How to cook rice: basic rules and cooking secrets

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Rice is called the third "bread" along with wheat and corn for a reason. It is a daily food for three billion inhabitants of our planet. Basically, rice instead of bread is used by the population of Asia. You probably noticed how little the past years affect the appearance of the Japanese, Vietnamese, Thais. And all because rice, which Asian peoples consume every day, contains many useful substances. In addition, this grain is completely free of gluten, a protein that is a strong allergen. But in order for the beneficial properties to be transferred from grain to the finished dish as fully as possible, you need to know how to cook rice. This process is both complex and simple at the same time. If you know all the secrets, then it will not be difficult for you to cook it. However, when you get down to business unprepared, then you will end up with half a pan of burnt porridge, over which half-baked grains will float in muddy water. To prevent this from happening, this article was written. We will talk about how to cook rice in a saucepan, slow cooker, oven; for sushi, casseroles, side dishes, paella, milk porridges. After alldifferent dishes require a different approach to grains.

Rice variety selection

This cereal has been cultivated by man for many millennia. It is added to soups, main hot dishes and side dishes are prepared, crushed into flour, and even desserts are made from it. Therefore, it is not surprising that breeders have bred several hundred varieties of rice. In addition, there are several other ways of primary processing of grain, which also affect its culinary properties. Therefore, before cooking rice, we will approach with all seriousness the choice of the appropriate variety. Gathered to cook pilaf? Do you want the rice for the side dish to be crumbly? Then choose Basmati, Devzira. The Jasmine variety is very good for side dishes with sauce and salads - white crumbly grains have a delicate aroma. Arborio is suitable for paella and risotto. Its slightly oval, almost round grains have medium stickiness. For soups, baby milk porridges and casseroles, take the Camolino variety. Due to the high starch content, rice comes out sticky. There are also Russian varieties grown in the Krasnodar Territory. And if you decide to serve rice as a main course, choose the water tsitsania variety. It is a wild cereal with dark, almost black grains. It is considered the most delicious and fragrant.

Primary grain processing

There are a lot of varieties of rice. And for convenience, culinary experts divide cereals into three categories. It is rice with long, oval and round grains. The first category is used when you want to get crumbly porridge orpilaf. The second is for salads, soups, special dishes such as Italian risotto or Spanish paella. And finally, round-grain varieties that are ideal for puddings, casseroles, sushi and viscous cereals. But rice, before going on sale, also undergoes primary processing. So, they distinguish polished groats. It cooks quickly, but as a result of processing (removing the useful top layer) it has lost most of its valuable qualities. Unpolished rice requires a long cooking time, but it turns out very tasty. Sushi and rolls are made from specially processed grain. Before you cook rice for a side dish, make sure that it is not crushed. From the latter, only puddings and viscous cereals are prepared. Steamed rice is the most popular among cooks. It is heat treated with hot air and then polished. As a result, the grain cooks quickly, but retains its beneficial properties.

The easiest, but also the most expensive way to cook

Since many in Europe do not know how to cook rice for a side dish, the food industry produces cereals in special bags. The grain is pre-soaked and washed. Then it is packaged in bags with small holes. These bags are designed for the fact that the cereal will swell, increase in volume. So not only an inexperienced housewife, but even a preschool child can cook rice in bags. You need to put a pot of water on the fire. When the liquid boils, s alt it and put a whole bag. The instructions indicate the time required to cook a particular type of rice. But you yourself will easily recognize when it is ready. Previously filledhalf the bag will become "pot-bellied". We turn off the fire. Pry the eye of the bag with a fork, pull it out onto a plate. We cut the bag and season the delicious rice with oil or sauce. The advantages of this cooking method are obvious: a minimum of hassle, and the pan remains almost clean. No burning, no risk that the grain will remain damp. And the only negative is the price.

How to cook rice in a pot. Grain preparation

There are many ways to prepare loose cereals. Consider first the first, the most common. Even long-grain rice contains starch, which turns into a paste when it comes into contact with hot water. It not only sticks grains together, but also prevents other products from penetrating deep. Therefore, such rice also comes out tasteless, insipid. And the grain must always be washed. If by chance you only have round rice with a high starch content, then it should also be soaked. Cooks recommend doing the same with unpolished varieties. Pour the rice with cold water so that the liquid is two fingers above the grain. Stir and leave for an hour or two, and sometimes overnight. If you are thinking about how to cook fluffy parboiled rice, then you can skip this step. But you need to rinse it well until the water that drains is completely clear. This is best done in a fine sieve. The soaked rice will swell slightly and the water will turn milky white. S alt it and wash the grains in a fine sieve.

Choice of dishes

Because now we are looking at how to cook rice ongarnish in a saucepan, then first of all you need to talk about the material from which it should be made. We immediately reject aluminum and copper containers. We need a pan that keeps the heat well inside. It is desirable that it is not a classic cylindrical shape, but a semicircular one. Ideal for cooking crumbly rice would be a cast-iron cauldron or stewpan. A caterpillar is also suitable, despite its oblong shape. Take care of the lid for the pot in advance. It should fit snugly, keeping the steam inside. It seems that we are too scrupulous in the choice of dishes? But the success of the dish directly depends on the thermal regime inside the pan. Grain is cooked not from fire, but from exposure to steam. By the way, pilaf is cooked only in a cauldron.

