How to Cook White Rice without a Rice Cooker

bowl of cooked white rice

Rice is one of those basic foods that everybody should know how to cook and it really is quite simple.  

If you aren’t lucky enough to possess a rice cooker then you will have to resort to the tried and true method – that is cooking it in a pot.

While rice cookers make it easy and fail-safe, you can still get very good results using a pot.   Turning out perfectly fluffy rice isn’t difficult, you just have to remember a few basic rules. 

Our easy to follow guide will teach you how to cook white rice:

  1. Select a saucepan, deep skillet or sauté pan with a tight fitting lid. This is important as it prevents the steam from escaping.

  2. Fill the pot with water, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. How much water you use will depend on the type of results you want:

    • For soft, tender rice use 2 cups water per 1 cup rice.

    • For separate grains, use 1 ¾ cups water per 1 cup rice.

  3. When the water is boiling add the white rice and a pinch of salt and stir once.

    • As a guide use half cup of uncooked rice per person.

  4. Return the rice to boiling, and stir again, but only once.

  5. Cover the pot then reduce the heat to low. Leave to cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. While it is cooking LEAVE IT ALONE. Resist the temptation to keep lifting the lid just to check on your rice or give it a stir.

    6. Lifting the lid allows the steam to escape. Constantly stirring releases more starch causing the grains to stick together in lumps and results in gluggy rice. (If you have a saucepan with a glass lid this will enable you to see when the water has been absorbed).

  6. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully lift the lid without letting too much of the condensation on the lid drip onto the rice.

  7. Fluff with a fork and leave to sit for a few minutes to dry out. This leaves it nice and fluffy.

    8.

You should now have perfectly cooked white rice.

If you find you have over-estimated the amount of rice you need, don’t worry.  It can easily be reheated.  Find out how.



» How to Cook White Rice



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