Chillichap's Recipe - On a Quest for Perfect Cooked Rice? This is How I Cook Mine.

Hello!

You're reading this blog for one of several reasons:-

You can't cook rice no matter how hard you try and you're spending a fortune buying take-out or microwave rice

You can cook rice very well, thank you and you want to see if I know what I'm talking about

Or

You're bored and you can't sleep

It doesn't matter. I'm going to share with you my method for how I cook white rice. If you're cooking brown rice, this usually takes 5 to 8 minutes longer. I've been cooking rice for about 40 years and have experienced just about every high and low associated with cooking this staple food. I don't measure either my rice or the water that I cook it in anymore. This recipe makes about 4 good-sized portions of rice (I'm a big chap, so probably 8 portions for any normal human being). Once the rice is cooking, I always try and resist the temptation to keep taking the lid off to check the rice and stirring. I tend to use a glass-topped pot so I can keep an eye on it and the water level so it doesn't boil dry. Be safe and never leave the pot unattended, don't let the pot boil dry, and make sure you switch everything off when finished. Your safety in the kitchen is your responsibility.

STEP 1

I boil a kettle full of water

STEP 2

I fill a sieve (not to be confused with a colander) full of rice not quite to the brim and run it under a cold tap to remove starch. If you're not sure you've done this, try placing a clear cup underneath and see if the water is running clear-it can take longer than you think.

STEP 3

I pour cold water into a large pan until the base is covered and bring to the boil with the lid on.

STEP 4 

I empty the rice from the sieve into the pot, add a big pinch of salt, and pour over water from the kettle so it's covered. 

STEP 5

I stir the pot, cover it with a lid, and bring to the boil, then turn it down to a simmer.

STEP 6 

I boil a half-filled kettle and pour this over the rice once it has been cooking for about 10 minutes, then I stir. and put the lid back on

STEP 7 

I turn the gas/electricity off at about 15 minutes and remove from heat onto a safe surface. Remember the rice continues to cook even if the pot is switched off. Various rice has different cooking times-this is usually on the side of the packet. You need to look at the rice at about 14 minutes and determine if it is starting to look cooked. I try a few grains with a teaspoon. If it's still got a crunch in the middle, it's still undercooked and inedible.

STEP 7

I place a colander into the sink and pour the rice into it-careful not to burn myself with any hot water splash back or steam. I then shake the colander with rice in it until I don't see any more water coming out.

STEP 8

I pour the rice into a colander and cover it away from the cooker. It's still cooking at this point. If I believe the rice is perfect at this stage, I leave the lid off. I occasionally run cold water through the rice to stop it cooking but don't do this a lot, as it can make the rice cold if you're not careful.

Handy Tips

After I've turned the gas/electric off and If I still think the rice has too much moisture, I'll put the rice on the draining board away from the cooker and place a tea towel over the rice and then put the lid on. The tea towel with absorb a lot of the moisture from the rice.

If you're using pillau rice and want to make it more authentic, try adding some spices-I usually add 3 or 4 cardamoms, a few cloves, a bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and half a teaspoon of ground cumin (although whole cumin is good). Don't forget a good pinch of salt. I usually remove the whole spices once the rice is cooked as they don't taste very nice on their own. You can actually buy pillau rice seasoning at some supermarkets and this is usually excellent. Sprinkle some coriander in at the end too for authenticity.

Always make sure there's enough water in the pan. If the rice is still hard it's undercooked and inedible.

If you want to make fried rice, cooked rice is better if it's cooled down and been in the fridge. I usually fry it in oil in a wok with half a chopped onion, a finely diced carrot, and a teaspoon of garlic paste. I'll add a splash of soy sauce and freshly ground black pepper and then pour a beaten egg (for egg-fried rice) in-stirring it until it's cooked. It doesn't take much egg and people often add too much egg and it can make the rice stodgy and ruin it.

There you go. How I cook my rice. Please remember to be safe and never leave anything cooking unattended, making sure everything is switched off when finished.

Thanks for reading

Matt AKA Chillichap