How to Cook White Rice?

Cooking white rice might seem like its easy to do, but let’s be frank, there’s an art to getting it just right. Using too much water and you’re left with a mushy glob. Too little water, and the rice is dry and hard. Using the right technique will result in fluffy rice that is incredibly delicious.

Perfectly cooked white rice is simple and requires no fancy equipment. Using a regular pot will get the job done. The best part? You only need a pot, water, uncooked rice and a pinch of salt to create a bowl of fluffy rice.

For years, we used a rice cooker, but when we moved to a different country, our trusty appliance was left behind. Though we intended to buy a new rice cooker, we needed to learn how to make rice on a whim. Push came to shove and we finally used a pot, and to our surprise, it was simpler than we imagined.

Do you need to rinse your rice?

Many people recommend washing the rice prior to cooking it. We’ve done that for years, it depends where you live and the type of brand that you are dealing with, some rice brands require a rinse prior to cooking.

And, other brands of rice are pretty clean. So how do you tell if you should wash the rice? You will be able to tell by the amount of dust there is in the water when you rinse it out. If the water consistently runs clean when you wash the rice a few time, you can rest assured in knowing that the rice is fine to cook with. Remember that rice has to be cooked in hot, boiling water.

Ingredients

White rice, Water, Pot, Pinch of Salt.

Instructions

Add two of water to pot. Add one cup of rice. It will take approximately two minutes for the water to reach boiling point on medium high heat. Reduce the temperature to low and cover the pot with lid.

It will take about 12 to 15 minutes for the rice to be cooked. After the rice has cooked, let it rest for a few minutes.

Fluff it up with a fork. The heat from the pot will reduce excess water.

How to Cook Rice in a Rice cooker?

Rice cookers have timers, you don’t have to watch your rice and can simply add the rice to the pot. The ratio is simple and same as above. Its one cup of white rice and two cups of water. Set the timer and let the rice cooker do its job. Once the rice is cooked, the rice cooker will automatically keep the rice warm.

How to Cook Rice in the Microwave?

This technique is rarely used by people. However, it is effective if you don’t have a stove and want to have rice. Add 200 grams of rice & 1 1/2 cup of water to a microwave-safe dish. Cook the rice for about 10 minutes.

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History of Rice

Rice, also known has Oryza sativa, is one of the most important stable diets feeding over half of the global population. When normal rice has been polished to remove the outer husk, bran and germ, it is called white rice.

Rice was first farmed in East Asia around 10,000 years ago. It then spread throughout Asia and became necessity for numerous countries, such as Korea, China, India, Japan and Southeast Asia. Thereafter, rice cultivation broadened to Middle East and Mediterranean regions via the trade routes.

In ancient times, brown rice, which retains the bran and germ, was widely available. Then the milling techniques were developed to produce white rice by polishing the deeper layers. Producing white rice allowed longer shelf life and also created a lighter and fluffier texture to the cooked rice. However, stripping away bran and germ also removed some of its nutrients, leading to thiamine deficiency (vitamin B1), such as beriberi in certain regions.

White rice became very popular in Europe and America during the colonial era. Rice was imported from Asia and grown in Southern United States and Brazil. Today, white rice is the most consumed form of rice worldwide, particularly in Asia, Latin America and some parts of Africa.

What to Serve with White Rice?

There are number of main dishes that will pair well with White rice. Consider serving alongside a Chicken Curry, Tom Yum Goong, Thai Green Curry, Bean Soup, Dakbokkeumtang.

Should you rinse the rice?

Some people prefer to rinse the rice, which would be necessary depending on the type of the rice.

How to Store White Rice?

Store white rice in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for three to four days. Freezing rice is also possible. It can be reheated easily.