Cooking rice

[Mortartube]

I am useless at cooking rice. I have tried every method that I can find to the letter. I always use basmati and have also tried various brands, but I can never get separate fluffy grains like the Indian restaurant rice. I have virtually given up and use the boil in the bag rice which comes out well. But I am determined to get it right, so tips and hints please.

[yvette303]

Make sure that you rinse the rice, three or four times in cold water, until the water is running pretty clear. This removes the starch and helps to stop clumping.

Cover the rice in cold water about an inch and a half above the level of the rice.

Bring the water to the boil with the pan lid on and when boiling nicely, take the lid off for the remainder of the cooking time. It will not boil as vigorously with the lid off which is fine.

Keep an eye on the rice and when it appears to have boiled off the water, then you should be spot on!

Do keep an eye on it though - dont let it boil dry and add a little more water if it appears to have boiled dry but the rice is still bitey.

Best of luck - works perfectly for me every time :o)

[pastafreak]

If you are using Basmati....rinse then leave to soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Rinse again, then put in pan with just enough water to cover plus a wee bit more. Bring to the boil-then immediately lower the heat as far as it willl go. Cover tightly and leave for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff.
You may need to experiment a bit with the amount of water needed as different qualities of rice will vary in how they absorb water. The best bet is to find a good quality like Veetee or Tilda and stick with it

[Eurox]

and never stir rice! leaves it gloopy due to the starch, just let it boil until its finished... i learned that the hard way

[tamborine]

(for 2) tea cup of rinsed rice in pyrex jug. salt & hot water to cover - inch above rice. 15mins in microwave....leave to cool, fork through.

[B00]

Life's too short to do all that malarky ^^

Get microwave rice, bung in the dinger for two minutes, comes out perfect every time.

[angiealf]

I'm cr@p at cooking rice so I use Uncle Ben's boil in the bag.

[Mortartube]

Thank you all. I will try those methods out. It really is annoying when you find trouble cooking one particular foodstuff well. Hopefully I am on the road to nice fluffy rice.

[dopeycustard]

buy a microwave rice cooker. Lakeland do a brilliant one and it comes out perfect every time!

[funnygirl]

Yes please!!!

[Mortartube]

Thanks Poodicat. Will definitely be trying that one :0)

[vivandorron]

Hi Mortartube........Boo and dopeycustard are giving you good advice.

You could drain the rice and further drain with a kettleful of boiling water poured over.

Anyway, what's wrong with 'stodgy' rice.The Chinese would not be able to eat rice with chopsticks if all the grains had been separated.

It's a purely British idea to have fluffy separated grains of rice and it could be said that Indian restaurants are sensible enough to give us what we want.

Ron

[scraggy55]

Do you know I have never done any of the fiddling around with rice that some people have suggested. I always buy Basmati, boil it for 12 minutes, pour into a colander and then rinse with boiling water! Never have a problem with sticky, lumpy rice, my rice is always nice!!

[Poppetchops]

Buy an electric rice cooker, they are brilliant.