Preparing Saffron Risotto in Domestic Kitchen with rice. – Photo courtesy of Getty
More than half the world’s population eats rice daily, according to The World Economic Forum. It’s a simple and abundant food staple that makes up the diets of more than 4 billion people across the globe. So, why is it that those delicious, perfectly fluffy grains are deceptively hard to achieve at home? Turns out, this small, essential grain has much more to it than meets the eye.
“People think [rice] is idiot-proof, and it isn’t quite,” said George Ryle, a former London restaurant chef who is now the in-house chef at Swaledale Butchers based in Yorkshire, England. “Too much water, lid off too often, stirring it about, not letting it sit at the end. Small things, but they make a difference.”
Making an aromatic, fluffy pot of rice that isn’t gummy or gluey depends a lot more on what you do before you turn on the heat than you might think. Factors like rice-to-water ratio, the type of rice you’re cooking, whether or not you rinse the rice, and how you’re cooking the rice will all work together to create a pot of rice that’s tender and fragrant, rather than dense, sticky, and gooey.
To help you make better rice at home, we’ve tapped a handful of chefs, recipe developers, food stylists, and culinary experts for their tips on cooking perfect rice every single time.
What’s the “right” way to cook rice?
Experts agree: There’s no single surefire way to cook rice perfectly every time because it depends on the type of rice you’re cooking and your cooking method. “The most common mistakes I see are people treating all rice the same,” said Jessica Randhawa, chef and writer behind The Forked Spoon. Different varieties of rice will require different amounts of water and cooking times, and that might also be affected by whether you’re cooking it on the stovetop or in a rice cooker.
However, there are a few rookie mistakes to avoid when cooking rice so you end up with soft, fluffy, perfectly cooked grains each time. Avoid adding too much water, which can lead to a gummy, gluey texture. While it cooks, stop yourself from lifting the lid and stirring it too much because this can release valuable steam and lead to dry spots during cooking. Don’t under- or over-season it — usually a bit of salt in the water is fine. When done, let it sit for five or ten minutes once it’s cooked so the rice can steam all the way thorough. “People mustn’t rush rice,” said Ryle. “The less you mess with it, the better it tends to be.”
Broadly speaking, to achieve well-cooked rice you’ll want to rinse your grains to remove excess starches and impurities, carefully monitor your rice-to-water ratio depending on the type of rice you’re cooking — usually somewhere from 1:1.5 to 1:2 — and cook it undisturbed without lifting the lid. When done, let it stream for a few minutes with the lid on before fluffing it for serving.
Boiling water in a copper pot for cooking rice. – Photo courtesy of Getty
To rinse or not to rinse?
For most white rice like basmati, jasmine, and Japanese rice, you’ll want to gently rinse the grains before cooking to remove milky starches and other impurities. “Avoid over-washing the rice,” said Megumi Hirakawa, General Manager at Dashi Okume, a Japanese dashi and condiment specialty store in Brooklyn, New York. “The grains are delicate and can break easily, and broken rice affects the final texture. A gentle rinse is enough to remove any remaining bran residue from the polishing process.”
But the question of whether to rinse or not to rinse depends entirely on the type of rice you’re cooking and what you’re using it for. “For most meals, I recommend rinsing the rice, as excess starch can lead to a gummy texture,” said Sharon Kwan, recipe developer and food stylist behind @sncxkitchen. “If you’re preparing something like risotto, you’ll want to retain that starch for creaminess.” Other dishes you may want to skip the rinse for include pilaf and rice pudding.
What’s the perfect rice-to-water ratio?
Unfortunately there’s no one-size-fits-all method for cooking perfect rice. Your rice-to-water ratio will depend heavily on the type of rice you’re cooking, how you’re cooking it, and the texture you’re after. “A lot of white rice is somewhere around 1 to 1.5 or 1 to 2 [rice-to-water ratio] but I’d go by the type of rice first rather than one blanket rule,” Ryle said.
Below are broad rice-to-water ratios to follow, though experts stress that water ratios depend on the texture you’re trying to achieve. Review the cooking guidelines on the rice brand you’re using for precise measurements:
Japanese white rice: 1 cup rice — 1.1 cups water or stock
White jasmine or white basmati rice: 1 cup rice — 1.5 cups water or stock
Brown jasmine or brown basmati rice: 1 cup rice — 1.75 cups water or stock
Risotto or pilaf: 1 cup rice — 2 cups water or stock
“When in doubt, it’s better to start with less water,” Kwan said. “You can always add a splash of boiling water and steam for an additional five minutes if the rice turns out too firm, but there’s no undo button for mushy, over-hydrated rice.”
Do you need a rice cooker to make good rice?
