How to cook long grain rice?

Cooking rice, as a rule, has its own nuances. Not every time it turns out crumbly and soft.To make it not only tasty, but also crumbling, you should read this article.

For long-grain rice varieties include varieties whose grain length is more than 5-6 mm. They can have not only traditional white, but also black and brown color. A characteristic feature of long grains of rice is the ability to better keep its shape during cooking. Therefore, unlike other varieties, not only pilaf and side dish are made from them: they are good as a component of rice omelet and even some salads.

These rice varieties are in demand more than round grain varieties. However, for rice to be really crumbly, you need to take into account some of the nuances. For example, it is better to take a pot with thick walls: so the rice will be cooked evenly. Suitable cast iron packaging. Someone adds a few drops of lemon juice during cooking, asserting that this is the secret of grain friability.

It is desirable to salt the water at the initial stage of preparation. The amount of salt should not exceed half a teaspoon per cup of cereal. Take into account and respect for the proportions of each individual dish. For example, the liquid should be twice as much rice.

Before cooking the rice, it is sorted, and then poured into a colander or a small sieve and washed. If cereal bags were originally purchased, these preparation steps can be skipped, although washing them will not be superfluous. Washing the rice is carried out under running water, turning it directly in the used container. It is advisable to do this until the water becomes transparent. It is important that the rice gets rid of starch, dust and husk.

Someone uses warm water for washing, and after the procedure rinsing the grains with cold water. After the rice is washed, the strainer or colander is gently shaken to get rid of excess water. You can wash the cereal in another way. In general, the essence of the procedure does not change: rice is washed until the water becomes turbid.

However, in the second case, a pan is used for washing. The croup is also stirred, the water is changed up to 5-7 times. Sometimes before cooking the rice is soaked for half an hour to reduce the time of cooking. The more transparent the water will be after the washing, the lower the caloric content and the glycemic index.

Experienced housewives, who like to experiment with products, have their own secrets of obtaining crumbly long-grain rice. They are sure, for example, that when cooking cereals on a stove along with rice, you need to put 50 grams of butter in a saucepan. If not, vegetable oil will do. This technique allows you to make the dish not only crumbly, but also fragrant.

If someone does not like rice cooked in water, it can be replaced with broth. If this product is prepared as part of the rice diet, it does not use salt at all. When the beautiful shade of cooked rice is important, turmeric is put in the dish.

Conducting our own experiments in order to obtain the most delicious and most crumbly rice, it is better to take into account a few nuances.

• If the rice sticks together, you need to urgently add oil or hot water to the pan.
• The amount of water in the tank may be greater than usual in the case if peas or corn are added to the rice.
• In order to properly cook long grain polished rice, it is necessary to monitor the proportions of cereals and water (minimum 1: 2).
• You can not violate the technology of cooking: rice is placed in the water, not back.
• After the cereal is ready, it is thrown back into a colander.
• Color is also important: brown rice sticks together less often during cooking, but its cooking time is much longer.
• The white color of the finished product can be obtained by adding no more than two drops of vinegar to the pan.

Cooking long grain rice on the stove has its own characteristics.For example, not only its type is important, but also the power level, the bottom thickness of the container used, as well as the quantity of the finished product required. For example, when you need to cook rice for 4 servings, using an electric cooker, 8-9 glasses of filtered cold water are poured into a thick-bottom container.

It is salted, then brought to a boil, after which one and a half glasses of washed and prepared rice are poured into it. Cook it for no more than 15-17 minutes, then turn off the fire and leave to infuse for about three minutes. After that, the water is drained. If you do not do it right away, the rice can stick together. Boil grits after the water boils, you need to simmer, reducing the power of the burner used.

When the dish is cooked on a gas stove, the usual cooking time should not exceed 12-15 minutes. Steamed grains cook a little longer than regular grains. They need more time. Of course, you can not increase the duration of cooking. However, in this case, the grains themselves will be harsh, which is probably not bad for different salads, but unacceptable for side dishes.

Microwave allows you to significantly simplify the process of obtaining tasty and crumbly rice. However, in order for the dish to turn out to be such, it is first necessary to once again review the instructions and clarify the type of device power. In this case, you can not use the usual dishes, which are used when cooking on the stove. After the correct capacity has been prepared, proceed to the process of creating crumbly rice.

You will need a glass of cereal, 3 glasses of water, as well as salt and other spices (put to taste). You can diversify the dish by taking vegetable broth instead of water. It will not be superfluous to add some oil to improve the taste of the dish.

Next, proceed directly to the most creative process:

• put oil and washed cereals in prepared containers;
• selecting the desired mode, rice is roasted for about 2 minutes;
• water is poured into a container with roasted grains;
• the container is covered with a special lid or specialized paper used in microwave ovens;
• cook rice in the microwave for no more than 20 minutes.

If the treatment is done in this way, the stove usually pauses. It is needed for mixing cereals, regardless of whether steamed or plain rice is cooked in it. After mixing the beans, the dishes are put inside the oven again, the “start” button is pressed again. Microwave cooking time can be individualized, depending on the cultivar used.

You can cook rice in a double boiler, a slow cooker, a frying pan and an oven. Each cooking method allows you to get the finished product with a unique taste. For example, when the cereal is boiled in an oven, it turns out to be fragrant, although the process itself takes much longer than if rice were cooked in a saucepan. Such devices as a double boiler and a slow cooker can significantly simplify cooking.

At the same time, the basic rule that allows to obtain crumbly rice is strict adherence to the proportions of water and cereal (2: 1). At the same time, products are loaded into the device bowl at the same time. By the way, the best mode, which allows to obtain grain friability, is the “pilaf” mode. However, this method of cooking in these devices with a full cycle implies not only cooking, but also to fry the dish.

To prevent the second part, you can turn off the device for about 15 minutes before turning off the automation. It is important to take into account the fact that before working process it is necessary to preheat the containers themselves in order to prevent temperature differences by adding hot water. Optimal cooking modes are: "rice / porridge" and "steaming". Usually their duration does not exceed half an hour.

Rice dishes are recognized by nutritionists as a means for losing weight. They are good for fasting days, as rice has a small percentage of sodium that retains fluid in the body. His best grades are Thai "jasmine" and Indian "Basmati". As a rule, dark varieties require more water during cooking. Grinding usually comes to readiness faster.

The grains of “Basmati” are particularly thin; this rice is kept after harvesting for 12 months, as a result of which the grains acquire greater hardness and do not change their shape during cooking. They are capable of injury in the amount of 2.5 times, but the price of this sort is quite high. It grows between India and Pakistan, in Punjab. The black variety, which is often called wild, grows in North America. Its chemical composition includes about 18 valuable amino acids, a lot of protein, phosphorus and vitamins of group B.

Steamed grains have a characteristic yellowish tint, which is explained by their steam treatment. Properties of cereals may depend on the hue of the grains.

You will learn more about how to cook long grain rice in the following video.