Cooking rice by absorption
White long-grain rice needs about 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice by volume (brown needs about 2). The starch grains swell and soften as they soak it up. Measure the water exactly and never drain it.
Rest the rice off the heat
When the water is gone (15 to 18 minutes for white rice), turn off the heat and keep the lid on for 10 minutes. The moisture evens out and the grains finish steaming. Then fluff the rice with a fork.
Rice types differ
Long-grain basmati cooks up separate and fluffy. Short-grain sushi rice is stickier. Arborio gets stirred on purpose to release starch for risotto. Check the package for the water ratio.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Why does a tight lid matter when cooking rice in a pot?
Trapped steam cooks the top grains as evenly as the bottom. The top layer cooks in the steam, so all the grains finish together.
True or false: You should stir rice while it cooks.
False. Stirring releases starch from the grains, so plain rice turns gummy. Risotto is the exception.
What went wrong? You lift the lid every couple of minutes to check the rice. It comes out hard on top and soggy at the bottom.
Peeking let steam escape. Steam does the cooking in the top layer, so letting it out leaves those grains hard.
Fill the blank: Plain long-grain white rice usually needs about ___ parts water to 1 part rice.
Plain long-grain white rice usually needs about 1.5 parts water to 1 part rice. That's enough water to soften the grains with none left to drain.
Your rice is done, but the bottom is wetter than the top. What helps most?
Leave it covered off the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff. The moisture evens out and the grains finish steaming.
Stirred rice vs hands-off rice
How to make rice gluey on purpose.
Do the 30-minute experiment
