Cook Long Grained Rice

Rice is one of the simplest and most versatile foods to cook at home. Just learn the few simple steps for cooking long grained rice into a delicious fluffy dish. This recipe works for American long grain, basmati or jasmine rice equally well.

See also Cook-Rice-in-a-Microwave and Cook Rice Over a Fire.

Steps

Using a Stovetop

  1. Measure out the desired quantity of rice. Long grain rice will expand to triple its size during cooking, so take this into account when deciding how much to make.[1]
  2. Rinse the rice (optional). Adding cold water to the rice and draining it will remove loose starches without losing nutrients. This may result in fluffier rice, although some milling processes leave little excess starch to remove.[2]
    • If you don't have a strainer, simply tilt the saucepan carefully so only the water drains, using a wooden spoon if necessary to keep the rice in.
  3. Soak the rice (optional). Some people prefer to soak the rice beforehand to reduce cooking time and improve the texture, but you can skip this step and still achieve an excellent result.
    • Use twice as much water as rice by volume and soak for 20 minutes. Drain the water afterward.
  4. Heat water to a full boil, then add the rice. Use twice as much water as rice by volume or slightly more.
    • Optionally, add salt and oil for flavor.
  5. Cover the pot and reduce heat. Let the pot boil with the rice in it for 1 or 2 minutes, then place a lid over the pot and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting.
    • Make sure the lid is on tight to keep in the steam.[2]
  6. Simmer for 15–20 minutes (6–10 for soaked rice). Long grain rice usually takes about 20 minutes to cook without previous soaking, but you can check earlier if you're worried about overcooking. When ready, the rice has lost its crunch but remains firm. If the grains are falling apart into mush, the rice is overcooked.
    • Only lift the lid slightly when checking and put it back on as soon as possible to keep the steam in.
  7. Strain the rice in a colander. It is now ready to serve or use in another recipe.
    • Butter or savory herbs such as thyme or oregano make a bland rice dinner appealing. Add them during boiling for a strong flavor or stir in after the rice is cooked.

Using an Oven

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). This method cooks the rice evenly, so the bottom and sides are much less likely to burn.[3]
  2. Boil water. On the stovetop, boil twice as much water as rice by volume. One cup (240 mL) uncooked rice is enough for 3–5 people.
    • Use vegetable or chicken broth instead for more flavor.
  3. Place the rice and water in an oven safe dish. If your saucepan and lid are safe for oven use, you can use that. Otherwise, use a Dutch oven or casserole dish.
  4. Tightly cover and bake until liquid is absorbed. Long grain rice should be ready in about 35 minutes, but may take longer if your oven runs low.[4]
    • If your oven dish doesn't come with a lid, cover with a large piece of tin foil, or use a large oven-safe plate in a pinch.
  5. Fluff with a fork before serving. This releases trapped steam which will otherwise continue cooking the rice.

Using a Rice Cooker

  1. Read your rice cooker's instructions. It's unlikely following these steps will cause any problems, but if you there are instructions for your specific model printed on the cooker or accompanying booklet, follow them instead.
  2. Rinse the rice (optional). Most long grain rice does not need to be washed and will lose nutrients in this process, but if you want to be sure it's clean, stir it as you add cold tap water, then drain.
  3. Put rice and cold water into the rice cooker. You'll usually want to use between 1.5 to 2 parts water for each part long grain rice, depending how dry you like your rice.
    • Check the inside of your pressure cooker for "fill to here" lines labeled "long grain" and a specific amount of rice.
  4. Add optional ingredients. Butter and salt are simple flavor enhancers. Bay leaf and cardamom are popular Indian rice flavorings.
  5. Close lid and turn on. Don't lift the lid to check on it until its done.
  6. Wait for the rice cooker to turn off. Most rice cookers have a small light that will go off when the rice is done. Some will automatically open the lid.
    • Many rice cookers will keep the rice warm until its ready to eat
  7. Let sit for 10 minutes (optional). You can eat immediately, but the rice may be more evenly cooked if you wait a short time before opening the rice cooker.

Troubleshooting

  1. Deal with rice that is ready to eat but with water still left. Drain the rice in a colander or cook uncovered at low heat for a few minutes to evaporate the water.[5]
  2. Revitalize rice that is still chewy and hard when it should be ready. Add a little more water (just to produce more steam) and cook covered for a few more minutes.
  3. Triage rice that has burned! Run cold water on the outside of the pot (be ready for steam clouds) to stop the rice cooking. Remove the good rice from the center.
  4. Fix rice that always turns out too sticky or mushy. Use less water (a 1.5:1 or 1.75:1 ratio of water:rice) and/or reduce the cooking time.
  5. Fix rice that frequently burns. Boil the rice uncovered for half the necessary cooking time, then remove it from the heat entirely and cover with a tightly fitting lid. The steam should finish cooking the rice in 10–15 minutes with no risk of burning.

Using Long Grain Rice in Recipes

  1. Make Rice Pilaf. The long individual grains can be easily separated even when fluffy, making them perfect for making this toasted rice dish.
  2. Cook Stuffed Peppers. Spanish cuisine is one of many that relies on long grain rice. Use basmati with Indian food and jasmine rice for Thai cooking, or substitute another variety of long grain rice in those recipes.
  3. Make-Jambalaya. Long grain rice has much less starch than short grain rice, which allows it to absorb plenty of flavor from stews and soups without falling apart. Remember not to fully cook the rice before adding; it will finish cooking in the soup.
  4. Find a use for overcooked rice. Mushy, split grains can still be tasty if used in the right recipe.[6]



Tips

  • Short or medium grain rice can be cooked the same way, but will end up stickier due to the increased starch.
  • Brown long grain rice may require additional water or cooking time.
  • Long grain rice releases very little starch and so does not need to be stirred to prevent stickiness.[7]

Warnings

  • Use a kitchen towel or oven mitt while handling the lid covering the boiling rice vessel. It will be very hot.
  • Be gentle while rinsing the the rice. Don't break the grains.
  • Rinse thoroughly before cooking if your rice contains dirt or other contaminants.

Things You'll Need

  • Cooking pot with lid
  • Stovetop, fire, or other heat source
  • Long grained Basmati Rice
  • Lots of clean water
  • Salt, butter, and spices (optional)

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.finecooking.com/item/5489/long-grain-rice
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.taste.com.au/news+features/articles/5775/how+to+cook+rice
  3. ↑ http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/ricegrains/a/Rice-In-The-Oven.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/how-to-cook-rice/
  5. ↑ http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/fix-imperfect-rice.aspx
  6. ↑ http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/990913/what-to-do-with-overcooked-rice
  7. ↑ http://busycooks.about.com/od/howtocook/a/ricescience.htm
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