Rice can be a great food to add to our daily diet because it is rich in nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. It is already a staple food of half of the world’s population and can be cooked easily with a rice cooker.
All you have to do is to prepare your rice, put it into the rice cooker, activate the machine, and let it do the job.
However, if you do now own a rice cooker that handles your rice for you, it can be difficult to get the timing when it comes to rice cooking. The wrong timing can make your rice end up being either mushy or undercooked, both of which will ruin your meal.
If you use a stove and a pot but don’t know how long it takes to cook rice, don’t worry. We will give you the right timing that will help your home-cooked rice to be perfect and fluffy every time.
How Long Does It Take To Cook Rice?
Different types of rice need different cooking times.
For long-grain white rice, you should let it simmer for 18 minutes. For short-grain white rice, 15 minutes of simmering on your stove would be enough.
Meanwhile, if you are cooking brown rice, you should let it simmer for 45 minutes. Yes, it requires a much longer time to cook and if you let your rice cook for a shorter time, it will probably be undercooked and hard to chew on.
Brown rice takes a longer cooking time and more water because the grains still have the outer layer of bran on them, which requires more time to cook. White rice already has the bran removed; hence, the cooking process is much faster.
However, brown rice can be a healthy option because it is less processed than white rice. After all, the grains are less processed and can maintain all of their nutrition. If you opt for brown rice, remember the cooking time and you are good to go.
6 Steps To Cook Rice Properly
Rinse your rice
Rinse your rice for around 30 seconds before cooking. This step is essential when it comes to cooking rice because it can remove all the contaminants or extra starch on your rice. You wouldn’t want any of these to end up inside your body. Thus, this step can also make your cooked rice fluffier and shinier, so you shouldn’t skip rinsing your rice under any circumstances.
The water ratio
Put rice and water into your pot, the ratio is 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. You can scale up and down based on this ratio.
If your rice package has an instruction on the water ratio, follow it. Although this ratio is universal, different types of rice will be cooked better with the right timing.
Cook your rice
Put your rice and water into the pot. You can also put salt to add more flavor. Bring the water to a boil and let it simmer with the lid on until the rice is completely cooked.
Check your rice
After its cooking time, you should check to see if your rice is completely cooked. If there is water left after the cooking time, you can let your rice cooked for a little bit more or remove the water if you think your rice has been cooked enough.
Leave it alone
Leaving it to sit on the stove with the heat turn off for about fifteen minutes. This will allow your rice to be fluffy and completely cooked.
Gently mix your rice up
Gently stir your rice with a fork or a spatula to make sure that the grains do not stick together. After this, your rice is ready to serve.
Here is a useful video that helps you cook perfect rice for your further information:
FAQs
How do you cook rice fast?
You should not speed up the cooking process and cut the cooking time if you do not want to end up with undercooked rice. However, if you do not want too much hassle whenever you cook your rice, you should get a rice cooker. It will handle everything and make the cooking process much easier and less time-consuming.
How do you know when rice is done cooking?
The easiest way is to taste the rice and judge it by the texture of your rice after its recommended cooking time. If the texture is already fine but the rice is too wet, you can evaporate the water content left on the rice by cooking it on low heat with the heat off. However, if the texture is already mushy, you should start a new batch of rice with more attention to the water ratio and the cooking time.
Is it safe to reheat cooked rice?
You can reheat your cooked rice and have it without any problems. However, you should store it correctly to make sure that the cooked rice is safe from bacteria that can make you sick. Leftover cooked rice should be refrigerated or kept at a low temperature (below 5 °C) or else it may not be safe to eat later on.
How do I deal with burnt rice?
If you forget about your rice cooking on the stove and accidentally let it burn, take the pot off the stove and run cold water over the bottom of the pot. You should taste the unburnt rice to see whether it is cooked.
If it is cooked, you can still have the unburnt rice after letting it cool down and be relieved from the burnt smell. You can also put a slice of bread on top of the rice. It will absorb all the burnt smell.
If the rice still needs a little more cooking time, transfer the unburnt part onto another clean pot and continue the cooking process. Pay closer attention this time.
Read More:
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Conclusion
Now that you have everything you need to know about the perfect timing of the rice-cooking process. Apply this knowledge and enjoy your delicious and fluffy rice. You can thank us later.
