10 tips for cooking rice

Many people still ask me the question of the best way to cook rice. For this reason, I have summarized what I consider to be the best rice cooking tips here:

1. The choice of rice depends on the dish you want to cook with it.

Short-grain rice is recommended for rice pudding or sushi, and medium-grain rice for risotto and paella. Our request: always choose organically grown rice if possible.

2. You don't have to have a rice cooker to cook rice.

Rice cookers control the cooking temperature and provide even heat. When cooking without a rice cooker, use a heavy pot with a tight lid.

3. The longer or more often you rinse the rice before cooking, the grainier it becomes.

If you soak it in salt water two hours before cooking, the rice will be particularly fluffy. This is e.g. B. particularly recommended for dishes such as briyayni or kebab rice.

4. The amount of water for cooking rice depends significantly on the type of rice:

The general rule is: One cup of rice - two cups of water for polished rice and one cup of rice, three cups of water for brown rice. Pay attention to the information on the packaging.

5. When cooking the rice, make sure you use the right pot size.

The amount of rice must match the size of the pot: if the pot is too big, too much water will evaporate and the rice will not be cooked.

6. You don't always have to salt the rice before cooking.

Whole grain rice varieties usually taste better with salt because these varieties have a more complex flavor than polished rice. Short-grain rice varieties with a mild, sweet aroma are used, for example: B. not salted at all in Asia.

7. Cook rice with liquids other than just water.

For example, experiment with soups or with a coconut milk-water mixture (1:1 thin coconut milk and water).

8. Rice can also be cooked with various spices.

Such as E.g. garlic, charlottes/onions, lemongrass, ginger or cardamom.

9. Cooking Rice with Oil:

In the Arabian and Mediterranean regions, oil is heated in a pot. After the spices and onion have been added, the rice is briefly roasted and then deglazed with cold water. In many parts of Asia, oil is not used - the spices go directly into the cold water with the rice.

Tip: Cook small, whole green chili peppers in the rice. The aroma of the chili develops in the rice, the spiciness remains in the pods.