How to cook rice in water: proportions

So, we have chosen the right kind of cereal. Filled with grains. Washed them. We found a good cauldron. What's next? For a dish, no less important than the type of grain and the choice of suitable dishes is the correct ratio of cereals and water. It's impossible to answer clearly here. First, if you soaked the grain for a couple of hours, it has already absorbed the liquid. Therefore, water must be added in proportions one to one. And if we just washed the grain, then the ratio changes. In this case, a glass of rice requires two or three cups of water, depending on the type. The variety and primary processing of grain are of great importance. The way to cook round grain rice and basmati is very different. But the most important thing that affects the proportions of water and grain is the dish that you are planning to cook. But this does not mean at all thatcrumbly pilaf you need to pour in less liquid than expected. It is not recommended to disturb rice during cooking. Remove the lid and the steam will escape. Later we will tell you how to cook rice for sushi.

Cooking very crumbly porridge

Washed long grains fall asleep in a cauldron. Pour twice as much boiling water. S alt - for a glass of rice cereal, an incomplete teaspoon is enough. How to cook long grain rice to make it fluffy? It is important for us to reach the boiling point again as soon as possible. Therefore, we make a big fire. When it boils, cook for seven minutes. We mix once. Reduce the fire to a minimum, cover the cauldron. We don't worry about rice anymore. We mark a quarter of an hour for polished and steamed grain, 25 minutes for brown and golden. Turn off the fire under the saucepan. We lift the lid and, without interfering with the porridge, put one or two tablespoons of butter on its surface. Cover the cauldron again and wait another 20 minutes. During this time, the cereal will absorb the remaining moisture, and the butter will melt, and the porridge will come out grain to grain!

Making sushi

The main ingredient of this Japanese dish is rice. And if we cook it poorly, then even a high-class master will not be able to roll good rolls out of it. We wash round-grain rice in seven waters. Ideally, this should be the Japanese Akita Komachi, but the American product "Kelrose" or the domestic "Orion" will also work. The water in which wemy grains should be cool, because hot removes the starch we need. Now let's look at how to cook rice for sushi. First, we soak the grains. Note that in the same water we will cook rice. The ratio of liquid and cereal should be equal. Soak in cold water for several hours. Then we put the saucepan on a large fire. We interfere once, then cover the pan and do not touch it again. After 15-20 minutes, when you notice that the steam has become less, turn off the fire. But we do not lift the lid for another quarter of an hour. And only after that we will transfer the basis for sushi from the pan to a wooden container.

Cooking risotto

For an Italian dish, grits are poured not with water, but with broth. So we cook it in advance from chicken, beef, seafood or mushrooms. We have already described how to cook round grain rice for sushi. But the Italian dish requires a special approach. For him, according to gourmets, only Arborio, Vialone Nano and Carnaroli varieties are suitable. Only they contain 2 types of starch. However, you can cook quite tasty risotto from Krasnodar round cereals. The dish is being prepared in a pan. Heat up a large piece of butter in it. Add chopped onion. You can add carrots and garlic to it, but this is optional. When the onion becomes translucent, add the rice. For this dish, the cereals cannot be washed - the starch must remain on the grains. We mix. Fry until rice grains become translucent, like glass beads. Pour half a glass of dry white wine. We continue to fryuntil the liquid has evaporated. Pour in a ladle of hot broth. How to cook rice next? Stir the contents of the pan around with a wooden spatula. When the broth is absorbed, add another ladle. Once the rice is al dente, add the rest of the ingredients. It can be green peas, seafood, mushrooms. After 17 minutes of cooking, remove the pan from the heat. Exactly one minute later, add the butter cut into pieces into the dish and sprinkle with grated cheese. Mix and serve.

Use kitchen gadgets

We have already talked about how to cook cereals in a pot and in a pan. It's time to consider how to cook rice in a slow cooker. We wash the cereal, as usual. Pour it into the multicooker bowl. Water should be twice as much as cereals. If you want to get a viscous porridge for pudding or for milk formula, the liquid should be cold. But if you plan to cook a crumbly side dish, then look again at the instructions on how to cook long grain rice. Immediately s alt the dish, add the necessary spices to it and - be sure - a spoonful of butter. We turn on the program "Rice" or "Pilaf" on the unit. We lower the lid and wait for the sound signal.

Cooking in the microwave

We have already covered how to cook rice in a slow cooker. But there are other kitchen gadgets with which you can cook a delicious dish without much hassle. For example, a microwave oven. Rinse the rice under running water. Place in a microwave safe dish. Pour there and water in the ratio2:1. We do not cover dishes. We put it in the oven. We close the door. We turn on the unit at the highest power. Cooking 10 minutes. We transfer the unit to low power. Cooking for another quarter of an hour.