I don't make very interesting brown rice. It always comes out overcooked with water at the bottom of the pan. Organic brown basmati. Suggestions?
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What are your portions? My husband does some strange portions of water, makes the rice come out all flaky, which I don't like.
My Mom is a chef and this is the golden standard, 2 to 1. Twice the amount of liquid for each dry.
Start your water boiling, then add the rice, then turn down to low. It sounds as if you have two different scenarios, either you aren't cooking it enough or you have too much water.
I personally like to stir my rice (just once! don't open the lid more than that!) so that some of the gluten comes out and it's stickier (like sushi rice). I also love to cook my rice in my glass lidded pot, that way I can see how the cooking is going.
Hope that helps!
Many years ago, a friend who owned a well-known Chinese restaurant here in NYC gave me this simple recipe: Rinse the rice well in cold water, then place in a sturdy pot and cover with cold water the width of two fingers held sideways higher than the rice. Do not salt.
Holly....are you anywhere near a Trader Joe's? They have an outstanding rice called "Brown Rice Medley", which is described as "a delicious blend of long grain brown rice, black barley and daikon radish seeds." I have never had better rice in my life! This is their recipe...and it may work for your brown rice basmati, too.
Bring 2-1/2 cups water or stock to a boil. Add 1 tsp butter and 1 cup brown rice medley (or your rice). Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 35 minutes. Remove from stove and let rest covered for 10 minutes. Makes approximately 3-1/2 cups cooked.
No Trader Joe's in this neck of the woods, unfortunately.
My brown rice comes out great every time. 2 to 1 is the general rule for most grains (2 parts liquid for 1 part grain).
However, I started using the instructions on the Carolina Brown Rice package, but I reduce the liquid by 1/4 cup. This is how I do it and it comes out perfect every time.
Put 2-1/4 cups water in pan. Add a teasp. butter and a pinch of salt if you want, but it's optional.
Bring water to a boil.
Add 1 cup of brown rice, stir once, and reduce heat to low and let simmer for 45 minutes exactly.
I get fluffy rice with no excess liquid.
NEVER take the lid off of the rice or it won't come out right.
If you are going to make a rice pilaf, you can substitute all or part of the water with chicken or beef broth. Yum...
Hope this helps.
I inherited a rice cooker & oh is it ever wqnderful. I've made white rice, jasmine, basmati, sushi rice, brown rice & wild rice. The end results has been nothing but outstanding. If you can't afford one keep your eyes open on craigslist in your area. You will not be disappointed.
Uncle Ben's makes a very good long brown rice. once you get the water consistancy down (double the liquid to the amount of rice) try adding tomato sauce or make a cheese sauce and add frozen broccoli.
To joesgirl: Brand of rice cooker? Aluminum liner?
Model #?
Thanks,
Holly
I just pour off the water for the last two minutes of cooking. I save that water because it's very nutritous, I keep a jar in the freezer of soup makin's and every interesting scrap goes there.
like every one else says 2 parts liquid 1 part rice. try using chicken broth or adding a can of tomato sauce or make a cheese sauce and add broccoli to rice.
Here's Alton Brown's brown rice method- never fails, and I make a lot of brown rice!
1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon butter
I teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place rice in 8" square glass baking dish. Bring water, salt and butter to boil. When water boils pour it over rice, stir to combine and cover the dish lightly with aluminum foil. Bake on middle rack of oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove cover and fluff the rice with a fork.
First off, if you have water in the bottom, it needs to cook a little longer, or you need to use a bit less water initially. Most recommend 2 cups water to 1 cup of rice. The only real trick to cooking rice is knowing when to quit cooking it. If you want to perfectly cook it, you have to monitor the cooking towards the end, and as soon as the sound goes from boiling to sizzling, turn off the heat and take the pot off the stove. Stir the rice and let it sit for a few minutes to soak up the last bit of water.
Rice cookers are an inexpensive appliance to have, and if you eat rice several times a week (or daily, like me), it is a real handy appliance to have.
Macrobiotic chefs actually like to cook rice in a pressure cooker, with the rice in a metal bowl, on a rack inside the pressure cooker. By placing the rice in a bowl inside the cooker, you get a sort of "double boiler" setup, which thouroughly cooks the rice, yet there is no scorching. If you try this, in addition to the 2 cups per cup of rice, you need to put water in the pressure cooker outside the bowl.
But I just use a rice cooker with a teflon coating. I got it at a local store on sale for 16 dollars, new.
Enjoy!
More great hints:
I agree with Mary Jo, the Trader Joe's Brown Rice Medley is some of the best rice aroundl
I like to cook my rice with Garlic oil or Olive oil instead of butter. 1 to 2 tablespoons per cup of rice. Salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon per cup of rice).
And if you want a bowl of rice that makes a great meal by itself (my breakfast every day, in fact): Add walnuts and cook them with the rice. I use 4 to 6 ounces (about a cup) of raw walnut halves, and another cup of water. Sheer nirvana! It makes a very filling meal, which is very healthy for you.
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