We Asked Pro Chefs The Best Way To Cook Rice, And I've Been Doing It Wrong For YEARS

Rice is casual to cook, right? Apparently not. Usually, I americium staring astatine a sludgy messiness that’s half-encrusted connected a miserable-looking pot. It mightiness beryllium 1 of the “basics,” however, perfecting fluffy atom is simply a good art, and I’m not rather there.

Is determination thing much disappointing than lackluster rice? Nobody wants the carby constituent of their repast to simply resemble...mush. To destruct soggy grains erstwhile and for all, I spoke to 2 chefs astir their tried-and-tested atom cooking methods. Here's however the professionals bash it.

Note: Responses person been edited for magnitude oregon clarity.

Chef Omkar Prasad Wategaonkar

Here's his tried-and-tested process:

1. Stick to 1 marque and 1 variety.

“With implicit 40,000 varieties of atom existing globally, let's instrumentality to the fashionable ones: basmati and jasmine,” Omi says. “My proposal would beryllium to instrumentality to 1 marque and 1 assortment until you larn however to maestro cooking it.” He advises a rice-to-water ratio of 1-to-2 for basmati and 1-to-2.2 for jasmine.

“Take 1 cupful of rice, and rinse it well,” Omi explains. He waits until the h2o runs clear, which typically takes 3 to 4 times. “This volition get escaped of impurities and surface-level starch, which makes your atom sticky and prevents it from being fluffy,” helium says.

3. Season with brackish and ghee.

A pinch of brackish is the instrumentality to preventing overabsorption (aka sogginess). However, Omi has different seasoning hack: He adds a tablespoonful of ghee, which immunodeficiency digestion, prevents sweetener spikes, reduces glycemic index, and improves nutrient absorption. It’s a existent wellness boost!

“This volition thinly overgarment each atom of atom and volition lend to a fluffier texture,” helium adds.

With vigor intensity, little is more. Chef Omkar suggests placing the cookware connected the stove and turning the vigor to low. Once the h2o is mildly boiling, enactment a lid connected and fto it simmer.

5. Check, rest, and fluff.

“Check the atom by smashing a atom successful your fingers oregon countertop,” Omi advises. Happy? Turn disconnected the heat, support it covered, and fto it remainder for 15 minutes. “This volition marque the atom fluffy and sorb each residual moisture successful the pot, and besides evenly navigator each atom of rice,” Omi explains. A gentle fluff with a fork, and voila! Rice is served.

Don't fret if it's underdone, though. “Rice is precise forgiving successful quality erstwhile it comes to doneness,” Omi reassures. A fewer splashes of h2o and a five-minute blitz successful the microwave volition cure underdone grains. Overcooked rice, however, requires conscionable a tad much patience: dispersed it connected a tray and refrigerate overnight to extract excess moisture.

1. Get picky astir your atom variety.

“Jasmine, agelong grain, and basmati rice, erstwhile cooked well, tin beryllium the cleanable prime for the fluffiest rice," Renu says. Her idiosyncratic favourite is Tilda Extra Long Grain Basmati Rice.

After weighing the rice, it's indispensable to mildly rinse the grains successful acold water. "This is the archetypal astir important measurement to get to the fluffiest atom possible," Renu advises, "The little starch the better.” She repeatedly rinses the vessel until the h2o runs clear.

“I past fto the atom soak successful doubly arsenic overmuch h2o arsenic the atom by measurement for astir 1 to 2 hours," she adds.

3. Boil for 3 minutes.

Rice that dances? Yes, please. “Bring to the boil a ample cookware with astatine slightest 3 litres of water,” Renu directs. “Once it has travel to a rolling boil, adhd 2 teaspoons of salt, past adhd successful the pre-washed and pre-soaked basmati rice.”

Unlike Omi, she is simply a believer successful aggressively blasting grains. “Wait until each the atom floats to the apical and comes backmost to a rolling boil (the atom should creation successful the water),” Renu says, “Cook for 3 minutes.”

It's not conscionable overcooked atom that belongs connected trays. Renu drains the atom with a sieve, and past cools a bladed furniture connected a tray. "I screen with a cleanable beverage towel to steam," she explains.

After astir 7 minutes, it has cooled to the touch, and the apical strands person dried a little. Renu fluffs the atom and adds a small food for a silkier texture.

Achieving the fluffiest atom is nary mean feat, but perfection is person than you think. Perhaps you're conscionable a gloop of ghee oregon portion of food away. Which strategies volition you enactment to the test?