This is how you cook rice just right: a step-by-step plan

Jurino Ignacio, cookbook writer and the man behind Antilliaanse-eten.nl, regularly gets questions about cooking rice, especially about washing it. To solve that issue once and for all: yes, you have to wash rice. “If you want loose grains, you should always wash the rice because of the starch,” says Ignacio.

1. Wash your rice
Starch ensures that the rice grains stick together correctly. That’s fine for sushi rice, but you definitely don’t want that for baking rice. Ignacio explains how to proceed: ,,Always start by rubbing the rice between your hands first, so that the starch is released. Then wash the rice three to five times. When the water is completely clean, add water again. I always keep a cup of rice, 1.5 cups of water.”

Washing rice is also the first step of cookbook author Paulami Joshi The bible of Indian cuisine and owner of blog Spicetrip.nl. It surprises her that the average Dutch person never does this. “In addition to starch, there can also be dust and other dirt on it, so that’s not healthy at all.”

2. Use the Paste Method (Optional)
In the Netherlands we have eaten very little cheese from preparing rice. To help everyone on their way, Joshi explains two cooking methods. The first is the pasta method, which means you cook rice the same way you cook pasta. For this you use one part rice and three parts water that you drain after cooking. ,, You can also go for the absorption method, then you steam the rice slowly. The following applies: one part rice, one and a half parts water. You let this cook for 10 to 12 minutes at a low temperature with the lid on the pan,” explains Joshi.

3. Let the rice cook (you don’t have to stay with it)
“Some people want to see if things are going well, but you really don’t have to if you follow the steps properly,” says Ignacio. Standing by the pan is also not necessary, according to him. ,,In the beginning, yes, if you have the fire high. But then you let it simmer at a lower temperature.”

4. Do or don’t add salt
It’s easy to let a rice cooker do the work for you, just not necessary, says Ignacio. “You can’t go wrong with a rice cooker, but if you know what to do, cooking rice in a pan will also work well.” Don’t forget to add salt, too, says Ignacio. ,,That does depend on your next step, for example whether you are going to bake the rice. If you just serve it as a separate dish, salt really gives your rice more flavor.”

5. Choose your rice carefully
Is the secret to tasty rice then the chef’s cooking and not necessarily the quality of the grain? Actually, yes, says Joshi. You can buy rice in the supermarket. I also use a lot of house brands myself, although you don’t always get the real scent with basmati. Then it is better to go for a more expensive brand. They sell them in all supermarkets, so you really don’t have to go to the toko.”

Watch out for B-grade rice, Ignacio says. “Sometimes there are broken pieces. If you have long and short pieces, the cooking will not be even and you will end up with mushy rice. You can also make rice pudding out of that.”

6. Process the leftovers
You never have to throw away rice anyway, says Joshi. But not everyone knows what to do with those leftovers. “It’s a shame, because you can do so much with it. For example making nasi, or another kind fried rice† You can also simply reheat the leftovers in the microwave. For example, I only cook rice three times a week and eat it all week.”

Joshi prefers to make cumin rice from the leftovers. A typical Indian dish of rice, cumin, butter, coriander, small peppers and a little salt. “You fry this in a wok or frying pan and within ten minutes a whole new dish is on the table. Rice means much more to people in India, it is almost sacred to us. If you throw away rice, you throw away money.”

Ramon Beuk gives his tips for perfect rice in this video: