How to Cook Rice Without a Rice Cooker by Erika

Confession: I have never in my life used a rice cooker.

Don’t get me wrong. It sounds like a wonderful, handy invention. But I have always been able to make great rice with just a stove and a pot.

It’s really easy to make rice on the stove, but it takes a few tricks to have it turn out well consistently.

 
 

First of all, if you have time, soak your rice in water for 30 minutes.

 
 

Washing your rice is an important step to improve the texture. It also helps to get rid of some of the inorganic arsenic that’s present in most rice. (Consumer Reports has more information about that.)

To wash, simply cover the rice in water, swirl the grains around with your fingers, drain off most of the water, and repeat.

 
 

Look how milky the water is!

 
 

To get the water completely clear, I find that I have to rinse the rice about 10 times, depending on the type of rice I use. If I’m pressed for time (or feeling lazy), I only rinse it about 5 times and call it good.

After you’re finished washing the rice, drain it really well and add the proper amount of water. To learn the proper ratio of water to rice, check out Meseidy’s Rice 101 post from earlier this week.

I like to salt my rice as well. I find that 1 teaspoon of unrefined salt is just right for 1 cup of uncooked rice. If you prefer your rice less salty or if you use refined salt, you might want to reduce this amount.

 
 

On to the cooking!

Place the rice, water, and salt over high heat. Bring to a simmer and stir.

Note: Choose a pan that’s big enough to account for the expansion of the rice. A heavy-bottomed pot works well—it helps to keep the rice from burning.

 
 

Cover the pot and turn the heat to the lowest setting. It’s important to use a very low heat so the rice doesn’t scorch and the water doesn’t boil over.

Simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the rice is completely soft (I can’t stand al dente rice). If you’re desperate, you can consume the rice right away. The texture will improve if you let the rice sit, covered, for 5–10 minutes before serving.

 
 

Here’s another method that yields fluffy rice with no chance of scorching: cooking your rice like pasta. Crazy, I know! But it works. This also helps to reduce the arsenic in rice. You can combine washing and cooking like pasta to increase the reduction of arsenic.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the desired amount of rice.

 
 

Generously salt the water. You can also wait to salt the rice until after it’s finished cooking.

Cook for 15–20 minutes, or until the rice is completely soft.

 
 

Drain the rice through a fine-mesh sieve. You don’t want to use a regular colander for this, trust me.

You can rinse the cooked rice if you’d like, but you may need to add more salt.

Put the rice back into the pot and let it dry out over a low heat for a few minutes.

The pasta method takes longer since you need to bring more water to a boil, but the results are fabulous. The grains are a bit more plump than usual, so keep that in mind. If you prefer a firmer rice, this method may not be for you.

 
 

One of my favorite ways to cook rice is in a flavorful liquid. The options here are really limitless. Some of my favorites are chicken broth (so so good), tomato juice, coconut milk, pineapple juice, and citrus juice.

Except for chicken broth, I don’t recommend that you use the full amount of flavorful liquid for the cooking liquid. I’d start with half water, half flavoring liquid. And if you’re using a really sour citrus juice such as lemon or lime, I would only use about a tablespoon per cup of rice (unless you like things tart).

If you’re using a liquid that has chunks of solids (such as diced tomatoes), increase the total amount of liquid slightly.

 
 

Throwing a few spices into the pot really kicks up the flavor. I like to add tomato juice, dried garlic, onion, and cumin for a Mexican-style rice—perfect for Cinco de Mayo! (Stay tuned until the end for a super quick and easy recipe for Mexican rice.)

Coconut, lime, and cilantro are great together. Orange and ginger give an oriental vibe. There are so many great combos!

 
 

Notes:

• To reduce the amount of arsenic you consume from rice, choose white rice, rinse it well, and cook it like pasta. You can read more about the benefits of white rice vs brown rice over on my blog, Buttered Side Up.
• You might want to reduce the amount of salt you use if you’re making a sweet rice, such as orange or pineapple. If you’re using salted chicken broth, you definitely want to cut back on the salt.
• If you use a liquid that has sugars in it, your rice will be stickier than usual.
• The time it takes to cook your rice will vary depending on the type of rice you use. Short-grain takes less time than long-grain rice.

 
Let’s do a quick recap!

 
 

'Regular' method

• If you have the time, soak your rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Wash and rinse your rice until the water becomes clear.
• Place rice, water, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook until completely soft, about 15-20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow the rice to steam, covered, for 5-10 minutes before serving.

'Pasta' method

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the desired amount of rice and salt the water generously.
• Cook uncovered until rice is completely soft, about 15-20 minutes.
• Drain rice in a fine-mesh sieve.
• Return rice to pot, cover, and cook over a very low heat for a minute or two to dry out the rice.

 
 

I hope these tips encourage you to make rice at home, even if you don’t have a rice cooker! As added incentive, I’ve included a recipe below for easy Mexican-style rice. It’s the perfect side for your Cinco de Mayo feast!