How do you cook rice?

[SummerRain]

Just made myself some rice. When I was at home my parents always soaked and thoroughly rinsed rice before cooking, my boyfriend used to rinse it with hot water after cooking, but since I've been living on my own I now just cook it and eat it without rinsing/soaking. I actually prefer the sodgy effect the starch gives.

I was wondering... what does everybody else do?

 

[Envy]

I used to wash the rice, but now I usually don't do it.

Maybe I should start doing it again.

 

[mlp]

I don't soak it, but I do give it multiple rinses.

Frankly, growing up on a farm, with a mother who grew almost all of our vegetables, I know what gets on/lives on and in our food, so I thoroughly wash everything that can be washed. I'm not a fan of eating mouse or other droppings if I can avoid it.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I put the dry rice in the rice cooker bowl, add water to cover it, then stir it around several times with my hand, dump that water out, then add the appropriate amount of water and cook. The only time I soak it is if I use the timer to have the rice done at a later time, then I guess it gets soaked just by waiting there.

I've never heard of straining rice after it's cooked, what would there be to strain?

 

[SummerRain]

I've never heard of straining rice after it's cooked, what would there be to strain?

If you don't soak/rinse it thoroughly it's sort of stickier, if you soak/rinse thoroughly it's light and fluffy and doesn't clump together.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

But that still doesn't tell me what there would be to strain after it's cooked?

Some of the options in the poll have "rinse" but then one is cook then strain. I don't understand that.

 

[SummerRain]

But that still doesn't tell me what there would be to strain after it's cooked?

Some of the options in the poll have "rinse" but then one is cook then strain. I don't understand that.

Oh I see! Sorry I thought you meant rinse.

I presume if you cook with a rice cooker you don't need to strain it, but I've never met anybody with a rice cooker (and I didn't know how they worked) so I assumed everybody cooks rice in a pan of boiling water. I just put x amount of rice into a big pan of boiling water, when the rice is done there is still lots of water left in the pan, so I put the rice in a sieve to strain off the left-over water.

Do most people in the USA cook rice in a rice cooker?

 

[Renee1]

I have never heard of straining rice. It should absorb all the water in the pot.

I occasionally toast the rice in a bit of oil/maybe some onions before adding salt and a splash of vinegar with the water. Let it boil, turn down very low and cover. Usually I skip the toasting part.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I assumed everybody cooks rice in a pan of boiling water. I just put x amount of rice into a big pan of boiling water, when the rice is done there is still lots of water left in the pan, so I put the rice in a sieve to strain off the left-over water.

Ha, that is what I do usually. I tried it the other way a few times and ended up burning it to the bottom of the pan. I am a little absentminded though. I burned my apple crumble today as I forgot about it being in the oven.

 

[KLS52]

Before I got my Pampered Chef Microwave rice cooker, I used to put a cup of rice in a pot with two cups of water and simmer until the water was all absorbed. It didn't always come out 'perfect' that way...sometimes it was too hard and sometimes it was too mushy. I love cooking it in the microwave. I finally have it down to a science. If I use a cup of rice I usually need about 2 2/3 cups of water. After 15 minutes it's done.

The only time I soak rice first is when I'm cooking something other than plain standard rice. I can't remember if it's Basmati or Sushi rice, but one of them says to soak it first, so I do. I usually do whatever it says on the bag of rice.

 

[SummerRain]

Ha, that is what I do usually. I tried it the other way a few times and ended up burning it to the bottom of the pan. I am a little absentminded though. I burned my apple crumble today as I forgot about it being in the oven.

I thought it was what everybody did! I just set a timer and leave it to do its thing.

I have learned a lot from this thread.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I have never heard of straining rice. It should absorb all the water in the pot.

This.
Before I got a rice cooker, I cooked rice on the stove. There was never any water left, as it all absorbed into the rice.

 

[SummerRain]

I think it's just lazier... you don't need to measure the water, you can just put lots of water in and strain it off. I'd never heard of only putting in the right amount of water. Curious.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

I would think straining it would be more work, as then you'd have to clean the strainer afterwards, plus the cooking pot. If I cooked rice on the stove, I'd measure the rice first (1 cup) then use the same measuring cup to measure water (2 cups) and then the measuring cup was pretty much clean.
(Heat on high until it just starts to boil, put the lid on, then turn down to the lowest setting; rice is ready in 20 minutes.)


I like my rice cooker because it has settings for different types of rice, and they all come out perfect without me having to remember different ratios of rice to water or different cooking times. I just use the scoop that came with the cooker, and add water to the appropriate line inside. Push button and wait.

 

[Envy]

I don't put the lid on.

 

[mlp]

Doesn't the rice end up soggy if you cook it in excess water and then drain the water off?

 

[Envy]

Doesn't the rice end up soggy if you cook it in excess water and then drain the water off?

I don't mind.

 

[KLS52]

I like my rice cooker because it has settings for different types of rice, and they all come out perfect without me having to remember different ratios of rice to water or different cooking times. I just use the scoop that came with the cooker, and add water to the appropriate line inside. Push button and wait.

I like the sound of this...might have to do some searching on Amazon and put it on my birthday wish list.

 

[mary1]

I never soak white rice and that's what I have most often. I do wash it until the water becomes clear or very close to clear though.

 

[silva]

Best method I've used, from Alton Brown:
preheat oven to 375 F. Oil a 8x8 casserole.
Add 2 1/2 cups boiling water (or broth) to
1 1/2 cups brown rice.
Cover and bake exactly 1 hour.

Fluffy and not sticky. Nothing to worry about and no rice cooker.