Learn how to cook rice perfectly

Confused when it comes to how to cook rice? You are not alone! With so many different types available nowadays it can be bewildering.

How to Cook White Rice - Long grain

There are two main ways of cooking white rice...the open pan or the absorption method.

Start either method by measuring out the rice, about 2oz or 60g per person. If you cook a little more don't worry, as there are many ways of using up the leftovers, such as this egg fried rice recipe.

How to cook rice - Open Pan method

To cook rice in this manner bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil, then tip in the measured quantity of rice. Stir once, turn down the heat, and simmer fairly fast without covering the pan until tender (about 10 minutes).

Drain in a colander or sieve, then pour boiling water over it to wash off the excess starch. This helps to keep the grains separate. Cover with a cloth or tea towel for about 3 minutes while the water drains off and the rice dries up fluffy.

How to cook rice - Absorption method

You need to be a little more exact in your measuring for this method. Pour your measured rice into a jug and note the volume. Then tip it into an empty saucepan. Next, measure out exactly twice the volume of cold water, and tip that into the pan along with a teaspoon of salt.

Bring the pan to the boil then lower the heat and cover the pan tightly with a lid. Simmer very gently for 15-20 minutes for long grain rice or 10 minutes for basmati.

Leave the lid in place for a further 10 minutes after removing from the heat. Fluff up gently with a fork before serving.

How to Cook Brown Rice

I like to wash brown rice before I cook it. A surprising amount of debris will come off the grains, turning the washing water cloudy. Drain in a sieve, and repeat until the water runs clear.

Measure the required amount of brown rice (it will double in volume when cooked) and place in a pan. Cover with twice the amount of water, as for the white rice method above.

Put a lid on the pan, and bring to the boil. When it is boiling, turn the heat right down, leave the lid in place, and simmer very gently, for about 45 minutes.

To test if it is cooked, take the lid off and check whether any water remains in the pan. If it has all been absorbed, and the rice is just beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan, then it should be ready to serve.

How to Cook Wild Rice

Wild rice can be cooked by itself, but is often mixed half and half with brown rice. Follow the same method and timings as for brown rice above.