Tips for Perfectly Steamed Rice, by Grizelle

Rice is one of those foods that once someone tells you how to prepare and cook it properly, it will become like old hat. This post is from Grizelle, who submits some tasty dishes.

Read it, apply it, learn it. You'll be cooking some amazing rice dishes in no time!

What you need to cook rice:
Heavy sauce pan with a tight fitting lid.
Uncooked long grain Basmati (Indian) rice or Jasmine rice (I like Basmati best!)
Water or soup stock/broth (if you want flavored rice)

Step 1. Figuring out just how much rice. An easy rule of thumb is to use a rice to liquid ratio of 1:2. So, if you use 1 cup of uncooked rice, you want 2 cups of liquid to cook it in.

**Tip** A cup of uncooked rice will make about four 1/2 cup servings when cooked. Make sure your sauce pan is at least twice the capacity of the amount of liquid you will be using to cook the rice.

Step 2. Do not forget to rinse! The way to make fluffy rice that isn't sticky, is to rinse the uncooked rice grains a few times in water. This removes some of the starch powder that adheres to the grain after milling. I put the rice in the sauce pan I'll be cooking it in, cover it with cold water, swirl it around a bit, and pour the rinse water off, repeating a few times until the water is fairly clear. After you have rinsed the rice, and drained off all the rinse water, add the liquid you will be using to cook the rice, in the correct amount.

Step 3. Cooking the rice. With the pot uncovered, bring the rice to a gentle boil over medium high heat. As soon as the water is boiling, give the rice a stir, then cover the pot, and turn the heat down on LOW. Leave the rice covered for a full 20 minutes. No peeking. Really, do not lift the cover until the 20 minutes are up. (Did you hear me, n00b?? I said don't lift the cover until 20 minutes are up!!)

**Tip** Set a kitchen timer that has a loud buzzer for 20 min, and carry it with you if you are going to go back to your computer swimming in the Dalaran fountain. This way you won't forget that you are making uber rice instead of Minute Rice, and you won't burn your house down.

Step 4. Finishing Up. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat, remove the pot cover (yes, it is OK now). Fluff the rice with a fork. It should be ready to serve.



Tasty Rice Ideas: Cashew Chicken with Ginger, Mirage Raceway Rice Dishes, by Wrathfulfury, Dazrel's Southshore Sweet'n'sour Chicken, Mmm Rice Dinners! Apple n' Chicken Stir Fry, Tips for Perfectly Steamed Rice, by Grizelle.