What do you add to rice?

foolproof way to cook rice every time.

1. measure rice into the pot dry
2. wash rice in lukewarm water by pouring water into pot and swishing rice around until water is cloudy then pouring out the water gently (rice will sink to the bottom, don't pour that out it doesn't need to be completely dry). Repeat twice more, by this stage the water should be allot less cloudy.
3. pour water into the pot slowly and smooth rice over the bottom of the pot place your hand flat palm down over the top of the rice and fill until the water covers your first finger joint (the thickest part of your finger)
4. pop onto the stove on a medium to high heat and cook covered until boiling, if using an electric stove turn off now and DO NOT lift the lid! If using a gas stove boil for 5 minutes - no longer and turn off the heat, again do not lift the lid!
5. Leave to sit covered for 20 -30 minutes if you have done it correctly when you do lift the lid the rice should be dry, cooked perfectly and not too sticky.

I add chicken stock to mine allot, or herbs depending on what I am serving it with although as someone mentioned above I usually serve it as a bed for whatever else we are eating and allow the juices from that to seep down and flavour the rice.

Frozen veg, soya sauce and chilli flakes....simple and delicious!

The only thing I mix with my rice is beans once or twice a week when I have it. Otherwise I don't add anything to my rice but a little lite salt.

I add soy sauce, stevia, garlic, and red pepper. Very "Asian"

I add just a few drops of sesame oil and a sprinkle of powdered ginger to the cooking water, then pour on some garlicy hot sauce when I serve it up. My son likes his cooked with Old Bay and a little butter, though.

I don't usually add anything other than a little salt and fat (butter or olive oil) to the cooking water, although I might use stock if I have some on hand. I just let the protein and veg and any sauce on those (e.g., from a stir-fry) that I'm eating with it flavor it.

As small children, we used to sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on our rice.

You could do a pilaf: saute some alliums (onions, garlic, shallots, etc.), other veggies if you like (e.g., bell pepper, diced carrot or celery), add the rice and stir until it starts to brown slightly, add the water or stock (preferable already hot) with any herbs you might want to use (e.g., thyme, oregano) and chopped tomatoes if you like (canned would be good here), and cook as usual.


You don't need a special rice cooker (unless you want to be able to completely forget about it after you start cooking it). This is how I've been cooking rice for about 40 years (since I was old enough to be allowed to use the stove), and the only times it has failed (burning a little) was when I got completely distracted and let it continue cooking for substantially too long. (This is for "real" rice, not instant, pre-cooked, or converted.)

1) Use a non-metal pot (e.g., Corningware, ceramic, enameled, earthenware), preferably one with a glass lid so you don't have to remove it to see if the water is absorbed.
2) Use the water-to-rice (or stock-to-rice) ratio recommended on the package (varies for different types of rice, especially white vs. brown). (You can rinse the rice if you want, until the water is clear, but I don't. My mother never did, because she didn't believe in washing vitamins and minerals down the drain, and now I'm used to it that way. But if you're used to rinsing, go ahead.)
3) Bring water (and optional salt and fat, if using) to a boil.
4) Add rice, stir briefly, replace lid, and as soon as boiling resumes, immediately reduce heat (generally low rather than warm on an electric stove and as low as you can without the flame going out on a gas stove, but stoves do vary, so you may have to play with this the first few times you try it; you want it to go down to a bare simmer or not even even simmering; don't be afraid that it's too low; if the water boils over, the burner is too hot).
5) Cook until water is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes for white rice (check after 15) and 35 to 45 minutes for brown rice (check after 35). When water is absorbed, turn off heat. If you leave the pot on the burner, it will easily stay hot for 10 minutes or more if you need to finish with other dishes that you're serving. Fluff with fork before serving.

If this doesn't work for you, you can also cook rice like pasta (i.e., in lots of water, at least four times the amount called for in the directions on the package) and drain it in a colander when you're done. You will lose lots of the starch when you drain it (so you probably don't need to rinse it, even if you normally rinse when you're only using as much water as the rice will absorb). You'll want to keep the water at a boil, just like you would for pasta. It will generally cook a little more quickly this way. It's been a while since I've done it this way, but I think it was about 12 minutes for white rice and 30 minutes for brown rice. Just spoon out a few grains to test.

I add soy sauce, or cook it in vegetable stock and its always yummy that way Sweet Chili sauce is also a winner but a few more calories

Francl27 wrote: »

Yeah I've been looking at rice cookers, just need to check them out in the store because I have no idea what size to get for 4 people.

Growing up, we had five in the family and ate rice every day. Our rice cooker made up to eight cups of rice, though we usually made five cups at a time. We ate a ton of rice though, so I'd recommend going with something smaller than what we had unless you, too, buy rice by the 25 or 50 lb bags