The Amazing World of Rice (3 page)

 

Guidelines for Buying and Storing Rice

White Rice

• Check freshness of rice by examining the grains: they should be translucent and free of dust, broken particles, or residue.
  
• Store airtight in a jar or box in a dark cupboard. If you don't use it often, refrigerate.
  

Brown, Red, and Black Rice

• The bran on rice is perishable and can turn rancid quickly, especially if the rice isn't stored properly. When buying in bulk, sniff the rice to make sure it has a clean, nutty aroma. When buying in bags or boxes, check freshness as for white rice.
  
• Store in a dark, cool, dry place at room temperature for up to 1 month. For longer storage, refrigerate, tightly covered.
  

To Store Cooked Rice:
Cooked rice can be tightly covered and refrigerated for 4 to 5 days. Cooked rice can be frozen, but will get mushy. Use it in puddings or soups. Brown rice freezes more successfully than white.

 

 

Rice Yields

1 cup uncooked white rice = 3 cups cooked

1 cup uncooked brown rice = 3½ cups cooked

1 cup wild rice = 3½ to 4 cups cooked

 

T
he question I am most frequently asked
about cooking rice is, “Do you rinse it?” I usually don't rinse rice, but in many countries, because of tradition and cultural preferences of taste and texture, rice is always rinsed.

The practical reason to rinse rice is to wash off dirt and debris. In less-developed parts of the world, rice is milled in less than sanitary conditions. The result is rice containing pieces of hull and other matter. It is sometimes dried out in the open or stored in open sacks or containers that collect dust, leaves, and insects.

Rinsing rice also washes off excess starch and any polishing compounds that may have been used. Sometimes during milling a layer of ground rice is left clinging to the grains, causing the rice to be overly starchy. In Asian countries, rice is sometimes coated with cornstarch to rid the grains of any oily bran that might spoil. At one time rice was coated with talc, but this practice is now outlawed in the United States.

Rinsing rice also leaches out some of its aroma: some cultures don't like the perfume of aromatic rice, preferring to rinse and soak it to diminish this aspect.

The philosophical reasons for rinsing rice are difficult to define. In Asian homes, rinsing the rice is a ritual that signals the beginning of the preparation of the day's sustenance. Traditionally the rice is stirred only in one direction as it is rinsed, presumably to appease the symbolic rice mother. (It also keeps the grains from breaking.) A Japanese friend says his parents believe that rinsing and soaking the rice releases its life force and gives the eater a more peaceful soul. In some Asian households, the eldest member of the family ritualistically rinses and cooks the rice every morning.

To rinse rice, place it in a large bowl and cover with water. Slowly stir the rice so any debris will float to the top. Pour off the water. More water can be added to help release the starch from the rice; repeat two or three times, depending on how much starch you want to release. Pour the rice into a sieve to drain.

Sometimes rice should be soaked. The soaking time can be as little as twenty minutes or as long as one hour or more. Soaked rice will absorb some of the water and will cook more quickly and in less water. When basmati is soaked, the cooked grains are fluffier and less starchy. When medium-or short-grain rice is soaked, the cooked rice is soft without being too sticky. Because excess starch will leach out of the rice during soaking, the cooked rice will have a clean, fresh, less starchy taste. Generally 1 cup dry rice requires 1½ to 2 cups of water to cook, while rice that has been soaked will need only 1 to 1½ cups water.

I never rinse American-grown rice, because it is clean. I also prefer the taste, aroma, and texture of rice that has not been rinsed or soaked. Furthermore, 99 percent of domestically grown rice is enriched; washing it will rinse off the vitamins and minerals.

The Absorption Method for Perfectly Cooked Rice

• Use a heavy wide shallow saucepan, deep skillet, or sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid.
  
• Heat the water to a boil over high heat. For 3 cups firm cooked white rice, use 1 cup raw rice and 1½ to 2 cups water; for soft-cooked white rice, use 1 cup raw rice and 2 to 2¼ cups water. For 3½ to 4 cups firm cooked brown rice, use
  1 cup raw rice and 2¼ cups water; for soft cooked brown rice, use 1 cup raw rice and 2½ to 2¾ cups water.
  
• Add the rice and salt, if using, to the boiling water; stir once to distribute evenly. Return to a boil; stir again.
  
• Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook the white rice for about 15 minutes and the brown rice for 45 to 55 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
  
• When the rice is cooked, carefully lift the lid, so the condensation on the underside of the cover does not drip into the rice. Look at, do not touch, the rice. Little steam holes all over the surface indicate that the water has been absorbed. If the water has not been absorbed, continue to cook over low heat, covered, for 2 to 3 more minutes.
  
• When the rice is cooked, let it stand, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
  
• Fluff the rice with a large fork, never a spoon. Turn into a serving dish.
  
• When cooking medium-grain brown rice for a salad, turn the cooked rice into a strainer and rinse with cold water to remove excess starch and stickiness. Drain well.
  

The right pan
A narrow saucepan does not provide enough space for the rice to cook evenly or allow for enough surface evaporation. My favorite rice pan is a large (10½-by 2-inch-deep) heavy skillet with a tight-fitting lid.

 

Why not stir the rice while it is cooking?
Stirring the rice releases the starch and makes the rice stick together. Exceptions are risotto and rice pudding, because you want the starch to combine with the liquid and create a creamy consistency.

