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For many newbies, even cooking basics like rice can be surprisingly tough. You may be a student out on your own, or you just may have decided it's time to learn to cook for yourself. Perfectly cooked rice is really the basis of most Indian dishes, and you will most certainly use this skill in your cozy nest. Now, here are three easy ways to cook rice that promise you achieve light, fluffy, and tasty rice every time. They're simple ways to prepare and perfect for beginners in the kitchen.
Three Easy Ways to Cook Rice
Open Pot Method
The open pot method is easy yet effective for cooking rice. Specifically, it involves boiling rice in a great amount of water up to the tenderness of the grain, then draining undercooking.
Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
5 cups water
¼ tsp salt
Method:
It is necessary to wash the rice completely under cold water many times so as to get rid of the excess starch.
It is necessary to soak the rice for at least 10 minutes in water.
Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large vessel.
Add the soaked rice and salt to the boiling water.
Cook the rice on medium-high heat until it is tender but not mushy, approximately 10-12 minutes.
Drain the extra water by using a sieve or a colander.
Cool the rice by allowing it to rest for a few minutes.
Pressure Cooker Method
The pressure cooker method is fast and would result in perfectly cooked rice with hardly any trouble. The methods are particularly useful when time needs to be saved.
Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
2 cups water
¼ tsp salt.
Method:
Rinse and soak the rice for at least 10 minutes.
Blanch the soaked rice with salty water.
Switch off the flame and leave the cooker until the pressure falls by itself.
Once the pressure has released, open the cooker and fluff the rice with a fork.
Absorption Method
This method is ideal for making pilafs, where the rice turns out well-flavoured and perfectly cooked. Indeed, in this method, rice is cooked slowly in a covered vessel over low heat until the whole of the cooking liquid is absorbed.
Ingredients:
1 cup Basmati rice
2 cups water
¼ tsp salt.
Method:
Rinse rice well and soak in water for a minimum of 10 min.
Into a heavy-bottomed pan, add the drained rice and water together with the salt.
Boil this mixture over medium heat till it comes to a rolling boil.
Now turn the flame to low and cover this with a tight-fitting lid; let it simmer for about 15–20 minutes.
Switch off the flame and keep the rice covered for 5-10 minutes.
Fluff up the grains with the help of a fork.
Quick Tips for Perfect Rice
The following can be used for any variety of rice. Just remember to vary the quantity of water accordingly.
Always wash the rice under cold water, removing excess starch. Soak the rice for at least 10 minutes so that it cooks uniformly. It has resting time. The texture of rice after cooking is repaired when it rests. Specially for a pressure cooker and absorption method. Do not stir the pan while the rice is on the stove, as more starch may be released, and the rice may turn out sticking.
After being cooked, take a fork and by gentle fluffing, separate the rice into different parts where they would not be clumpy. With these three simple ways at arm's reach, cooking rice is as easy and as interesting as anything even for a novice. Be it a quick meal after a long day at work or weekend cooking, these methods will ensure your rice is cooked to perfection every time.
