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!
