I can't make brown rice taste good.

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Replies

  • Swiftlet66
    Swiftlet66 Posts: 729 Member
    Really? I think brown rice tastes pretty nutty and kinda sweet by itself. I've only eaten short grain brown rice though; they're the best imo! I don't eat plain brown rice by itself most of the time; it's more of a plain side dish to pair with a more flavorful, saltier dish of meats or fish. If it's bland to you, cook it in broth (if you're watching sodium intake, mix water and broth) or with butter and salt. There's some nice mixed rice recipes online... you can add chopped up carrots and peas and cook it with your rice too for added flavor.
  • runningagainstmyself
    runningagainstmyself Posts: 616 Member
    I've started using Indian spices in just about everything I make. Some are garam masala, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds, black pepper, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, even cinnamon. Seeds are best toasted a bit (with or without some oil) before grinding or adding to food. Garam masala is actually a blend, and might be the better way to venture into Indian spices. Turmeric is a bit bitter, but it gives a warm flavor. There are recipes for 'thayir sadam', curd (yogurt) rice. It's usually made with white rice, but brown rice can be used. It can be as spicy as you want.

    ^^^ THIS. I <3 this. Also, totally recommended.
  • Jessie24330
    Jessie24330 Posts: 224 Member
    My family, myself included, will not eat brown rice without some wild rice mixed in. We do two part brown and one part wild and find it a decent mix. I don't have suggestions for spices/seasonings because we never use them. Back in the day when I was living with my ex, they used to eat white rice with tabasco on it and it was pretty good, I don't know if that would work with brown but it might be worth a try.

    This is what we buy from Walmart to mix in:

    https://www.google.com/shopping/product/10389381757785808295?q=lundberg+wild+rice&espv=2&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.68911936,d.b2k,pv.xjs.s.en_US.LsU8tgs6eAk.O&ion=1&biw=1024&bih=659&tch=1&ech=1&psi=hKygU6voN8KQqgbK04HYAw.1403038849359.5&ei=jqygU-oWj5SoBvz-gcAC&ved=0CHUQpiswAQ

    Sorry if I wasn't much help but it might be worth trying for you.
  • Megmo127
    Megmo127 Posts: 76 Member
    Maybe turn it into something fancy like jambalaya!
  • fancyface1955
    fancyface1955 Posts: 90 Member
    I usually make mine with worcestershire sauce. gives it a nice kick of flavor.
  • RinnyLush
    RinnyLush Posts: 389 Member
    I love it with a little smoked paprika, crumbled feta cheese, and green onions!
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,839 Member
    Make sure to put salt in the water when you cook it. I use Alton Brown's oven method for making brown rice. Put it in the oven and ignore it. It never boils over, never is dry, and is always done. Sometimes I replace 1/2 a cup of the brown rice with wild rice.

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe.html
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I love brown rice. Cooked plain, cooked in broth, cooked any way. I don't think it's bland at all. But yes, the broth/stock idea does give it more oomph. But probably also adds a lot of sodium.
  • bomftdrum
    bomftdrum Posts: 270 Member
    I like just plain brown rice, but here lately I have added some cayenne pepper or some sirracha. Gives it a little kick.
  • mank32
    mank32 Posts: 1,323 Member
    i usually keep it plain and smother it with meat/veggies in some kind of nuke-hot sauce. yanno, so everything tastes like mouthburn. :devil:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    I put soy sauce on a lot of the foods I eat. If sodium isn't an issue for your health (high BP, hypertension) then there's not much need to monitor it.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Me neither.

    So I went back to eating white. Yums.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,323 Member
    Stop trying to force the brown rice and find something you like.

    this.


    but if youre still experimenting, try adding a little curry paste and stir fry it. toss some chicken in there and broccoli florets...
    35o4j9.jpg
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Isn't all rice pretty bland? White or brown, to me it really only tastes like whatever you're putting in it...I guess brown might have a bit more nuttiness.

    I like cooking mine in either stock or coconut milk...brown or white. Adding some coconut oil or butter also helps. Nothing inherently wrong with using a little soy sauce either...you don't have to dump in a gallon of the stuff...a little dab will generally do ya.
  • Holly_penguin
    Holly_penguin Posts: 149 Member
    The key to tasty rice of any color is to put the seasonings in the cooking liquid. Water, broth, wine, cocnut water, milk...whatever. Add siracha or lipton noodle soup packet or cajun spice or roasted garlic or mustard or whatever to the cooking liquid. It will infuse the rice with the flavor. If yuou use flavors you like, you will like the end product.

    Alton Brown has a brown rice salad recipe that has a mustard vinegarette added to cooked brown rice. It is a nice subtle flavor. i prefer rich/strong flavors. So I go siracha or garam marsala or cumin/chili/lime.
  • fitness_faeiry
    fitness_faeiry Posts: 354 Member
    brown wholegrain rice is amazing.... I eat it almost every day.

