Cooking Plain Rice

Preparation

1. Step 1

   When harvested, every grain of rice, whether short or long, is surrounded by a layer of bran and encased within a husk, or hull. Rice with just the husks removed is called brown rice. When the bran layer of brown rice is milled and polished away, the result is white rice, which cooks more quickly, is less nutty-tasting, and is much less chewy than brown rice. (What is known as wild rice is the nearly black seed kernel of another plant entirely, a wild North American aquatic grass.) Plain rice can be central to many a quick meal: a make-your-own-sushi dinner, for example, with a big bowl of warm short-grain Japanese sticky rice and a plate of sliced fish, thinly sliced carrots and cucumbers, and sheets of crisp seaweed; or a thoroughly satisfying lunch of golden lentil soup flavored with cumin and garlic and accompanied by delicate basmati rice.

   Step 2

   Cooking plain rice used to seem mysteriously difficult to me, even though I knew objectively that it involves nothing more than cooking the dried grains of rice in liquid, covered or uncovered, until they are done. And, in fact, you can boil rice in a generous quantity of water and drain it when it’s done, or you can use no more water than will both evaporate and be absorbed by the rice in the time it takes the rice to cook perfectly. Or you can use a combination of these methods. The trick is learning the correct ratios of water to rice.

   Step 3

   When rice is cooked it can end up unpleasantly sticky, which is why certain varieties benefit from a preliminary washing to remove excess surface starch. (The kinds of rice used for risotto and paella are never washed, however; the extra starch is an essential ingredient in these dishes.) To wash rice, put it in a large bowl, add cold water to cover, and swish the rice around, rubbing it between your hands now and then. When the water looks cloudy, pour it off (a strainer can be helpful here), and repeat the process until the rinsing water is clear or almost clear. Drain the rice well. If the recipe calls for soaking, this is the time to do it. Cover with water by at least one inch (or with the amount of water specified in a recipe) and soak for the required time.

   Step 4

   To cook rice by the simplest absorption method, measure rice and water into a pot, bring to a boil, immediately turn down to a simmer, cover the pot tightly, and cook the rice until all the water is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes for white rice—and about 40 minutes for brown. Different kinds of rice absorb different quantities of liquid: 1 cup of brown rice absorbs 2 cups of water; 1 cup of long-grain white rice absorbs about 1 1/2 cups; and 1 cup of short-grain white rice absorbs only 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of water. As in the second absorption method given here, many cooks add a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of butter or olive oil to each cup of rice, both for flavor and to help keep the grains from sticking together. Whichever method you use, when the rice is cooked, let it rest, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes before fluffing and serving it. It will be easier to fluff because the grains separate a bit when they have cooled down slightly.

   Step 5

   How do you know if all the water has been absorbed? Although some people say this will ruin the rice, you can take off the lid and stir the rice to get a peek at the bottom of the pot. I assure you, you will not ruin the rice! If it is still wet, it probably needs to cook longer. If the bottom of the pot is dry, the rice is probably done. Taste a grain: if it is still too hard, and there’s no more water in the pan, sprinkle a few tablespoons of warm water over the rice and keep cooking. If, on the other hand, the rice seems done but is still wet, take off the lid and cook until the water has evaporated.

   Step 6

   To cook rice by boiling, for each cup of rice bring about a quart of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook at a rapid boil until the rice is tender but not mushy. If soaked first, white rice cooks in 6 to 7 minutes; unsoaked it takes 10 to 12. Brown rice takes much longer, at least 30 minutes. When cooked, drain the rice well and toss with salt, if needed, and a bit of butter or olive oil.

   Step 7

   Yet another way to cook rice is a combination of the absorption and the boiling methods: Boil rice in a generous amount of water for 6 or 7 minutes, until almost tender; drain and return to the pot with butter or oil; cover tightly, and bake in a hot oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. This makes relatively dry, fluffy rice that can be kept nicely warm.