In short, no. Experts agree that rice cookers can be nice for consistency and large servings, but aren’t necessarily essential to create fluffy, perfectly cooked rice at home. “I have used a small rice cooker once or twice, but for one person at home, a small saucepan on the stove works just as nicely,” said Michael Handal, chef and instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education.
If you’re interested in rice cookers, however, a Japanese model like the Zojirushi might be the way to go. It was the most-mentioned brand by experts we spoke with and is also used in Hirakawa’s dashi shop, Okume, where the brand also provides a dine-in service where they serve Japanese teishoku-style meals with plenty of Japanese rice. ““Electric rice cookers, especially Japanese models, provide the most consistent results,” Hirakawa said. “We currently use the Zojirushi Pressure Induction Heating Rice Cooker. In our experience, Japanese-brand rice cookers are best suited for cooking Japanese rice.”
If a rice cooker isn’t for you, you shouldn’t worry. You can still achieve delicious homemade rice on the stovetop. “While rice cookers are great for consistency and convenience, I don’t think they are necessary to make great rice at home,” Randhawa said.
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Scoop the rice from the rice cooker with a rice spoon. – Photo courtesy of Getty
Should you season your rice during or after cooking?
For the most part, whether or not you season your rice during or after cooking depends on your personal preference, as well as the type of dish you’re making. If you’re cooking plain rice to have on the side with salmon and roasted veggies, simply salting the water may be all the flavor you need. More complex dishes like pilaf, risotto, Japanese takikomi gohan, Mexican arroz rojo, South Asian biryani, Malay nasi lemak, or Hainanese chicken rice, for example, are dishes that call for seasoning the rice with sauces and spices during the cooking process for more robust, complex flavors.
“Almost without exception rice should be seasoned at the beginning of the cooking process and checked again halfway through its cooking time,” Handal said. “Rice, like pasta, if cooked without seasoning during the cooking process, is flat and flavorless. It’s very hard to retroactively season these starches.”
Infusing more flavor into your rice while it cooks can make a seemingly simple meal taste much more complex. “I always season while the rice cooks. You want each grain to absorb all the flavors of your seasoning blend,” said Joanne Gallagher, co-founder and recipe developer at Inspired Taste, who advocates for layering in flavors using sauces, herbs and fats like butter and flavored oils.
“My two easy, no-brainer upgrades to rice are flavoring it with cooking liquid like coconut milk or saffron-infused water. One gives you a rich, slightly sweet-tasting rice while the other is more fragrant,” Gallagher said. “They both require minimal effort, but you’ll find they dramatically elevate the dish.”
Is there a healthier way to cook rice?
Rice is an abundant and foundational food staple that’s eaten in most cultures around the world. Through the decades, fad diets have vilified the starchy carbohydrates found in cultural staples like white rice. “Rice itself is a simple and balanced staple and is considered healthy in our culture,” Hirakawa said.
In fact, making rice healthier has less to do with the rice itself and more to do with what you’re eating it with and how much of it you’re eating, several experts told us. Swapping to fiber- and nutrient-dense brown and whole-grain rice can be better for blood sugar management and helping you feel fuller for longer, but paying attention to portion sizes and what you’re pairing it with matters just as much as the type of rice you’re eating.
“Don’t want a pat of butter on top of your rice? Leave it out and add some grated lemon zest before serving,” Handal said. “If you want to reduce some of the calories of rice, folding in a nice selection of steamed vegetables will add additional flavor and texture to your rice, while also reducing the rice imprint on your plate.”
Non-fussy rice recipes to try for yourself
Cooking delicious rice dishes at home doesn’t have to be overly complicated. In fact, you don’t even need a recipe for some of the tastiest ideas out there. “My favorite no-recipe recipe rice idea is taking leftover cooked rice, from home or take-out, and using it as a base for an omelet or quick protein fry-up on the stove,” Randhawa said.
Experts say that experimenting with liquids, seasonings, sauces and toppings can give you an endless rotation of no-recipe recipes to reach for when you just have a few minutes to whip up something delicious.
“Immediately after cooking and steaming the rice, try mixing in an egg, some good-quality soy sauce or tamari, a sprinkle of white pepper and a drizzle of garlic-infused olive oil,” Kwan said. “Gently toss everything together and enjoy it right away for a quick and flavorful dish.”
Use ingredients you already have on-hand in the back of your fridge or pantry to create something full of depth and flavor. You may end up with a new staple in your weekly rotation. “Hot rice, butter, black pepper, fried egg. Hard to beat,” Ryle said. “Or basmati with chopped fresh herbs, spring onions, lemon and olive oil with grilled chicken or lamb.”
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