses its appetizing appearance, as the grains of rice stick together. How to properly cook rice for a side dish so that it is crumbly, will be told by the advice of the most experienced chefs.

Preparation

Be sure to prepare the cereal before production, because there may be dirt with microbes on it, deposited during packaging or from improper storage. Moreover, there is starch on the cereal: it is this that gives clear water its snow-white, cloudy color. Follow these simple steps:

• fill a deep cup with water to the very top;
• pour grains of rice into the container and leave for 30-40 minutes;
• change the water after the time has elapsed and hold for another 10-15 minutes;
• Using a small sieve, wash the cereal to remove any remaining starch.

Washed rice becomes crumbly after cooking, and it takes even less time to cook. The grains are already saturated with water from the inside, so the time for cooking them is significantly reduced.

Proportions

If you cook the side dish in a regular saucepan, you will need water. Add it approximately twice as much as the cereal itself. The exact proportion depends on the type of product. Detailed information is presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Cooking rice cereal

If you are unsure about how much water to add, take a look at the manufacturing tips. They are often provided by the manufacturer on the product packaging.

Manufacturing rules

Pour water into the pan, add a little salt, and when it boils, add the side dish. Immediately stir the contents with a wooden spoon so that the grains of rice do not stick to the bottom. Then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. The more often you open and inspect the contents, the longer it will take to cook. Cooking time varies for each type of cereal and is presented in Table 2.

Table 2. Cooking time

When the indicated time has elapsed, drain the water and keep the contents of the pan under the lid for another 10-15 minutes so that the taste infuses.

Another unusual production method is preparatory frying of rice in a wok or cauldron, and then boiling it. This method allows you to give the grains additional friability and a pleasant taste. Pour a little oil into the deepest vat, place the prepared raw side dish in it, fry over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, and then fill with bubbling water and cook according to the tips given above.

Adding Seasonings

When the dish is almost ready, seasonings will help give it a little piquancy or flavor. The following spices are unsurpassed:

• cinnamon;
• curry;
• saffron;
• caraway;
• cumin;
• cardamom;
• carnation;
• thyme;
• rosemary.

Sprinkle spices only into the finished side dish, which no longer contains water. If you love meat, cook rice in chicken broth, and it will also be a hearty option for lunch. If desired, add a piece of butter to the prepared side dish and stir it quickly until completely dissolved. The rice will then be crumbly and very appetizing.

Serve the finished rice to the table immediately while it is still hot. If you have some of the product left after dinner, store it in the refrigerator, just wait until it cools completely and transfer it to a food container. Cereals can remain in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 days, then they gradually lose their taste properties. Do not cook a very large amount of side dish, cook just enough so that you can eat it at a time.

We also recommend preparing pork with prunes for rice.

How to cook fluffy rice - 8 secrets for making rice as a side dish

What food could be simpler and more unpretentious? What food could be more refined and refined? All these seemingly contradictory definitions refer to the same product. To the rice.

Snow-white rice can please any mood, because it is the only grain that has a truly neutral and pure taste. Thanks to this, rice has the ability to be combined with any food product. Meat and fish, vegetables and milk - you can add whatever your heart desires to rice, so you can get a new dish every day.

In addition, due to the simplicity and even a certain breathtaking “modesty” of its own taste, rice is very “friendly” with any spices, which opens up virtually endless horizons for the culinary imagination.

Boiled fluffy rice is an unfading classic not only of oriental, but, nowadays, of any everyday cuisine. This is an all-purpose side dish for anything, an indispensable component of some salads, and simply a tasty dish on its own, without any additions.

Do you know how to cook real, all-purpose rice - fluffy, not sticky, grain to grain? If not, let's learn.

There is also a necessary article on my blog - buckwheat porridge with water and milk. I advise you to read it, there is a lot of useful information there.

How to cook fluffy rice as a side dish

Rice, as we have already mentioned, is a simple and simple dish. But for this dish to be tasty, it’s not easy to just take it and boil it. To make the “correct” rice that will please even the most picky taste, you need to know a few secrets. For now, we will reveal them for you.

Let's go to the kitchen and let's master all the subtleties in practice. Take out a bag of cereal and a saucepan from the cabinet.

