Rice is one of those foods that is simple to prepare and yet you can go wrong. Learning to cook rice is similar to learning to ride a bike. When you know how to cook fluffy, perfect rice every time, you easily tend to repeat the technique and wonder why your rice ended up any different.
Knowing how to cook great stovetop rice is a useful skill to have. It’s all about technique. Sometimes it’s hard, sometimes it’s gooey. So, here are some pointers to help you make the perfect rice every time your inner chef awakens.
Know your rice
Understand that the most frequent cooking ratio — 2 parts water to 1 part rice — does not work flawlessly for all types of rice. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all cooking ratio. Brown rice, for example, requires more water than white rice. So, before you start cooking, familiarise yourself with your rice.
Splash of oil
If you don’t want your rice to clump together, add a splash of oil or a piece of butter to the cooking water (about a tablespoon). As the rice cooks, it will become less sticky and more defined, making it ideal for putting in salads.
Don’t stir it while it’s cooking.
Unless you’re making risotto (which should be starchy), don’t stir the rice while it’s cooking. The rice will become starchy, thick, and gluey as a result of this, so resist the urge!
Quickly toast the rice
Simply heat a small amount of oil in your saucepan, add the rice, and simmer until the grains of rice turn golden and aromatic. Then just add the water and continue to cook as usual. The toasted taste will be slight, but just enough to brighten things up a little.
Place a kitchen towel underneath the lid
Place a kitchen towel below the cover during the last stages of cooking to absorb any moisture and keep it from becoming mushy. The towel captures the moisture that would otherwise fall back over the rice and cause it to get mushy. Make sure it doesn’t come into contact with the flame.
