Cooking Perfect Rice

Rice is a basic foodstuff in many parts of the world, and can be cooked in many different ways. But if you are anything like me, you may find that your rice doesn't turn out perfectly every time. Sometimes you may find your rice is too hard and not cooked enough, other times it is a soggy mess! And if you are anything like my husband, you may also find it stuck to the saucepan in one big lump.......So here are a few hints and tips which may help.

If you are boiling rice, try cooking it in a frying pan with a lid, rather than a saucepan. For some reason, spreading it out in a shallower pan seems to work better. The best way to get the rice to liquid ratio right is to measure the rice by volume rather than by weight. If you are using this method, then you should use twice the volume of boiling water to rice. For example, for two people the suggested volumes are 65ml per person of rice and 130ml of water. This is called the total absorption method, as the rice absorbs all the water during the cooking process.

When using the total absorption method, you should simmer the rice in the boiling water for around 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid or stir the rice - you need the steam to build up in the pan and not to escape. Following this method, you should end up with perfectly cooked rice which does not need draining. All it needs is to be fluffed up with a fork, and that's that!

If you don't want to use the total absorption method, then simply boil  the rice in an open pan in a generous quantity of water so that it does not dry out. Again, cooking time is around 15 minutes (longer for brown or wholegrain rice).

There are two different types of rice cooker which I have used. The first is an electric rice cooker. These look a little like a crockpot, but you put rice and water into them in the correct proportions (you usually get a little measuring cup with it to make this easy), switch it on, and leave the machine to do its work.

As well as the fact that the rice will turn out perfectly with no effort, the other great advantage of the rice cooker is that it will keep the rice warm for some time. So you can switch it on to cook an hour or two in advance, and the rice can be used whenever you are ready - no last minute rush to get the rice ready on time!

The other type of rice cooker is one that you use in the microwave. I have one of these from a company called Pampered Chef, and I find it amazingly convenient. Again, all you do is measure the rice and the boiling water into the cooker in the correct proportions and put it in the microwave for about 10 minutes.

This type of cooker does not allow you to cook in advance like an electric rice cooker, but it is quicker than the electric type so can be more convenient if your time is more limited.

So there you have it - using any of these methods will result in lovely fluffy white rice, the perfect accompaniment to any meal!