Tuesday Cooking Tip: How to Cook Rice

How to cook rice is a really important tool when you are living alone and want to cook plain rice. I have 2 methods for making rice. Both versions are absolutely delicious and really turn out good. The first version is the Plain Jane rice and is made for everyday. The second version is if you have one or two guests over and need to impress.

Few ground rules:

1 handful of rice approximately for 1 person

Each cup of rice will need one and a half cups of water

Once the rice is set in the vessel, do not stir it as you will get a rice mash

You must rinse out the rice 2 – 3 times before cooking

Plain Jane Rice for 2 persons

1 cup rice

1.5 cups water

1 tsp salt

Method:

Wash out the rice and then put in the water and salt

On a medium gas burner, first cover and cook on a low flame till the mixture comes to a bubble.

Let this mixture bubble for 3 – 4 minutes covered

Take off the lid and put it on a high flame and cook till perfectly done

This will need some practice but you will be able to find and understand your rice and be able to cook it perfectly within the first 1 – 2 tries if you follow this method

Slightly Fancier Rice

1 tsp Clarified Butter / Ghee / Oil

1 cup rice

1 cup water

½ cup coconut milk

1 bay leaf

½ tsp jeera/ cumin seeds

1 tsp salt

Method

Wash the rice out and keep aside soaked in some water

Take a vessel, put the ghee/oil in, put the cumin seeds and the bay leaf and sauté

Drain out the rice and add to the oil and mix to coat all the rice with the oil and jeera

Add the water and the coconut milk and give one mix around and cover and cook on a medium flame till done

This turns out absolutely beautiful and aromatic; I sometimes even leave out the cumin seeds, or then other days I add peas or then instead of coconut milk I add tomato puree, there are just so many wonderful combinations that you can try with this. The easiest solution of them all of course is to buy a rice cooker, then all you have to do is dump all the ingredients in and have it ready, perfect and delicious in minutes!