How to Cook Rice

Rice as it's beginning to simmer.

When I was young, I spent a number of years in Asia. One day, I asked an Asian friend who cooked professionally to instruct me how to make rice. When she was able to stop laughing enough to catch her breath, she very kindly taught me "how it's done."

Now, I realize that some of the people reading this post will think, like my friend did, that the whole discussion is ridiculously silly - everyone can make rice! But, I find that A LOT of Americans tell me they avoid making rice because it always turns out "mushy" or for some other reason they find cooking it daunting. This post is for you!

First you must choose your rice. According to the children's book, "All About Grains" by Vic Parker - which I read to my daughter last week - there are 40,000 types of rice grown around the world. I usually keep 3 or 4 kinds in my kitchen. Here they are with short, vaguely accurate stereotypes of how you might think of them:

1. Long Grain White (American Everyday Rice), Long Grain White Rice is THE rice to cook if you want standard American Rice. When cooked properly, you get a tender, fluffy, non-sticky grain. I'm not a big fan of it, except in select situations. It is good for Pilafs and Soups.

2. Short Grain White (East Asian Rice), this is my hands-down favorite for eating straight from the pot, snacking, and all-round rice enjoyment. It is a typically sweeter, chewier, stickier grain than is Long Grain Rice. I usually buy the "Calrose" variety. Sometimes, in American groceries it is not in the rice section! It may be in the ethnic section at your grocery, or in some towns you may even have to go to an Ethnic shop to buy it. It is easiest to pick up with chopsticks. Although technically Sushi rice is different from Short Grain White, I find Short Grain White a quite nice substitute for making an everyday Sushi (after all, I'm a home cook, not a Sushi Chef!).

3. Basmati (South Asian Rice) is extra fluffy & tender and long grained. It is drier than Short Grain or Long Grain Rice, fluffier, less sweet - and smells like Popcorn when it cooks! It is the normal rice to pair with Indian food, and is generally considered a "better" rice by Indians and some American Gourmets. There are lots of varieties of Basmati Rice, so if this is a favorite variety of yours, it is worth investigating the differences.

4. Long Grain Brown (American Health Nut Rice ; ).  This is a chewier, nuttier, healthier rice than it's companion, Long Grain White. It is a whole grain,  good for a bed under beans, in Rice Salad, or in a Rice Bowl or Rice Breakfast Bowl.

Each of these varieties may be made on the stove top or in the microwave. The three White varieties are all made similarly. The Brown variety requires a different method, and a longer cooking time.

White Rice on the Stove Top
This is the method for Short Grain White, Long Grain White, or Basmati

Grab a 2 quart pot and pour desired amount of rice into your pot. (usually  1 1/2 to 2 cups to start - a little less than 1" in the bottom of the pot- huge quantities of rice are more prone to gumminess, and require specialized instructions. But, you really don't need to measure anything here).

Rice and Water are the ONLY ingredients that should be in the pot. No butter, lard, margarine, bacon, salt, soy sauce or anything else is needed to make great rice. Just rice and water.

Rice may be rinsed or not, according to your preference. Rinsing removes added vitamins, and causes a less-sticky grain. Not rinsing preserves stickiness, and vitamins.

Checking the depth of the water so rice & water
are properly proportioned.

Add water till the water is twice as high as the rice. Put your index finger down into the rice, the rice should be half as high on your finger as the water is.

Set the pot with Rice and Water on a burner set to high. Bring water to a boil. At this point, you may stir once, if you really must.

Reduce heat and cover. The heat should be JUST ENOUGH to gently simmer the water, with the faintest wisp of steam rising from the edge of the lid. Since the water may foam at first, you might want to stand over the pot for a couple of minutes to make sure it is producing that tiny wisp of steam and neither boils over nor stops simmering. Too much heat will boil the water away too rapidly, and cause the bottom of the rice to scorch (as will too little water).

