Tricks to cook rice and make it taste like in a restaurant

Cooking rice seems like the easiest job in the world: you boil some water, add the rice and bring it back to a boil. However, this seemingly simple process often ends in failure: the rice burns, sticks together, or remains a little raw. It is at this moment that the question arises: how to cook rice so that it becomes tasty, like in a restaurant? Below we'll give you key tips for getting rich flavor when cooking white and brown rice.

Rice like in a restaurant

If you want the rice you cook to taste like a chef, you need to follow these steps:

1. Rinse and soak. First, you need to rinse the rice grains to remove excess starch. This is because starch can make the grains too sticky when you cook them. Rinse the rice as long as necessary until the water runs clear. If you want to cook brown rice, basmati, jasmine or texmati, soak the grains for 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Amount of water. This is where many people go wrong when cooking rice. Even if you carefully follow the instructions on the package, the rice does not taste as expected. For white rice, 175 grams of rice requires 360 to 420 ml of water. However, it is different for brown rice, considering that 175 grams of rice requires 480 ml of water.

3. Proper utensils. Another thing to keep in mind is that you must use the right pan. It is better to use a container with a thick bottom to ensure even heat distribution. If you are using a thin bottom pan, the center will cook faster than the sides of the pan.

Cooking rice

Add the rice and water (water or broth) to a medium saucepan with a lid. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat without covering the pan. For white rice: Leave the rice in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat until all the water is absorbed (this should take about 15-20 minutes). Brown rice that has not been soaked should be simmered on low heat for 45-50 minutes. If you have soaked brown rice, you should cook it (with the lid on) for 20 minutes.

Adviсe

No matter what type of rice you use, don't look under the lid! When you regularly lift the lid to check if the rice is cooked, steam is released which affects the rice. In addition to this, of course, you can season the rice with, for example, broth or saffron. If you add anything, do it at the same time as you add the olive oil.