Skip to main content

Basic Short-Grain Rice

You can make short-grain rice in the same way as long-grain rice, but this traditional method, which takes a little more time, is slightly preferable.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups short-grain rice
Large pinch of salt

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Wash the rice thoroughly in several changes of water, then put it in the saucepan in which you intend to cook it with water to cover by about an inch, along with the salt. If time allows, let soak for 20 to 40 minutes.

    Step 2

    Bring to a boil on top of the stove over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, until most of the water is absorbed, 8 to 12 minutes; small craters will appear on top of the rice. Turn the heat down to a minimum and cover. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, then turn off the heat. Serve immediately or let sit for up to 30 minutes more before serving.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.
Read More
Khao niaow ma muang, or steamed coconut sticky rice with ripe mango, is a classic in Thai cuisine—and you can make it at home.
The salty, sweet, sour, spicy flavors of classic kung pao are easy to create at home. Let this recipe show you how.
With just a handful of ingredients, this old-fashioned egg custard is the little black dress of dinner party desserts—simple and effortlessly chic.
Reminiscent of a classic diner dessert, this chocolate cream pie offers pure comfort in a cookie crust.
With rich chocolate flavor and easy customization, this hot cocoa recipe is just the one you want to get you through winter.
This classic 15-minute sauce is your secret weapon for homemade mac and cheese, chowder, lasagna, and more.
This no-knead knockout gets its punch from tomatoes in two different ways.
Tingly, salty, and irresistibly crunchy, this salt-and-pepper shrimp with cubes of crispy polenta (yes, from those tubes!) is a weeknight MVP.