Leave the pot lid on! Do not lift, do not peek, do not stir for 20 minutes. (Basmati Rice cooks in 15 rather than 20 minutes). Set the timer. Resist the temptation to look. Really. ; )

When the timer goes off, do NOT lift the lid & peak, or stir, or look. Remove the pot from the burner, and set the timer for 10 more minutes. When we call white rice "steamed" - this is what is meant. These 10 minutes are when the rice is steaming.

Finally, after the 10 minutes, lift the pot lid and delicately "fluff" the rice with a fork. The rice may well be moist at this point. Allow the top to dry for a few minutes, and fluff again.

It is now ready to serve : )

White Rice in the Microwave

Microwave rice cooker on a plate, ready to cook.

Use a Microwave Rice cooker, or a large microwave-safe glass bowl with high sides covered by a microwavable dinner plate.

Measure into your cooker 3 cups white rice, and
 3 3/4 cups water. Cover.

Place on a deep plate in your microwave (if the liquid boils over a tiny bit, which it sometimes does, the plate will catch it).

Cook on high for 16 to 17 minutes.  (Here I use the same cooking time for White or Basmati White Rice)

Allow to stand covered 10 minutes more before removing cover and fluffing with a fork - as above.

Brown Rice on the Stove Top
Follow the directions for White Rice, EXCEPT
Measure into Pot 2 cups Brown Rice, 3 cups Water.
Cook for 40 minutes, and leave covered for 10 more.
This produces a perfect, chewy, non-mushy brown rice.

Brown Rice in the Microwave
Follow the directions for White Rice in the Microwave EXCEPT
Use 1 Pound bag (or 2 1/2 cups) Brown Rice and 4 1/4 cups water
Microwave on High for 30 minutes, and leave covered for 10 minutes more.

That's it!

OH- If you have leftovers (or want to cook rice ahead), store in the Freezer. For some reason, refrigerated rice tends to get hard and stale, while frozen rice stays fresh (I don't understand it, I've just observed it for more than 20 years now). Just reheat with a lid, and you'll have trouble telling that it wasn't freshly made.

Enjoy! : )

Kale & Tomatoes with Tahini Sauce

This is a yummy, if a little offbeat, vegan entree. The idea for it started a while back when I told my sister that I was having trouble liking Kale. She sent me a recipe that needed a little tweaking and eventually inspired this recipe which made Kale lovable for me!

To Braise Kale, put it in a large pan on medium high heat. Add
a few dashes of soy sauce, and about 1/4 cup of water. Cook Covered,
Stirring often, till greens have reduced in size and color has brightened.
If you like your greens well done (which helps digestion) add more water and
cook till greens loose their bright color.

Kale & Tomatoes with Tahini Sauce

Prepare your choice of Grain or Pasta (I like either Brown Rice or Spaghetti for this dish)

Braise 1 pound Chopped Washed Kale in water, with a few dashes of Soy Sauce (I use Glory Foods Pre-washed & chopped Kale - just dump it into the pan) Refrigerate or freeze excess cooked greens for additional meals.

Chop Fresh Tomatoes

Prepare Tahini Dip/Sauce (from Monday's post)




Assemble:

Braised Kale, ready to eat : )

Layer of Rice or pasta, Layer of Kale, Layer of Tomatoes, Drizzle with Sauce

Edited to add: Last night I was talking with some friends who were planning to make this recipe: )They mentioned that I had neglected to list quantities of Tahini Sauce (oops!). This is a recipe that I make to taste - so the ideal method is to just fill bowls with the various ingredients & let diners top their own spaghetti. I usually have leftover Kale when I make a whole pound of it - so I freeze the leftovers in small batches to use the next time I need it. Likewise, if I have any leftover tomatoes, they can be added to the next day's salad. Leftover Tahini Sauce can be set out with pita triangles to use as a dip at a subsequent meal. And, of course, any leftover spaghetti can be frozen if it's not eaten at lunch the next day. As a ballpark figure, I would plan 1/2 pound of Spaghetti, 1/4 pound of Kale, 1 large Tomato & 1/4 cup Tahini Sauce per plate. But, it all depends on appetite and preferences.

