Perfect Brown Rice
Cooking brown rice, or at least cooking it well, is tricky. The goal is to soften the texture of each grain's fibrous bran coating—a process that takes longer than that called for in the cooking of white rice—without causing the rice to become mushy. Unfortunately, the labels on most packaged brown rice recommend an ineffective method that suggests boiling water and rice in a two-to-one ratio, then allowing the mixture to simmer for 40 minutes or more, until all the liquid is absorbed. We followed those directions and ended up throwing away more than a few pots of unsatisfying rice. What we ultimately found is that brown rice looks and tastes the best when it has been boiled and drained like pasta and then steamed in the small amount of moisture that remains in the pot. The boiling cooks the rice, while the subsequent steaming allows the grains to retain their integrity and come out light and fluffy.
Credit: André Baranowski
MAKES 2 CUPS
INGREDIENTS
1 cup short, medium, or long-grain brown riceKosher salt, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Rinse rice in a strainer under cold running water for 30 seconds. Bring 12 cups water to a boil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the rice, stir it once, and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Pour the rice into a strainer over the sink.2. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat. Cover the pot and set it aside to allow the rice to steam for 10 minutes. Uncover the rice, fluff with a fork, and season with salt.
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Can You please give me your instructions on steaming the brown rice. I too am concerned I would be pouring the nutrients away into the drain. Thank You very much I will check back here in a couple of days.
Sincerely, Paula
Can You please give me your instructions on steaming the brown rice. I too am concerned I would be pouring the nutrients away into the drain. Thank You very much I will check back here in a couple of days.
Sincerely, Paula
Hope that helps.
step 2: "2. Let the rice drain for 10 seconds, then return it to the pot, off the heat"
How is steam generated again when it is off the heat? if you open pot in order to drain rice, (I assume you transfer rice to a separate drain colader over the sink) that means you have to let off all the steam that was generated in the beginning no? should i use a steamer? i have a regular pot that has a vegetabel steamer on top of it. please help..thx
@Frostie89 The hunger and malnutrition problems of the world are not caused by an inadequate amount of food. They are caused by access and distribution problems. So keeping a bit of gross rice in your little house or apartment, in an affluent country, isn't going to make a bit of difference. Unless you were to walk around the corner and give it to someone who is hungry. If you want to truly do something, go to these places, or give to the appropriate charities. Kiva.org is a magnificent program. It allows you to lend money to people in poor areas of the world(as little as $25), in order to help their businesses. If you help small businesses in these areas it strengthens their economies and peoples. Check it out.
It would seem to me that if they did, they would sell tons more rice!
This is the very easiest and without a doubt, the best way to cook rice. It works and never fails to produce perfect rice.
WOW Finally!!! I was able to make edible brown rice!!! thank you! gave it 4 stars because this was my first batch (it it was short brown) and was a bit soft (BUT NOT MUSHY!!) for me - I like it more al dente…will boil it for 20 min next time I am sure that will work!! But the rice came out nice and fluffy!
NEWKIWI and PAULAKOALA...why not make rice water juice with the drained water??... add cinnamon, fresh squeeze lemon juice and a hint of vanilla (all to taste) chill and enjoy with your perfectly cooked brown rice...
THANK YOU AGAIN!