Cooking rice: basic rules and cooking tips

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

Today in the modern world there is a huge variety of cereals that our body needs. They are rich in nutrients, so they must be included in your diet. Cereals are sold in various stores. The price for them is quite affordable for all citizens.

Rice is one of the most common cereals around the world. For many people, it is associated with Asian countries, especially with Japan, because there cereals are a kind of substitute for bread, they are eaten with almost all products. In fact, rice is an integral part of the gastronomy of many countries. For example, in Italy they prepare arancini and risotto from it, in Spain - paella, in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and, of course, in Russia - pilaf and kutya, in China and Korea, fried rice with vegetables or seafood is very popular, but in the Country rising sun, this cereal is the main ingredient not only in main dishes, but also in appetizers and even desserts.

There ismany ways to cook rice, the choice of which depends on the particular dish you plan to cook. For example, for pilaf, the cereal should be crumbly, and for sushi, on the contrary, it should be more sticky so that the rolls do not fall apart. Therefore, in order to achieve an ideal result, cooking rice must be carried out in compliance with certain cooking technologies. They will be discussed further.

A few words about the ratio of ingredients

This is one of the fundamental points. The correct ratio of rice and water during cooking is a key factor on which the quality and taste of the finished dish depends, so the proportions must be observed without fail. The same goes for the cooking process. But how much cereal and water does it take to cook perfect rice?

In the following table you will find the answer to this question:

Water, ml	Rice, gr	Consistency
1200	180	Liquid
900	180	Semi-viscous
740	180	Viscous
400	180	Crushed rice

How long will it take? It is worth noting that the condition of the cereal before the start of the cooking process is of great importance. Some housewives soak rice for 1 hour to speed up timecooking. Having absorbed the liquid, the cereal lends itself much better to heat treatment. However, it is also worth considering here that the grains will increase significantly in size, so less cereal will be needed.

In the cooking process, not only the ratio of rice and water during cooking is of great importance, but also the duration of the heat treatment. If you do not cook porridge or, conversely, overexpose it, then the taste can be very different. In addition, if you want to cook, for example, sushi, then raw or overcooked cereal will not work for this. Therefore, you should take the cooking process very seriously.

Depending on the variety, the cooking time of rice can be:

• long grain - 15-20 minutes;
• round - 15-20 minutes;
• steamed - 20-30 minutes;
• brown - 30-40 minutes;
• wild - 40-60 minutes.

It's worth noting that this data is only correct if you're cooking in a pot. When cooking, for example, in a slow cooker or in a pan, the time can vary greatly. Some people even manage to use the microwave for cooking.

When using different kitchen utensils, the rice cooking time may be as follows:

• pot - 15-20 minutes;
• steamer - 30 minutes;
• slow cooker - 20-30 minutes;
• microwave oven - 20 minutes.

Before you start cooking rice porridge, you must take into account all the above nuances. Only by doing everything right and in full accordance with the cooking technology, you can count ongood result. If any errors are made, the product will simply be spoiled and not suitable for cooking.

Bag instant rice

What's special about him? An innovation in the food market are instant cereals. They are sold in small bags that are designed for a single meal.

Among the main advantages of these products are the following:

1. Easy to prepare. Many people are interested in the question of whether rice should be washed before cooking. The answer is quite simple: regular yes to remove excess starch, and packaged can be cooked immediately, as it is washed at the factory before packaging.
2. Packaging is made of environmentally friendly and safe materials, which ensures a long shelf life of cereals.
3. Instant porridges come already fried and steamed, so they take much less time to cook.
4. The products contain only natural ingredients. Manufacturers do not use any artificial and potentially dangerous food additives, flavor enhancers and preservatives.
5. Porridge turns out perfectly crumbly. It is very difficult to achieve such a consistency on your own when cooking ordinary cereals.

Cooking parboiled rice takes a little time, but the specific figures depend on the particular type of cereal. For example, long grain and round will be ready in about 14 minutes, andbrown - in almost half an hour.

How are instant porridges prepared?