OH! And, if you don't care to Braise Kale on the stovetop, you can always pop it in a large microwave safe bowl with a  couple of tablespoons of water, slide a microwave-safe plate on top, and microwave it till done (roughly 3-5 minutes), then drain any remaining water & proceed.

Setup for Microwave-Steaming of Vegetables.

Enjoy!

Tip for dining with Omnivores: Omnivores might enjoy Spaghetti with Cheese (Parmesan & yogurt, or Alfredo Sauce) with Grilled Chicken.

Twin Vegan Indian Recipes

Here's a nice way to make TWO Indian-inspired dishes without the work of two dishes. When you're done, you have an Indian-Style Rice Pilaf, and an Indian Dal which can be served together for a luxurious meal, or separately for two simple meals.








Start Dal:

Sort and rinse

3 cups Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)

Add

8 cups water

Bring to a boil, cover & simmer till done - about 30 minutes

(If cooking Red Lentils in a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot, cook them 3 hours on High)

Then, puree with an immersion Blender

Start Rice:

While Dal is heating, Prepare two cups raw rice according to package directions. (Brown is great, but white is good too. Long Grain or Basmati here is better than Short grain). If you have 8 cups of leftover rice in the fridge or freezer, you can skip this step! (as I usually do)

Then, prepare your "Flavor Packet"

Saute in a skillet

(this can be done with a lot, little, or no oil, according to your preference. If you use frozen onions, the moisture in them will allow the other things to cook sufficiently without oil)

2 cups chopped onions

1 Tablespoon Garlic

2 teaspoons turmeric

1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger (I use the jarred kind)

2 teaspoons whole cumin seed (if you prefer a milder Cumin taste, Substitute 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin instead of the Whole Cumin Seeds)

2 teaspoons whole mustard seed (black if you have it because it's prettier, but yellow will still taste good)

*Add heat of choice, if desired (cayenne, red chili, etc) - I cook for a little one, so I do Sriracha at the table rather than cooking hot spices into food, but have used other methods in the past.

Divide the Flavor Packet in half (you'll have about a cup to divide into two 1/2 cup portions)*

Finish the Dal:

Add one flavor packet to the Dal. Add Lemon juice & Garlic Salt to taste. I use from 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup lemon juice (I usually just pour instead of measuring, and our family LOVES lemon!), and garlic salt generously.

Dal may be served with Cilantro Garnish, and Sriracha or other hot sauce on the side.

Then, Finish the Rice:

Add the other Flavor packet to a medium hot skillet. Add the rice & stir.

Add in:

1 pound bag frozen Green Peas

1/3 cup Lemon Juice

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce

3 Tablespoons Dry Parsley (this is optional -for eye appeal more than for taste)

Stir, cooking till Peas are hot through. (If rice gets a little too dry, drizzle in a little boiling water to moisten)

To serve Rice

Place Rice Pilaf on a plate, and garnish with Roasted, Salted Cashews or Peanuts. A salad on the side is nice.

Tip for dining with Omnivores: A dollop of plain yogurt on top of the rice, or a Raita on the side is a nice touch. Tandoori Chicken also goes well.

Freezer instructions: Both of these meals freeze well. Do not add the nuts to the rice before freezing, or they will get stale/soggy (BTDT). If you have a small freezer, you can make the flavor packets in advance, and wait until you have 6 to 8 cups leftover rice to make the Pilaf in a flash. Likewise, the Dal can be made by simply boiling lentils & water & adding the flavor packet, lemon, & garlic salt.

*Many years ago, this Rice Pilaf was inspired by a John Robbins Recipe, and the Dal was inspired by an Indian Cookbook (I cannot recall which one). Over the years, I personalized them.