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How to Cook Rice – Perfect Results Every Time

How to Cook White Rice – Perfectly cooked white rice, tender, fluffy, and non-mushy. Let me show you the effortless way to cook it perfectly.

Have you ever wondered how to cook rice?

Rice is one of the most common staple foods in the world. It’s also one of the easiest to cook—and it’s incredibly versatile, too. You can use it as a side dish, as a base for soups and casseroles, or even as an ingredient in desserts like rice pudding.

Something so simple and basic can become such a problem if you don’t know how to do it. Everyone has had experience with sticky, overcooked, mushy, or undercooked rice. This article will teach you the correct way to cook rice so that you won’t run the risk of overcooking or undercooking it.

But if you’ve ever struggled to get perfect results with your rice, fear not: we’re here to help! We’ve got tips for how to cook rice for perfect results every time.

What is the correct way to cook rice?

If you ask several people how they cook rice, you will likely get several different answers. Some people will say to rinse the rice with cold water before cooking it, others may say not to rinse it at all. Some prefer to use a specific kind of cooking method, while others use a different method. There are so many different aspects when it comes to cooking rice that it can be hard to know what the right answer is.

This article will teach you the correct way to cook rice on the stovetop so that you won’t run the risk of overcooking or undercooking it.

Always Rinse Rice Before Cooking

You might be thinking, “Why would I rinse rice before I cook it? Rinsing your rice might seem like an extra step, but it’s totally worth it. Let me explain why you should rinse your rice.

Starch is often what makes rice sticky and causes it to clump together. So, if you follow this rule of rinsing rice before cooking it, your rice will not be sticky or clumpy when it’s done— and thus will be much easier to eat. It’s a no-brainer: Rinse first, and you’ll always get fluffy, well-separated, perfectly cooked rice.

Pre-rinsing the rice also ensures your final product will be free of any aggregates, dirt, or other impurities that may have adhered to the surface of the grains during processing and transport.

How To Wash Rice

Place the uncooked rice in a bowl and agitate the grains with your hands. Drain the rice in a colander and repeat this process a couple of times until the water stays relatively clear. This can be ”time-consuming”, but believe me, it’s better to remove as much starch as possible before cooking your rice. You’ll notice that your rice cooks up much more evenly than it ever did before and also has a much fluffier texture.

Ingredients for making white rice: Rice, water, butter/oil, and salt

What is the ratio of water to rice?

The rice-to-water ratio for cooking rice holds the key. For white rice, you need 1½ cups of water for 1 cup of rice. If you want to cook more than a cup of rice, you increase the water based on this basic ratio — for example, 3 cups of water for 2 cups of rice. The other types of rice might require another measurement ratio, but this works accurately for long-grain white rice.

Don’t stir while it cooks!

This is very important! Stirring will only cause more clumping in your pot and make things hard for yourself later on when it comes time to serve up dinner—plus, it makes for an unappetizing appearance on the plate!

Tips on how to cook rice perfectly

  • Don’t peek at the rice while it is still cooking. Peeking allows the steam to escape.
  • Avoid mixing the rice while it is still cooking to prevent it from gumming together.
  • Choose the size of your pot based on the quantity of rice you want to cook. When you use a large pot for small rice, scorching is inevitable.
  • Allow the rice to sit and rest for the water to be absorbed entirely. Don’t rush to serve it.
freshly cooked rice served up in a bowl

How long do you boil rice on the stovetop?

The cooking time for depends on the type and quantity of rice you are cooking. For example, making 1 cup of rice on the stove takes about 13 – 15 minutes,

However, if you cook in larger quantities, it may take a few extra minutes to cook. When your rice is done, you can cover the pot for some minutes to allow it to absorb all the water and come out perfectly tender and fluffy.

Storage

You can store your cooked rice in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and reheat it later to eat. You can reheat it in the microwave or stovetop.

What to serve with rice

The best thing I love about rice is its versatility. You can serve your white rice several ways or reuse leftovers for another recipe. For example, you can serve rice with beef stew, Chicken stew, Ata din-din (Nigerian Pepper Sauce). Asides from this, rice can go with almost any chicken recipe.

perfectly cooked white rice cooked served with red stew

Your white rice can go with grilled chicken, Chicken wings with dry rub, chicken coconut sauce, and fried chicken gizzards. All these options with rice are winning combinations that can never fail.  

I hope you find this guide helpful! check out other rice recipes here

Freshly cooked white rice

How to Cook White Rice

Perfectly cooked white rice is tender, fluffy, and non-mushy. Let me show you the effortless way to cook it perfectly.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Lunch/Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: African, American, Asian
Keyword: rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
resting time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 355.6kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked white rice well rinsed
  • cups water
  • 1 teaspoon butter coconut oil, or olive oil (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Rinse the rice with tap water and strain the water. Repeat this a couple of times until the water runs clear.

Stove Top

  • Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stir in the rice and butter (if using). Leave it to come to a quick boil, then reduce heat and let the rice simmer until water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender – about 15 minutes.
  • Turn off heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
  • Store any leftover in the refrigerator for up to 5-6 days or in the freezer for 1 month.

Notes

  • Don’t peek at the rice while it is still cooking. Peeking the rice allows the steam to escape.
  • Avoid mixing the rice while it is still cooking to prevent it from gumming together.
  • Choose the size of your pot based on the quantity of rice you want to cook. When you use a large pot for small rice, scorching is inevitable.
  • Allow the rice to sit and rest for the water to be absorbed entirely. Don’t rush to serve the rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 355.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 6.6g | Fat: 2.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.7g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 5.4mg | Sodium: 29.6mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 62.5IU | Calcium: 31.8mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)
Recipe Rating




Jo

Monday 28th of August 2023

Great learning to cook well

Divine

Saturday 4th of February 2023

So cute, I need more of it

Chef Lola's Kitchen

Thursday 2nd of March 2023

Hahaha

Sharron Kearney

Friday 16th of December 2022

Is the rice covered or uncovered after it comes to the boil

Lola Osinkolu

Sunday 18th of December 2022

it should be covered all through.

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