Rice in bags is cooked as follows:

1. The package with cereals is placed in a saucepan and poured with cold water so that it floats in it.
2. The liquid is brought to a boil over high heat.
3. Add water to taste.
4. Reduce the heat to a minimum level, cover with a lid and continue to cook until the cereal is ready.
5. Remove the bag of porridge from the water, wait for the liquid to drain completely, and cut it.

That's all, the cereal is ready, it can be eaten or used to prepare the planned dishes. Here, many may have a question about whether rice should be washed after cooking. If you cooked porridge in the classic way in a saucepan, then the answer is yes, because otherwise it will stick together. As for instant cereals, they come out perfectly crumbly and no rinsing is required.

Secrets of skilled chefs

Today they are easy to find. Recipes for cooking rice can be found in almost every cookbook, of which there are simply a huge number. One of the most famous is the work of William Culinar, who devoted his life to studying the gastronomic art of various countries of the world.

It describes cooking rice as follows:

1. Preparing the necessary ingredients. To prepare porridge, you need 3 parts of water and 2cereals.
2. We take a pan with a thick bottom and a well-closing lid that does not let steam out. This is very important, because here lies the whole secret of cooking.
3. Pour the required amount of water into the dishes, set fire to the gas and wait until it boils.
4. Pour in the cereal, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes.
5. After the allotted time, turn off the flame and, without opening the lid, wait another 12 minutes. Only then will the rice be ready.

This cooking method is one of the best, because the porridge is very crumbly. Do I need to rinse rice after cooking with this method? No, because the grains will not stick to each other anyway. Just add butter, s alt, season with your favorite herbs and enjoy the divine taste of the best porridge in the world.

Cooking rice in a pan

So, what are the features of this process? No matter how strange it may sound, but cooking rice can be carried out not only in a saucepan, but also in a frying pan. It can be assumed that this method came to our country from China or some other Asian country, since it is there that they prefer to use woks for cooking the vast majority of dishes.

Recipe requires the following ingredients:

• rice - 500 g;
• table s alt - 10 g;
• butter - 100 g;
• water - 750 ml.

When everything you need is at hand, we will cook in the nextOK:

1. Take a frying pan with high sides and heat it up on the fire.
2. Put the butter, wait until it melts, pour in the grits and fry for about three minutes, stirring constantly so that the grains do not burn.
3. S alt to taste and pour water.
4. Reduce the heat to a minimum, cover with a tight lid and cook for about half an hour. Do not lift the lid during this time, as this can ruin everything.
5. At the end of cooking, open the pan and mix the porridge well.

How much does rice expand when cooked in a pan? Approximately double, so you will have enough to feed a large family and leave more for breakfast. However, the porridge is so crumbly, fragrant and tasty that there is hardly anything left of it.

Traditional way of preparing cereals

The classic method is to boil fluffy rice in a pot. It was used for many centuries by our ancestors for cooking. To cook cereals, you will need to take water and porridge in a ratio of 2 to 1, as well as a little s alt to give it a taste. Not sure when to s alt rice while cooking? Don't worry, we'll talk about that later.

So, let's proceed directly to the cooking process. The first step is to wash the cereal. Simply pour it into a colander and rinse thoroughly under running water until a clear liquid begins to flow.

Then pour the rice into the pan and fill it with the necessarythe amount of water. Ignite the gas and set the flame level to maximum. Immediately add s alt to taste and, if desired, a little olive oil. As soon as the water begins to boil, the fire is reduced to a minimum, and the pan is covered with a lid.

Rice for garnish takes about 15-20 minutes to cook. As in previous cases, it is forbidden to lift the lid until the end of cooking. After this time, the fire is turned off, and the rice is left for another 10 minutes, after which it can be laid out on plates and served.

How to cook a round type of cereal?