Theater, as is clear, begins with a hanger, and cooking begins with the necessary utensils. What kind of saucepan have you prepared for cooking rice? Put the enamel one aside immediately - the dish will definitely burn in it. Duralumin is also not suitable.

1. At this point, you will learn the first secret of properly cooked rice: you need to boil it in a deep container with thick walls. Yes, a metal cauldron will be just right. A saucepan with a thick bottom will also work.

The fact is that this cereal “loves” uniform heating. In a good metal pan, the grains of rice are thoroughly heated on all sides, and at the end of cooking, when the outer shell of the grain has already softened, uniform heat allows the core of the grain to steam. Thus, any grain of rice retains a uniform structure.

This is difficult to achieve with aluminum cookware, because narrow aluminum is not able to accumulate heat and send it deep into the product.

2. Now about the rice itself.

Which one, by the way, are you going to generously pour in for cooking? Put the round one aside without regret - it is only suitable for porridges, casseroles and sushi. When planning to prepare fluffy rice, take long-grain rice, such as “Jasmine” or “Basmati”. And this is the second secret of proper rice. I don’t like steamed rice - it has a slightly different taste and density; ordinary rice tastes better.

So, take 1 cup of dry long rice. If there is any, choose the rubbish and black rice, we have no use for them.

3. First, wash it thoroughly with water. Do this as thoroughly as possible! From cloudy and snow-white, the water should become clean and transparent, so rinse without being lazy, as many times as necessary.

And this is the 3rd secret of proper rice - thorough rinsing before cooking.

You need to wash it at least 7 times.

4. Take your time to relax. The rinsing water should only be cool. Not warm and not hot. And this is the fourth secret of proper rice - wash it only in cool water.

The fact is that before cooking we need to preserve the natural texture of the grains. Rice is a very tender product, and warm or hot water can cause the starch in its outer shell to cook, and the texture of the grain will be disrupted.

5. So, you have washed the rice with cool water and placed it in a cauldron with thick walls. Now you need to fill the cereal with water.

And here, pay attention, there is a 5th secret to perfectly cooked rice. Cereals and water must be measured strictly in a 2:3 ratio.

Therefore, since we have one glass of rice, we’ll take one and a half glasses of water.

6. Place the cauldron on the stove and start cooking.

Fundamentally! First, we make a big fire on the stove under the rice. Specifically the big one!

And this is the 6th secret of proper rice - to start making it with a huge fire.

So, our cauldron with rice is on high heat. Bring the rice to a boil and cover with a lid.

7. Now immediately reduce the heat to small. Just like that, sharply.

And this is the seventh secret of proper rice - you need to bring it to condition over low, “quiet” heat.

From the very beginning, when the rice in cool water was just put on the stove, until the very end of cooking, 15 minutes must pass.

So, the required 15 minutes have passed, you should turn off the fire. We don't open the lid!

Leave the cauldron with rice, covered, for another 15 minutes.

8. And here, please remember the last, eighth secret of proper rice. The lid for the dish with rice must be very tight, leaving no gap between itself and the pan. After turning off the heat, the rice should stand for some time and steam with heat. This way it will reach a suitable condition, but will not boil over. That’s why a sealed lid is needed – to create a “greenhouse” effect.

And finally, a good tip: before boiling the rice, it’s very good to add vegetable oil to a pan of water (for one to one and a half cups of dry cereal you will need about a tablespoon of oil). This technique will even better prevent the grains from sticking together.

There is also another fascinating method for making fluffy rice in a frying pan. Unlike the first recipe, washed and dried cereals are first fried in oil and only later water is added. You can add a clove of garlic for flavor. Let's look at the step-by-step manufacturing recipe.

The proportions of water and rice are the same - for 1 cup of rice - 1.5 cups of water.

Now you understand everything about making real, proper fluffy rice. Remember the eight secrets of making it, and you will certainly get that rice - beautiful, tasty, grain to grain.

And one more fundamental piece of advice: it is best to store any rice in a glass jar with a tight lid along with a dry hot pepper pod. Thanks to this, our rice will be protected from mustiness and will retain its original, gentle and neutral taste.

So, as you can see, rice is truly a versatile food. It simply should be in the bins of any housewife, becoming a huge help and relief for her in the culinary field.

Now you know the secrets and subtleties of using this amazing product. And having mastered the ordinary recipes for making fluffy rice we have proposed, you can proceed to the most complex and unique recipes.