Lotta rice

I too have that problem. I fall apart at the 2 cups of raw rice mark. After that I start scorching rice on the bottom. The anwer I was told, but haven't tried yet, is to bake it. Takes longer, but it should work.

Phil

Do you lift the lid to check?

From www.masterstech-home.com

I use Mudbug's method...

and yes, I lift the lid.

The formula that Mudbug posted is what I learned decades ago as the oriental way to cook rice (it was described in a Chinese cookbook of the time), and it's always worked well for me regardless of the amount. There are a couple of modifications that can be made to adjust for very large amounts or very small amounts.

The "water up to the first knuckle" measurement seems to work out to about 1 1/4 as much water as rice (a little more than that for small amounts). With very small amounts, which I usually do, just using 1 1/4 as much water works best for me.

The three levels of heat are needed for large amounts, but not smaller ones (less than about 1 1/2 cups raw rice). With the smaller amounts, you can just boil and then turn down to very low for 30 minutes.

This cooking method will leave a crust of rice on the bottom of the pan, which may be a little brown but should not be burned, and is served as part of some Chinese dishes. I avoid it by violating the DO NOT LIFT LID instruction just enough to stir the rice as I'm turning it down to very low. I've found that, unlike souffles or 19th century cake recipes, rice doesn't collapse if you lift the lid for a very short time, and mixing the rice up just before the long, slow simmer keeps the bottom from drying out and crusting over.

What that description doesn't call for is washing the rice before cooking. Oriental cooks would run cold water over the rice and stir, changing water until it doesn't cloud over. That washes loose starch off the rice (and probably a bunch of water-soluble vitamins), and gives it a slightly different consistency than just tossing into the pan with water and cooking (it seems a little less "gluey"). Either way comes out good.

Try 4 litre of rice to 8 litres of water, I used to make that everyday at work.

My tried and true recipe is twice as much water as rice. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat (to just above simmer) for 14 minutes. ;)

Sarah Moulton cooks it like pasta: lots of water, cook until al dente or desired consistenty, drain. (Boom! as Sarah is wont to say. Not to be confused with Bam!) I confess I never tried it before, but she demonstrated it on Sarah's Secrets on Food TV a few months ago.

I've done it pasta style. Doesn't taste as good. Most of the flavor leaches out into all the water.

Phil

Let me guess...you have an electric stove, right?
Electric stoves suck when it comes to cooking rice.
I grew up with a gas stove and cooked perfect rice every night. Then when I got married I had to cook on an electric stove - the rice was never done right like I didn't know what I was doing. I gave up.
I use a rice cooker for white rice and if I'm making
a rice casserole I bake it in the oven.

I have about a dozen different rices, with various amounts of liquid to rice ratio suggested for each.....
basmati has a short cook time
short grain
long grain
texmati
Stansil's Louisiana rice
red rice
black rice
risotto
Jasmine
etc.........It's helpful to talk about what kinda rice you use, they all don't cook the same.

I agree. I usually cook basmati. But I do arborio just fine for risotto with all the stirring, even in larger amounts.

Phil

That might be because your pot is too tall, the sides are too thin, the lid is too light, and doesn't seal properly.

Go to an Indian Grocer and get a nice rondeau with super thick sides and heavy lid for rice. It might cost some money but

1) It's a nice pan and
2) You can use it for other stuff.

Still it's tough. Many a man's heart has been broken when he discovered that his wife could not properly make rice. (You gotta be Asian to fully appreciate that one) :D

Kuan

Don't cook it on the stove; BAKE IT IN THE OVEN. It may take longer that way, but the heat will surround the pot and penetrate evenly, instead of cooking the bottom to mush or to cinders before the top is cooked. Bring the water and rice to the boil on top, then move it into the oven to finish cooking.

The thing about rice cookers is that the heat is not only on the bottom; it is all around. You can get a similar effect in the oven.

(I was going to mention rice-to-water ratios, but I saw that's already been addressed. It DOES vary for different kinds of rice.)

Both of the last couple of suggestions regarding a heavier pot or oven are excellent. Depending on the budget, I agree with kuan about getting a pot which is more thick and retains more heat for even cooking.

If you don't work it out on the stove-top, use a rice cooker.
They're fabulous! They're easy, no mess, no fuss.
Everyone should have one.

suggestions for perfect rice

You must "wash" you rice (long grain) before you cook it. Wash it until the water is clear, then place in pan and add enough water up to your index finger first joint. Add a bit of salt if you lik, and add a tsp of white vinegar. The vinegar will make the rice very white. Cook the rice on med high until the water is almost gone, and then cover with a tight fitting top, and lower the flame to low simmer. Do not take the top off until the rice is done. In fact, you can just let it sit covered until you are ready to serve it.

Interesting that you wash long-grain rice. We use long-grain and never rinse it. The only rice I was taught to wash was basmati.

RICE !

NOLA,
Yes, we have always rinsed/washed our rice since I can remember. I come from a family of great cooks from Louisiana. They always rinsed the rice until the water was clear. No matter what was on the menu for the day, we always had a pot of rice on the stove. On Mondays (wash day) there was always a large pot of red beans and the best rice you ever tasted. Never gummy/glue, always white, fluffy, and each grain seperated. We made Calas with any left over rice the next morning. Nothing was ever thrown away. Delish!

Please tell more about Calas, AGoodCook. I've never heard of them.

You sound like you have some good stories to tell about how you got your name! Please stop in the Welcome Forum and introduce yourself. Welcome!

please rinse your raw rice. Rinsing rice is as washing vegetables.


also.... please cook the rice in the oven. It turns out much much better!


:)

CALAS

Mezzaluna,
Thank you for the welcome! I see that you are not the infamous Mezzaluna in Brentwood, California Lol, lol.

I guess you could say that Calas is Creole in origin. It has roots in New Orleans, and is generations old. They have been served in my family for as long as I can remember. They are great with fresh fruit, or homemade preserves, Cane Syrup or just dusted with white sugar. Below is my recipe for Calas:

2 1/2 cups cold, cooked rice (left over from night before)
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg (ground fresh)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 pkg. active dry yeast
Veg or Peanut oil for frying
White sugar for dusting (confection)
Directions
Place cold rice in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the flour, sugar, lemon, salt, nutmeg & cinnamon. In seperate bowl, beat the eggs with the yeast and add to the mixing bowl. Beat mixture well. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm place, about an hour or so. The batter will be thick and foamy. Pour oil into a cast iron skillet and heat to about 375 (at least 1&1/2 inches) You can roll the batter in your hands to form a small ball or just drop the batter into the oil by tablespoons full. Fry only about 4 at a time. Fry about 2 min on each side until light, golden brown. Turn only once. Let drain on rack/paper towles & sprinkle with white sugar. Serve warm.

Hope you enjoy them!

savoury calas

I had never heard of the sweet calas recipe until last month, from the kitchen guy at Destrehan Plantation. Eggs Basin Street, which calls for eggs on rice fritters (calas) is a traditional New Year's Day thing for me. Fabulous, just 2c rice, 2 eggs, 1c flour, and 1c milk, fry them up, top with poached egg and creamy red beans (or maybe black eyed peas).

Thanks for your post, Chadnibal. Contributions like yours are one reason this site is great.

As for the Mezzaluna in Brentwood: NO!! :eek: (I assume the poster meant the restaurant where Nicole Brown Simpson dined before her murder....)