How to Cook Rice
Ingredients
Directions
Absorption method
Combine washed rice and 1½ pints of cold salted water in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Drain most of the water, cover, and reduce heat to low.
Steam for 15-20 minutes until soft and fluffy.
Boiling method
Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil.
Slowly add 1 teacup of rice.
Boil for 15-20 minutes until soft.
Drain in a colander.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Washed rice
- Starch that absorbs water and softens into the cooked grains.
- Salted water
- Hydrates the rice and carries salt through the grains for flavour.
The step that matters
Stirring during the first 10 minutes. Rice starch on the surface can make the grains stick to each other and the pan. Occasional stirring while the water comes to a boil keeps the grains separated and prevents scorching on the base.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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