Proportions of water depending on the type of rice
- Basmati - 2-2.5 tbsp. water (depending on quality and manufacturer)
- Jasmine - 1.5 tbsp. water
- Long grain - 1.5 - 2 tbsp. water (depending on quality and manufacturer)
If you overdo it a little with water, the rice will turn into porridge. If there is not enough water, there are two options: leave the rice under the closed lid and it will come, or add a few tablespoons of boiling water and continue cooking the rice. That is, less water is fixable
in order to end up with delicious fluffy rice.
There are three more secrets for preparing fluffy rice - salt, oil and boiling water. Rice should not be cooked with cold water
, only with boiling water!
More information about everything is written in detail in three methods of preparing fluffy rice.
Proportions
It is generally believed that you need twice as much water to cook rice. But this is an approximate proportion. It is better to measure the amount of water based on the type of rice:
- for long grain – 1: 1.5–2;
- for medium grain – 1: 2–2.5;
- for round grain – 1: 2.5–3;
- for steamed – 1: 2;
- for brown – 1: 2.5–3;
- for wild – 1: 3.5.
Be sure to read the instructions on the package. The manufacturer knows exactly what kind of processing the rice has undergone and suggests the optimal amount of water for it.
Measure rice and water with a measuring cup - it’s much more convenient. A standard serving for one is 65 ml of dry rice.
How to cook perfect fluffy rice - 3 easy steps step by step
The first way to cook rice is raw frying.
This method of preparing fluffy rice is quite universal, it is suitable for any type of rice, and there are practically no punctures with it. Even the simplest Krasnodar rice can be prepared in this way and it will turn out quite crumbly.
- Bring the required amount of water to boil in an electric or regular kettle.
- Rinse the rice well in a separate bowl, place in a colander/sieve and let dry a little.
- Wipe the pan in which the rice will be cooked dry and pour 2 tbsp. spoons of butter (can be replaced with).
- Place the pan on the fire, add the rice and fry, stirring constantly, for several minutes.
- Fry the rice until the color of the grains changes from translucent to dense white (5-10 minutes).
- Pour the prepared boiling water over the rice in the required quantity. Be careful, at first the rice will sizzle due to the temperature difference between the hot oil and water.
- Salt and stir the rice well.
- Cover with a lid and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed all the moisture.
- It is possible (but not at all necessary) to stir the rice 1-2 times during the cooking process; it is better not to overdo it.
The second way to cook rice is soaking and rinsing well.
This method of preparing fluffy rice is not suitable for all types of rice. You can cook round rice, parboiled rice or basmati rice using this method. But this method is completely unsuitable for cooking jasmine rice - it will turn into porridge.
- Soak the rice for 30 minutes in cold water.
- Rinse the rice well under running cold water until the water runs clear - this will remove unnecessary gluten and starchy substances from the rice, which can subsequently cause the rice to become a sticky porridge.
- Pour the required amount of boiling water over the rice. Boiling water must be prepared in advance. Under no circumstances should you pour cold water over rice.
- Add oil and salt. They help the rice cook and remain fluffy.
- Cook over low heat with the lid closed, stirring occasionally as needed, until all the water has been absorbed.
The third way to perfect rice is a lot of water.
This way you can prepare perfect basmati rice. It is impossible to achieve such a degree of friability of rice by any other cooking method. It is with this method of cooking rice that you get crumbly rice, which even after it has cooled remains completely crumbly - rice after rice!
If you plan to further, for example, fry rice, or stew it with vegetables, it is better that it is half-cooked. In cooking, the term "al dente" is often used for this. That is, when biting the grain, the color should be uniform, there should be no whiter circles in the center. But at the same time, the rice itself still tastes raw. Then you will get crumbly rice with vegetables, just like in Chinese or Japanese cuisines.
Today, rice is used to prepare various dishes. Sushi and pilaf are especially popular. At the same time, in order to get the maximum benefit and taste from cereals, you should learn how to steam them correctly. It all depends on the type of rice and the method of preparing the dish. Next, we will take a closer look at how to steam rice for preparing various dishes.
