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How to cook rice in a rice cooker

When we choose a side dish, we have a choice of pasta, potatoes, buckwheat, bread, fried vegetables, peas. In Asia, the most popular side dish is rice. Rice is prepared in every family, you can buy it in every grocery store, and it can be found on the menu of any restaurants with Asian cuisine.

Therefore, rice is cooked often and a lot. To simplify and automate this process, they came up with rice cookers. In English, they are called Rice Cooker or Automatic Jar Rice Cooker. There are more models of these rice cookers in Asian stores than we have a range of TVs. Every family has a rice cooker.

I have it too, so now I will teach you how to use it.

Why cook rice at home?

If you live in Thailand, you can buy rice at every step, including at 7-Eleven, where it will be reheated for free. Although everywhere ready-made rice is sold several times more expensive than its cost, it is still not such a big expense. It is worth cooking rice at home if you live with a family, or you do not want to eat frozen rice and generally cook at home.

Why do you need a rice cooker?

When the first wife told me:

- Let's go to the store to buy a rice cooker

I asked her:

- What for? You can cook in a saucepan.

She told me that she didn’t know how to cook rice in a saucepan…

By the way, I also do not know how to cook rice in a saucepan. Rice Cooker is really handy for cooking rice. The rice cooker has a warming mode and it can keep the rice warm all day without making it much worse.

How is a rice cooker different from a multicooker

There are many different programs in a multicooker. There you need to put the necessary ingredients, select a program, and it will perform all other actions with the correct timings by the device itself.

There are only two modes in the rice cooker:

  • cook rice
  • warm rice

Moreover, in the simplest models, even the time cannot be set.

In principle, other cereals can be cooked in a rice cooker. For example, I cook buckwheat in it (ratio: 1 part buckwheat, 2 parts water, cooking for 15-20 minutes). In fact, a rice cooker is such an electric saucepan, in which it is convenient to cook according to the principle of “bring to a boil and cook with a tightly closed lid”.

It is also convenient to keep food warm or warm up food.

Exactly how to make rice in a rice cooker

The rice cooker comes with measuring cups and a plastic spoon.

The inside is covered with a non-stick coating that can be scratched with an iron spoon, so always use a plastic or wooden spatula.

Rinse the rice before cooking. It is not necessary to rinse parboiled (converted) rice – it will not stick together in any case.

When laying the rice, try to distribute it evenly. Stir everything together and spread evenly before closing the lid to help the rice cook more evenly.

You can add salt before or after cooking.

The cooking time depends on the type of rice and its quantity. With a small amount of rice, cooking (Cook mode) takes about 15 minutes, then leave the rice for 10 minutes in the Warm mode.

Most simple rice cookers have only two modes:

  • Cook
  • Warm

The rice cooker shuts off automatically when the water evaporates and the temperature of the rice starts to rise.

What is the ratio of water to rice in a rice cooker?

The total ratio of water to rice in the rice cooker is 1:1. This means 1 glass of water for 1 glass of rice. This ratio is best for long grain white rice; it also seems to work well with other long grain white rice varieties such as basmati and jasmine.

The recommended ratio for brown rice is 2 1/4 cups of water to 1 cup of brown rice.

While almost all rice cookers come with measuring cups, some are labeled on the pan so you always know how much rice and water to add, no matter how many cups you use or what type of rice you are using. Keep in mind that the cups in the rice cooker are usually smaller than a standard measuring cup. They usually hold 3/4 cup, which doesn't matter when it comes to ratios, but this should be considered if you're making a recipe.

How to cook crumbly rice in a rice cooker?

The best way to cook crumbly rice in a rice cooker is to leave the cooked rice in a saucepan with the lid closed for 10 minutes after cooking. This extra time will allow rice to gently soak up excess water without overcooking. This will also allow the rice to cool slightly and harden slightly. After 10 minutes, use the supplied rice spatula to beat the rice. Since most rice cookers have a non-stick coating, it is recommended that you use a plastic rice paddle instead of any metal cookware that could scratch the bottom or sides.

Why is the rice sticky?

Cooked rice can feel sticky for several reasons: too much water may have been used and it may not have been rinsed before cooking.

It is important to rinse not parboiled rice before cooking to rinse off excess starch. Otherwise, the cooked starch will have a sticky consistency instead of crumbly, which is usually required. For best results, rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Some people like to do this right in the pot before cooking.

How to flavor rice before and after cooking?

In the recipe, the water can be replaced with the same amount of broth to add flavor to the rice. Herbs and spices can be added to the pot before cooking, as well as other flavors such as fried onions or garlic. Salt can be added before or after cooking. To avoid salting, it is better to salt it after cooking.

What else can you cook in a rice cooker?

Rice cookers can be used for all types of rice, including white, brown, long grain, short grain, jasmine, basmati and wild rice. They can also be used to cook various cereals, buckwheat, oatmeal. Just remember to adjust the water ratio accordingly, especially if your rice cooker doesn't have multiple programs. Rice cookers can also be used to prepare mixed meals by simply placing chopped vegetables or protein sources on top of the rice before cooking. Some rice cookers come with grates or baskets that allow you to steam.


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