 

Why shouldn't the lid be lifted during cooking?
There is a delicate balance between the steam heat in the saucepan and its ability to cook the rice. If you lift the lid, you allow the steam, along with the heat, to escape. Also, if there is condensation on the lid, it is likely to drip into the pan and you run the risk of having wet, overcooked rice. (In Indian and Persian cooking, a rice cloth sits under the lid to collect the condensation so the rice won't become too wet.) If not looking makes you anxious, buy a pan with a glass lid.

Rice Troubleshooting

As with human beings, not all rices are the same. Besides being long or short, sticky or dry, soft, chewy, black, brown, red, and white, they may have other characteristics that are not so obvious. Freshly harvested rice (prized in Japan) has a higher moisture level and requires much less water for cooking than older rice. Aged rice (favored in India) has a much lower moisture level, requiring more water. Your favorite brand of rice, which
always
cooks just the way you like it, may suddenly need a few more minutes, or a few tablespoons more water—or a few tablespoons less water. What's a cook to do?

As you cook more rice and experiment with different types of rice and various cooking methods you will develop a certain amount of rice intuition. The ratios of water to rice are only a guide. There will always be variables among different brands, especially in rice bought in bulk. But rice is pretty hard to ruin—unless you burn it!

Here are some problems and quick fixes:

• You uncover the pan and the water has been absorbed but the rice is undercooked.
  

• You uncover the pan and the rice hasn't absorbed the water but is tender.
  

Uncovered/Covered Method

Standing in the airport in a small town in Texas one hot summer day, I struck up a conversation with a fellow passenger. The conversation, not surprisingly, turned to rice. The gentleman from Texas cooks his rice this way: Spread the rice in the bottom of a wide pot; add just enough water to cover the rice by ½ inch, or the thickness of your hand; heat to a gentle boil; stir once; and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or just until almost all the water has been absorbed. Then cover the rice and cook, without lifting the lid, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and fluffy. Subsequently, I learned that this technique is popular in the American South, throughout South and Central America, and in parts of Europe.

Boiling Water Method

Cooking rice uncovered in plenty of boiling water (like cooking pasta) until it reaches the consistency desired and then draining it in a strainer is an especially popular method among chefs. This method provides a certain amount of control, as you can easily dip into the pot to check the progress of the rice as it boils. But because all the enrichment is washed off the rice (if you are using domestically grown rice), it is wasteful. This method also leaches flavor from the rice, which goes down the drain with the water and the enrichment unless you are smart enough to catch it in a pot for soup or some other use. I do use this method when I precook rice for pudding and in Persian-style pilaf recipes. I also like it for medium-grain brown rice, which tends to be very sticky when cooked using the covered method.

Thai-Style Steamed Rice

This is an unusual method for steaming rice taught to me by Kasma Loha unchit, a Thai cookbook author, teacher, and friend. Like Kasma, I have only used it for Thai jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is sticky; steaming fluffs it up and also helps it to retain its natural aroma. Set a kettle of water on to boil. Select a large wide pot and a heatproof bowl that fits inside. Set a small rack in the bottom of the pot. Place the rice (2 cups, or whatever amount you will need) in the bowl, add cold tap water, and swish it around; drain. Repeat once or twice more. Return the drained rice to the
bowl. Add 2 or 3 inches boiling water to the pot. Place the bowl of rice on the rack and add boiling water to the rice to cover it by ¾ inch. Cover the pot and steam the rice over medium heat—you should hear the water boiling against the bowl and there should be steam pushing at the lid—for 20 to 25 minutes.

Microwave Method

Although it doesn't save time, rice can be cooked in the microwave. Combine 1 cup long-grain white rice with 1¾ to 2 cups water (use 1½ to 1¾ cups water for short-or medium-grain rice) and 1 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe dish; stir once to distribute rice evenly. Cover and microwave on high power for 5 minutes, then on medium (50%) power for 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, covered, before serving. For long-grain or short-grain brown rice, use 2¼ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt; microwave on high power for 5 minutes, then on medium (50%) power for 30 minutes.

Baked Rice

Baking rice is a foolproof method that saves you from worrying about whether the heat under the pan is too high or too low. Because it is in the oven and out of sight,
you won't be tempted to lift the lid and stir it while it is cooking. It is also energy-efficient if you are cooking the rest of the meal in the oven at the same time.

To make plain oven-baked white or brown rice, preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine 1 cup long-grain white rice and 1¾ to 2 cups boiling water or broth; 1 cup medium-grain white rice with 1½ cups boiling liquid; or 1 cup brown rice with 2¼ cups boiling liquid. Add salt to taste; stir once to distribute the rice evenly. Bake covered, for 25 to 30 minutes for white rice, or 1 hour for brown rice. Makes 4 servings.

This recipe works in rice cookers that have a liner with a nonstick surface.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup chopped onion

1 cup long-grain white rice

½ teaspoon minced garlic

1¾ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts

• 1.
  Preheat the rice cooker. Add the olive oil and onion to the rice cooker liner. Heat until sizzling; cook, stirring, until the onion is tender. Stir in the rice and garlic. Add the chicken broth; stir once to distribute the rice evenly.
  
• 2.
  Cover and start cooking. The bell will alert you when the liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with the walnuts and serve.