Is rice tasteless and sticky? You just don’t know how to cook it! From this cereal, you can make amazing side dishes, salads, snacks and even desserts. You just need to learn how to cook correctly and not make mistakes. Let's analyze the most frequent of them?
Water: the foundation of everything
Rice is cooked in the usual way or drained in a large amount of water. An example of the classical method is pilaf, rice for sushi. Drain cooking is carried out in large quantities of water, the excess of which is removed after cooking. Typically, the rice simply merges into a sieve or in a colander, from where the name comes from.
Amount of water
So that the liquid is completely absorbed, and the rice does not become sour, does not stick together, it is important to accurately measure the water or broth. For friable dishes, a proportion of 1: 2 is usually used. That is, one part of the cereal takes two parts of water. This is where a mistake is often made.
What you need to know:
- If the rice was washed and soaked, then it needs less water. About 1: 1.5, and sometimes even 1: 1, it all depends on the degree of swelling.
- If unrefined rice varieties are used, more water will be required., sometimes you need 3 or even 4 parts.
- If the water is measured strictly at the norm, then the rice is cooked under the lid, after boiling, he should not gurgle, the steam should remain inside the pan. Sometimes an additional lid is wrapped with a wet towel. If steam, that is, water, comes out, then the rice will remain stiff.
It is much easier to cook rice in the drain method, water is taken with a margin. As soon as the cereal reaches readiness, it is poured into a colander, you can even rinse it. It is important not to digest, otherwise the rice will stick together and become sour, lose its attractive appearance and shape.
Water temperature
Pour rice with hot water or fill it in boiling water. In no case do not send rice to cold water. Otherwise, the grains stick together before all this boils. Also, when falling asleep, you need to immediately stir it. Otherwise, all this will settle to the bottom and stick. Only rice for sushi is poured with cold water.
Soaking errors
Rice needs to be washed, almost all types require this, except for steamed cereal. It is believed that white rice, intended for side dishes, salads and other friable dishes, needs to be washed in seven waters. Water flushes dirt, starch from the surface, but a lot of it remains inside. Therefore, rice is often also soaked.
Here a mistake is made. When soaking, the rice cracks, softens, and during cooking, the grains fall apart, break. To prevent this from happening, the rice needs to be soaked in salt water, a whole tablespoon of salt is added per liter. Before cooking, the cereal is repeatedly washed to remove starch that has come out.
Using the wrong pan
It is very important what rice is prepared in. The big mistake is the use of enameled pots, to which everything sticks. Even with the drain method with plenty of water, the grains will settle and stick.
What is desirable to cook rice:
- cauldron;
- stewpan;
- slow cooker;
- pan with thick walls, bottom.
By the way, very often it turns out tasteless is cheap white rice. It contains a lot of starch, grains of different sizes, a lot of small crumbs and dust. Such a product is better not to purchase. If rice has already been bought, then you can rinse, fry with oil in a pan, and then pour it into a pan and boil. Sometimes rice is simply dried in a dry pan, which also improves its taste.
Stir frequently
Another cause of tasteless and boiled rice is its stirring. If you recall the technology of cooking pilaf, then it is clearly indicated. The dish is not stirred during cooking and does not even lift the lid, the rice should absorb all the water and the steam released. However, it does not stick and does not stick together.
The golden rule when cooking rice - touch it less!
What happens when stirring? With a spatula or a spoon, we damage the swelling grain, the cereal gives off starch that cannot be completely washed, the rice sticks together. If it is of poor quality and soft varieties, then the grains can fall apart when cooking. Instead of a loose side dish, a viscous and mucilous porridge is obtained.
Spices are not forgotten?
Rice itself is a tasteless product, it is fresh, so it goes well with all products: mushrooms, fish, meat, poultry, vegetables and even sweets. These ingredients will enrich the cereal, but in any case, spices must be added when cooking. Even rice desserts require salt. And it should not be enough. There is even a belief: if you stir the rice 40 times in one direction and the same amount in the other, the porridge will become sweet.
We conclude: the big mistake when cooking rice is to cook it without spices.
What other spices can I add:
- laurel;
- turmeric;
- peppercorns;
- paprika.
Some affect not only taste but also color. Turmeric gives a very beautiful shade. It is she who is the main component of mixtures for pilaf. You can add garlic and other vegetables, pour soy sauce.
Rice rice strife
Naturally, one of the most important points is the variety or type of rice. Even on the shelf of a not very large store you can see a dozen different packs. Naturally, not every rice is suitable for garnish or pilaf, some varieties will not work milk porridge. Method, cooking time, amount of liquid depends on the dish and the cereal itself.
The main types of rice:
- The cut. Crushed cereal, cooked very quickly, releases starch. Ideal for dairy and dairy-free viscous cereals, requires mandatory washing, can be soaked.
- Steamed rice This rice can not be soaked or even washed, usually just rinse. The cereal has been processed; during cooking it does not stick together; the grain retains its shape. It can be used for pilaf, side dish, but not suitable for porridge. Cook in drain and non-drain ways.
- Plain round rice (e.g. Arborio). Suitable for risotto, paella, various cereals. Usually it is boiled in enough water.
- Long rice (Basmati, Indica, Jasmine). These types are used for pilaf, side dishes, salads. Long rice is boiled in a limited amount of water or in a draining method. Some species stick together, so you need to pre-rinse or soak.
- Rice for sushi (Japan). It is used for making sushi and rolls, but porridge can also be cooked from such rice.
Also on sale you can find black, brown or red, wild rice. These species are very popular among vegetarians and adherents of a healthy diet. The taste of such cereals is different, they are tougher and contain more fiber, help diversify the diet.
Such rice is cooked longer; drain methods and a large amount of water are usually used.
