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Cooking
Rice
Rice may
be cooked by few basic methods, each of which
requires a
different proportion of water. These methods are:
- The
rapid boiling method, which
requires ten to twelve times as much water as rice.
- The
absorption boiling method, in which rice is cooked in just as
much water as it absorbs, usually 1¾ cups per 1 cup washed and
drained
rice.
- The
Japanese method,
which requires five times as much water as rice.
- The
steaming method, which requires
two
and one-half times as much water as rice.
- In
the electric rice cookers, which simplify the process of cooking rice.
They are very popular in Asia and Latin America.
Whichever
of these methods is employed,
however, it should be remembered that the rice grains, when properly
cooked, must be whole and distinct. To give them this form and prevent
the rice from having a pasty appearance, this cereal should not be
stirred too much in cooking nor should it be cooked too long.
Rice
may be soaked prior to cooking, which saves energy, decreases
cooking time, minimizes exposure to high temperature and thus decreases
the stickiness of the rice. For some varieties, soaking improves the
texture of the cooked rice by increasing expansion of the grains.
Rice
is often heated in oil before boiling, or oil is added to the water;
this is thought to make the cooked rice less sticky.
Browse Cooking Methods:
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Did You Know?
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In
Arab cuisine rice is an ingredient of many soups and dishes with
fish, poultry, and other types of meat. It is also used to stuff
vegetables or is wrapped in grape leaves. When combined with milk,
sugar and honey, it is used to make desserts. In some regions, such as
Tabaristan, bread is made using rice flour. Medieval Islamic texts
spoke of medical uses for the plant.
Rice may also be made into rice porridge (also called congee, okayu,
jook, or rice gruel) by adding more water than usual, so that the
cooked rice is saturated with water to the point that it becomes very
soft, expanded, and fluffy. Rice porridge is commonly eaten as a
breakfast food, and is also a traditional food for the sick.
Another
way in which to add variety in
serving rice
is to brown it. Sufficient browned rice for six to eight peeople may be
prepared
by putting 1 cup of clean rice in an iron frying pan that contains
no
fat, placing the pan directly over the heat, and stirring the rice
until the grains become an even, light brown. Rice that has been
treated
in this way has additional flavor added to it and can be used in the
same way as boiled or steamed rice. Find out more...
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