We already know about whether rice is soaked before cooking. This is necessary in cases where you are waiting for guests and there is no time for cooking. Rinse the cereal and fill it with cold water for half an hour. As for the proportions, you can use those that were described above. Then drain the water, rinse the cereal again, pour the cereal into a clean bowl, pour boiling water and set to simmer. Immediately add s alt and a little butter to enhance the taste of future porridge. When all the water has completely evaporated, the dish is ready and can be removed from the stove. Use a glass lid to prevent rice from overcooking and burning so you can control the cooking process.

Preparing a side dish in a slow cooker

Features of this process. The invention of such a household appliance as a slow cooker has greatly simplified the life of housewives, since she cooks food almost on her own. Human participation remainsthis minimum. All that is required of you is to put the necessary ingredients into it and select the appropriate mode.

Rice is cooked in a slow cooker in this order:

• groats are washed;
• rice is poured into a bowl and filled with water in a ratio of 1 to 2;
• add s alt to taste;
• porridge seasoned with herbs;
• Porridge mode is set.

This is where your participation in the cooking process ends. After you press the "Start" button, the cereal will begin to cook. When the porridge is ready, the multicooker will turn off and notify you with a sound notification of the end of cooking. Everything is very fast, simple and convenient. Rice for pilaf can also be cooked in a similar way. You buy all the ingredients that are indicated in the recipe for this dish, put them in the multicooker bowl, start the “Pilaf” mode and after a while you will get hot. Incredibly tasty and fragrant dish.

How to cook rice for sushi?

The method of cooking cereals for making rolls is different from all the methods described earlier in this article. The thing is that rice should not be friable, but, on the contrary, stick together, therefore, the method of heat treatment is used differently. It should be noted right away that not just any cereal is suitable, but a special Japanese one, which can be purchased in many Russian stores. It contains an increased amount of gluten, due to which the grains stick together.

In addition to the cereal itself, the following components will also be required:

• water;
• rice vinegar;
• sugar;
• s alt.

When you buy everything you need, you can start cooking. The process is as follows:

1. Rinse the rice very thoroughly. This is one of the most important aspects when cooking it for sushi.
2. Take a heavy-bottomed pot and pour the grits into it.
3. Fill with water so that it completely covers the cereal.
4. Cover and simmer until all the water has evaporated.
5. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand for about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, pour the rice vinegar into a deep bowl and add some s alt and sugar to it.
7. Pour the prepared solution into the rice pot and mix well.

After all the procedures done, the cereal will mold well and keep its shape, so you can please your loved ones with excellent homemade sushi.

General tips and tricks

Rice porridge is a very he althy and dietary dish, so you can quickly satisfy your hunger without harming your own figure. Therefore, any woman should be able to properly cook this cereal.

If you have not yet learned how to do this, then the following tips and tricks will help you:

1. Cooking any cereals, including rice, is best in a bowl with thick walls and a thick bottom. This is necessary so that the porridge cooks more evenly both from below and from above. If you use pans with a thin bottom, then you will have to constantly stir the porridge forthroughout the preparation. In addition, it will not be crumbly, but simply stick together into a single lump.
2. No matter what cooking method you use, strict adherence to proportions is a must.
3. Before starting cooking, rice must be washed to get rid of excess starch, which, by the way, this cereal contains quite a large amount.
4. In the process of heat treatment, adhere to the temperature regime. This cereal can withstand high degrees only at the very beginning of cooking, so after boiling water, the fire must be reduced to a minimum. If this is not done, then you will not get tasty porridge, but some kind of incomprehensible sticky mass, unsuitable for eating.
5. During cooking, periodically taste the rice. He must be fully prepared. If, when cracking the grains, you find a solid center, then the cereal is not ready yet - it needs to be cooked. And if they are soft, then you can remove from heat, but you need to let the porridge stand with the lid closed for about 10 minutes. During this time, it will reach full readiness.

That's all. On this, the topic of proper cooking of rice in compliance with all cooking technologies is fully disclosed. If you strictly follow all the tips and recommendations that were given in this article, then you will certainly be able to cook incredibly delicious rice served in the best restaurants in the capital. To make the cereal tasty, do not forget about when to s alt the rice when cooking.

Remember that cereals must be included in the diet of every person, as they contain a huge amount of nutrients.