Rice is a food staple that has been around for ages. Even in today’s times, rice is consumed in extremely large quantities around the globe, (not just in Asia)! Lots of people like to eat rice, but find it difficult to cook the perfect plate of rice. In this article I will explore some tips and techniques that will tell you how to cook long grain rice.
First of all, since most of the long grain rice you buy today is clean, rinsing is not a must. Rinsing the rice before cooking though, will wash away the starch, thus making the rice less sticky. Soaking the rice is an option, but again, this is not a must. If you do soak the rice, make sure you drain it well. Otherwise, you’ll use more water than you intended.
You should cook it in a pot that’s big enough to be able to keep the steam in. There should be enough space between the rice and the lid for the trapped steam. In addition, the lid should be tight fitting. It’s good to know that brown rice needs more time to cook that white rice. Also, older rice absorbs more water than new rice.
There are two ways on how to cook long grain rice. You can put in the rice, put more than enough water and when it’s finished cooking, just pour out the excess water. The way that I prefer cooking it though, is through absorption. Cook the long grain rice with a measured amount of water. When the rice is finished cooking, all the water will have been absorbed. Trapped steam from inside the pot, will finish the cooking.
Generally, the rule is approximately 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. You may want to experiment a little with the exact amount of water. It basically depends on the type of rice and the way you like it! More water gives you softer, stickier rice. Less water gives you more separate, harder rice. Don’t be afraid to experiment when you are learning how to cook long grain rice.
You can add a little salt go give it a little flavor. Let the rice simmer for approximately 12-15 minutes on a tiny flame. When it has finished cooking let it rest for 5-20 minutes. Don’t forget this step. It is one of the most important steps to get well-cooked, fluffy rice. Now that you know how to cook long grain rice, try it out in the kitchen. Good Luck and Good Appetite!
