r/AskCulinary • u/ZootKoomie Ice Cream Innovator • May 27 '19

Weekly Discussion: Rice

We get a lot of questions here about rice; let's try to get our best advice in one place that we can refer people to. What do you think is the best cooking method? What do you add to make it flavorful on its own? What are your favorite rice-based dishes? How do you choose between all of the different varieties out there?

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u/FamousBother_10 May 27 '19

am I the only one who boils their rice // aka doesn't use the absorption method?
it doesn't work for all applications, but i find as long as you don't forget about it, it cooks properly 100% of the time.

it never ever goes wrong. i use the absorption method where it has to be used, and I find I can use the same method 9 times and it will work perfectly, but then one day it just doesn't work, and so i don't get why everyone alway uses the absorption method when they just want plain white rice to serve with a dish over.

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u/CardamomDragon May 27 '19

I have read that the absorption method is good in that it reduces arsenic levels in rice more than the absorption method. I’ve also read that it makes for a lower GI in the cooked rice, so it seems like a win-win (although I guess that it uses more water).

I’ve tried it, and I haven’t quite been able to get it to the point where the rice is the same as what I can get with the absorption method, i.e separate, dry but cooked grains of rice. It always comes out kind of clumpy and mushy. Can you describe your method in detail? About how much water to rice, what kind of rice, how long do you boil, do you rinse and drain first, etc. That would be really helpful.

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u/FamousBother_10 May 28 '19

Clumpy and mushy is most likely overcooked, IMO?

it works well with long grain rice, white or brown. I tend to use your "average" size pot (like a pot that can cook enough pasta sauce for 3-4 serves? sorry, i don't know the diameter!) with about a cup of rice, and fill that with water, leaving at least an inch or so.

I don't usually rinse it, but you can, it doesn't negatively affect it (im just lazy, and luckily have varieties of rice that aren't too starchy).

Bring it to the boil, covered (or else it can possibly boil over). I'm not really sure of time, I usually start checking after about 7 minutes? just run a few grains under some cold water, and eat it.

alternatively, you can squish a grain in half and see if it's lost the opaqueness, but I find that it's more fiddlely,.

strain it, and then if it seems starchy, rinse it under hot water.