    I have it with veggie stirfrys and chilli, things like that which are normally seasoned with everything from Coconut to Satay to Sweet soy, to garlic and chilli, the list is endless...
  • miss_jessiejane
    miss_jessiejane Posts: 2,819 Member


    Or just eat white rice. Ain't nothing wrong with some white.
    :laugh:

    This is my new favorite thread.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member


    Or just eat white rice. Ain't nothing wrong with some white.
    :laugh:

    This is my new favorite thread.

    LOL! I don't always eat rice. But when I do, it's this, and only this:

    1302.jpg
  • happysquidmuffin
    happysquidmuffin Posts: 651 Member
    Sharing what I just had for lunch, as it was DELICIOUS and includes brown rice:

    Tomatoes - Red, ripe, raw, year round average, 80 g 14cal
    Athenos - Reduced Fat Feta Cheese Crumbled 28g/serving, 28 g 50cal
    Rice - Brown, medium-grain, cooked, 0.5 cup 109cal
    Spices - Salt, table, 1 dash and some salt-free seasong
    Fish - Tuna, light, canned in water, drained solids, 1.7 oz 56cal
    Generic - Pepper Jack Cheese, 0.26 oz 29cal

    For a grand total of: 258 calories. I feel full too. I'm totally going to make this again on Friday.
  • Birder155
    Birder155 Posts: 223 Member
    I add in some of my homemade salsa to mine it makes a GREAT Spanish rice :)

    Salsa + rice = delicious! With a dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream or a sprinkling of cheese, it puts it over the top in taste, IMO.
  • DownsizingAaron
    DownsizingAaron Posts: 127 Member
    Definitely cook it in stock and not water. I sprinkle some of Tony Chachere's Cajun seasoning on it. Mixed with your favorite salsa works well, too, without adding a lot of calories.

    I used Tony's too, but actually now have switched over to Todd's Dirt, a Creole seasoning with less salt in it. Stock is great but full of salt too.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Stop trying to force the brown rice and find something you like.

    ^^THIS!
  • NotASoul
    NotASoul Posts: 25 Member
    Onion and garlic tend to be a really good combination for seasoning, also adding stock helps.
  • zaina510
    zaina510 Posts: 31 Member
    all the suggestions sound delicious!
  • hnew29
    hnew29 Posts: 1 Member
    I actually made something last night that tasted amazing! I chopped an onion, celery, carrots and sauteed them, and then I added hamburger, cooking it in the veggies. Then I added about 1 1/3 cups of brown rice and sauteed it for a few minutes before adding water, beef bouillon, and sofrito, a mexican version of tomato paste, which is the magic ingredient. I let it cook for about an hour, added a can of corn at the end, and it was delicious! Pretty low carb and so yummy! Hope that helps!
  • askeates
    askeates Posts: 1,490 Member
    I often times add a little squeeze of lime juice, a little cilantro and some fresh ground pepper..... YUM!
  • Abby_C2014
    Abby_C2014 Posts: 86 Member
    There are no difference on what white rice taste and brown rice except for when you cook it. It becomes grainy so in able for me to make it as soft as the white rice. I wash my rice a bit on a pot, put the pot in a heat string of 1 or 2, come back when my rice is half way cooked, stir it constantly, and come back a couple of times to stir it until it is cooked. Once my rice is cooked, I add all the things to make it good like the protein I need, veggies, and fruits on the side in my plate along with my soft rice.
  • istykray
    istykray Posts: 9 Member
    I will make a max serving in our rice cooker, unflavored, and store in a container in fridge for my teenagers to quickly make easy meals between their school & work schedules. Stir fry these in a pan using oil in a mister.
    Ideas:
    1) Chopped onion, scramble an egg, add rice with bacon bits & soy sauce for a quick fried rice.
    2) Chopped zucchini & yellow squash, & slivered almonds then add rice, s&p and a little chicken broth.
    3) Chicken, steamed broccoli, shredded cabbage (or cole slaw), add rice and some Kikkoman's Teriyaki Sauce & Marinade.
    4) Ground turkey, red peppers, onions, add rice and salsa.
  • jessicaklessig
    jessicaklessig Posts: 25 Member
    i have a rice cooker. It was kinda expensive but got it as a gift. Makes brown rice taste a lot more like white rice especially the texture. Make sure to always rinse the rice until the water is clear before cooking it. I also use low sodium natural chicken stock and it taste pretty good.
  • demorelli
    demorelli Posts: 508 Member
    Mix with veggie beef (or chicken, shimp, etc) stir fry. cook the rice separately and mix before serving. It gets the flavors of the entire dish and adds to the texture.

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