I've always been very unimpressed with any rice that I make. It never tastes as good as the rice from the Asian restaurants, no matter the method used.
Then I saw a show by "America's Test Kitchen" (my favorite TV cooking show on PBS), which is known for their taste tests. They said that the best basmati rice is actually the one grown in India, all the US brands didn't measure up. The worst Indian rice was still superior to the best US rice due to the type of rice. If this type of rice was grown in the US, I'm sure it would do just fine, but it isn't (wish it was in an organic form).
Tilda brand came in first and Kohinoor came in second. I purchased some Kohinoor basmati brown long grain, cooked it according to directions in a pot (not a rice cooker) and was pleased with how it came out. Then I made salmon rice salad a few days later. It was outstanding, all due to the rice. I basted a piece of salmon with olive oil, cooked it in the oven, let it cool a bit, flaked it, and mixed it with some leftover almond slivers and salad dressing from a Taylor Farms Spinach Salad kit purchased at Sam's Club.
The local Asian grocery store only sells Tilda in absolutely huge bags and it would take years for us to go through one. Kohinoor was available in a small plastic jug with an airtight seal, so that's why I chose it. Someone told me they get their rice at Tom Thumb grocery (aka Safeway) because it's sold in manageable quantities. Be aware that you need to freeze it for at least 3 days when you bring it home (or can just leave it in the freezer indefinitely) and when you cook, rinse most rices at least 3 times. The brown Kohinoor was prepared for our western tastes and did not require rinsing.
Source: America's Test Kitchen
Season 8 cookbook, page 177
This page contains the following solutions.
After steaming rice, remove pan from heat. Place folded cloth towel over the saucepan, replace the lid, set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Towel will absorb moisture so you will have rice with no mush.
If you over-cook rice, just take the top off of the pot and continue cooking it on low. The extra water will evaporate and the rice will become drier.
To keep rice from clumping, add a few drops of cooking oil or a teaspoon of butter or margarine to the cooking water. For snowy white rice, add a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar to the cooking water.
Make a pot of rice like normal, replacing the water with chicken broth. I used 2 cups of rice in my rice pot. It takes about 20 minutes.
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My rice is always yucky! I would love to know how to make the rice taste like it came from one of the Chinese take out places. The rice is always good and perfectly cooked. Any suggestions?
By Sherry
First off if you want good rice you have to buy good rice. In most American grocery stores they sell long grain rice, in Chinese cooking they use medium or short grain rice. Go to an Asian store and look for calrose rice if they don't have it you'll have to try a few brands until you find one you like.
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Tips for making rice. Plain white rice as well as other variations. Post your ideas.
