Problems with rice

etky

Tue, Oct 31 2017, 5:35 pm

amother wrote:

etky, does toasting the rice add any flavor?
I use an analon pot. can that be the cause? maybe the pot is too thick? also, the cover doesn't close very tightly. it fits but can move around a bit.

A bit of flavor maybe but the real reason for toasting is to coat each grain with oil before the rice meets the water. This guards against mushy rice.
I don't think your pot is too thick. It actually is good to have a nice thick bottomed pot to protect against burning. I don't think the cover is to blame either. Rice perfectionists will proclaim the importance of a tight seal for perfect rice but I don't think a cover that is somewhat loose but still fits is going to have such a dramatically detrimental affect on the results.

amother

Pewter

Tue, Oct 31 2017, 5:43 pm

ok. first two things I'll try is toasting the rice and using boiling water. I cant wait to try it.
thank you ladies. I appreciate you taking the time to write. Very Happy

etky

Tue, Oct 31 2017, 5:47 pm

amother wrote:

ok. first two things I'll try is toasting the rice and using boiling water. I cant wait to try it.
thank you ladies. I appreciate you taking the time to write. Very Happy

Teomima

Tue, Oct 31 2017, 5:48 pm

I cook my rice almost like etky except I use room-temp water strait from the faucet, not boiling water, and I bring it to a boil in the pot with the rice. Once boiling I cover, turn the heat to the lowest flame possible, and cook for only fifteen minutes, but then turn off the heat and leave the pan covered for ten minutes before fluffing with a fork. I do this for all white rices. Brown I use a slightly higher water ratio but still not 1:2, which makes rice too soft in my opinion, and cook for 45 min.

oliveoil

Tue, Oct 31 2017, 5:52 pm

rice is literally the simplest thing to make.

1 cup rice, 2 cups cold water, in a pot with a tight fitting lid.
High heat until it boils.
As soon as it boils turn it down to low and cook until the water has evaporated usually 20 minutes).
Turn of fire and keep covered for 5-10 minutes.
Remove cover and leave standing for 5 minutes.
Then fluff with a fork and serve.

If your outside is mushy and inside is raw it's likely your rice was boiling the whole time instead of just simmering.

amother

Lilac

Tue, Oct 31 2017, 8:48 pm

do you have a microwave? I do it in the microwave very oftan and it comes out perfect. just follow the instructions on the box. (I make instant white rice)

Bnei Berak 10

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 6:27 am

amother wrote:

etky, does toasting the rice add any flavor?
I use an analon pot. can that be the cause? maybe the pot is too thick? also, the cover doesn't close very tightly. it fits but can move around a bit.

Frying the rice in oil removes the starch which makes it sticky. It does not do anything to the flavour. There are two methods of removing starch: frying under constant stirring before adding boiling water. Or: soaking and washing the rice.

Bnei Berak 10

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 6:30 am

amother wrote:

ok. first two things I'll try is toasting the rice and using boiling water. I cant wait to try it.
thank you ladies. I appreciate you taking the time to write. Very Happy

Be careful when you add the boiling water to rice! Hot steam!

BadTichelDay

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 6:52 am

I agree with the posters above:
2 cups of water to every 1 cup of rice. I use cold water and often add half a cup or so to get a softer result. To remove starch, I wash the rice well before use. Before cooking (covered) I put on salt, oil and spices (mostly curcum and petrosil -don't know how that's called in English). Then bring to a wild boil, turn down the heat and simmer until all the water has vanished, switch off and let stand covered for 20 minutes.

The standing around covered part afterwards is very important. If served too early, the rice will be hard inside. It needs to "mature".

Bnei Berak 10

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 6:59 am

BadTichelDay wrote:

Petrosil=Parsley in English

Soul on fire

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 8:33 am

I also suggest a rice cooker. They are small and inexpensive and make perfect rice every time. I was terrible at making rice but with a rice cooker we actually have rice all the time now.

etky

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 8:50 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Be careful when you add the boiling water to rice! Hot steam!

Yes, it can really sizzle up a storm when the water meet the hot oil.
About the taste - toasting the rice does jmpart a very subtle nutty taste to the rice that boiled rice does not have. The longer you toast it the stronger the taste.

amother

Pewter

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 10:00 am

I was thinking that if I wash my rice then I can't toast it, is that right? I cant not wash it. what should I do?

Bnei Berak 10

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 10:06 am

amother wrote:

I was thinking that if I wash my rice then I can't toast it, is that right? I cant not wash it. what should I do?

You either go with the pilaf method (fryig in oil, constant stiring) OR the Persian method (soak and wash rice very well). Pilaf is easier I say.

amother

Pewter

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 10:18 am

I never soaked but I always washed my rice well and it was sticky. I want to try the toasting method but I can't skip washing the rice, can I?

etky

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 10:27 am

amother wrote:

I never soaked but I always washed my rice well and it was sticky. I want to try the toasting method but I can't skip washing the rice, can I?

I don't wash the rice as a rule, except for certain recipes that require soaking.
Even then, after I soak and rinse it, I let it drain very well and then proceed to sautee it. It takes longer for the rice to get somewhat toasted when it starts out wet but it does get there....

etky

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 10:35 am

BTW, soaking is the answer if you've ever tried a recipe where the rice turns out slightly hard even though you put in enough liquid.
I used to have this happen when I made Spanish rice. The acid from the tomato sauce kept the rice hard. Then I read a tip about soaking and it solved the issue for me.
Works when I make rice-a-roni too.
But for most recipes it's not necessary.

amother

Pewter

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 10:40 am

okay. I'll try both ways. how long do I have to soak it for it to make a difference? an hour? 10? 24?

Bnei Berak 10

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 10:46 am

amother wrote:

I never soaked but I always washed my rice well and it was sticky. I want to try the toasting method but I can't skip washing the rice, can I?

Fry the dry rice in hot oil, constant stirring. Add boiling water.

etky

Wed, Nov 01 2017, 10:56 am

Bnei Berak 10 wrote:

Fry the dry rice in hot oil, constant stirring. Add boiling water.

This. Most recipes do not require soaking if using the pilaf method. Certainly not plain rice cooked in water and seasoned only with salt.
If you do have a recipe that you think would benefit from a soak (something that calls for acidic cookiing liquid or other ingredients that inhibit the rice's absorption of water during the cooking process) then 30 min in room temperature water is usually enough.