How to make perfect rice every time?
PERFECT STEAMED RICE
1 cup white rice,
1 1/2 cups water
Note: A more perfect ratio uses 1 2/3 cups uncooked rice and 2 1/3 cups water, which makes enough for 4 servings. But this recipe’s ratio of 2 parts rice to 3 parts water yields excellent results and is easier to remember.
Put the rice into a large bowl and cover with water by several inches. Stir the rice with a spoon or your clean hand until the water becomes cloudy. Drain the water through a strainer to catch any falling rice, and repeat 2 or 3 more times until the water is largely clear. Drain the rice and put it into a heavy saucepan with the 11/2 cups of water. If you have time, let it rest 30 minutes to let the rice absorb some of the water.
Bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the level of the water is just at the top of the rice, about 15 minutes in all. The surface of the rice should have small indentations, like a pitted crater. Cover the saucepan with a lid, turn the heat as low as possible and cook 15 minutes; do not remove the lid at any point while it is cooking. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Recipe adapted from “Complete Chinese Cookbook” by Ken Hom
YELLOW RICE WITH POTATO AND CUMIN (PEELAY CHAAVAL)
Yellow Rice With Potato and Cumin, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. (Hillary Levin/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS)
Yield: 4 servings
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 small boiling potato, boiled, cooled, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon salt
Put the rice into a large bowl and cover with water by several inches. Stir the rice with a spoon or your clean hand until the water becomes cloudy. Drain the water through a strainer to catch any falling rice, and repeat 2 or 3 more times until the water is largely clear. Drain. Soak the rice in water to cover generously and leave for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Heat the oil in a small, heavy pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 seconds. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it starts to brown. Add the potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until it too is lightly browned. Add the rice, turmeric and salt.
Turn heat to medium and stir the rice around gently for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn heat to very low and cook for 25 minutes.
Recipe adapted from “Madhur Jaffrey’s Spice Kitchen” by Madhur Jaffrey
SHRIMP FRIED RICE
Shrimp Fried Rice, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. (Hillary Levin/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS)
Yield: 3 or 4 servings
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water
1/2 pound shrimp
5 tablespoons oil, divided
3 large eggs, beaten
3 1/2 cups cold cooked long-grain rice (1 cup uncooked)
2 large scallions, finely chopped
Add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt to the cornstarch-and-water mixture. Shell the shrimp and devein if large. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Mix with the cornstarch coating.
Heat a wok or a large, heavy skillet over high heat until hot; add 2 tablespoons of the oil, swirl and heat for 10 seconds. Turn heat to medium, scatter in the shrimp and stir them briskly for about 11/2 minutes or until they are pink and firm. Pour into a dish and set aside.
Stir 1/4 teaspoon of the salt into the beaten eggs. Clean the pan and set it again over high heat; heat until very hot, then add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, swirl and heat until very hot. Pour in the eggs, and as they puff around the edges, push the mass with a spatula to the far edge of the pan as you tilt the pan toward you, letting the runny eggs slide onto the hot surface. Push and tilt the eggs until they are no longer runny, but soft and fluffy. Give them one big whirl and scrape into a dish.
Set the pan over medium heat — you don’t need any more oil. Add the rice, and toss with a spatula for 1 minute to heat it through. Sprinkle in the remaining 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt to taste; add the scallions and stir rapidly to mingle. Add the shrimp and eggs and stir rapidly in turning and folding motions for about 1 minute, until the eggs are in small pieces and well-mingled with the rice and shrimp.
Adapted from “The Key to Chinese Cooking” by Irene Kuo
RICE PUDDING
Rice Pudding, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. (Hillary Levin/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS)
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
1 cup medium-grain rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup raisins
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Put the rice into a large bowl and cover with water by several inches. Stir the rice with a spoon or your clean hand until the water becomes cloudy. Drain the water through a strainer to catch any falling rice, and repeat 2 or 3 more times until the water is largely clear. Drain the rice and put it into a heavy saucepan with the 1 1/2 cups of water and the salt. If you have time, let it rest 30 minutes to let the rice absorb some of the water.
Bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the level of the water is just at the top of the rice, about 15 minutes in all. The surface of the rice should have small indentations, like a pitted crater. Cover the saucepan with a lid, turn the heat as low as possible and cook 15 minutes; do not remove the lid at any point while it is cooking.
Stir in the milk, half-and-half and sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, uncovered and stirring frequently, until the mixture starts to thicken, about 30 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent sticking and scorching, until a spoon is just able to stand up in the pudding, about 15 minutes longer.
Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins, vanilla and cinnamon. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. (To store, press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If serving at room temperature or chilled, stir in up to 1 cup of warm milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to loosen before serving).
Adapted from “The Best International Recipe” by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated
STICKY RICE WITH MANGO
Sticky Rice With Mango, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. (Hillary Levin/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS)
Yield: 6 servings
1 1/2 cups glutinous rice, also called sweet rice
1 1/3 cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk, divided
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted lightly
1 large mango, peeled, pitted and cut into slices
Put the rice into a large bowl and cover with water by several inches. Stir the rice with a spoon or your clean hand until the water becomes cloudy. Drain the water through a strainer to catch any falling rice, and repeat 2 or 3 more times until the water is largely clear. Soak rice in cold water to cover overnight.
Drain rice well in a sieve. Set sieve over a large, deep saucepan of simmering water (sieve should not touch water) and steam rice, covered with a kitchen towel and a lid, 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender (check water level in pan occasionally, adding more water if necessary).
While rice is cooking, in a small saucepan bring 1 cup of the coconut milk to a boil with 1/3 cup of the sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat. Keep mixture warm.
Transfer hot cooked rice to a bowl and stir in coconut-milk mixture. Let rice stand, covered, 30 minutes, or until coconut-milk mixture is absorbed. Rice may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead and kept covered at room temperature.
While rice is standing, in cleaned small pan slowly boil the remaining 1/3 cup of the coconut milk with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Transfer sauce to a small bowl and chill until cool and thickened slightly.
To serve, mold servings of sticky rice onto dessert plates. Drizzle desserts with sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Divide mango slices among plates.
Recipe from Gourmet magazine, via Epicurious
source twincities.com
