General > Cooking
Cooking rice (rice to water ratio by weight)
Rick Law:
I happen to be cooking rice today and it reminded me of this thread... (Yeah, I know this thread is old, but I don't cook rice that often...)
Now besides water to rice ratio, here is a easy to remember rice cooking method just for folks on a electronic forum: Cooking rice is like recharging lithium battery, but just a lot more forgiving.
We all know that recharging Li-Ion battery is a cc/cv process. Cooking rice is rather like that. Rice cook in two stages also... But for rice, a thermometer instead of a voltmeter makes the determination. An IR thermometer can do more than making the perfect cup of coffee.
The "cc stage" of rice cooking is heating the rice+water mixture to boiling. You can pump in as much energy as long as you keep it below a certain hardware limit (such as not melting your plastic pot handle) -- that is like the "cc" phase of pumping energy into your Li-Ion cell, as long as you are below the current limit of the cell, it can go as high as you like. This stage ends when the mixture in the pot reaches boiling point. Since the mixture in the pot is not pure water, so it is not exactly 100°C but some percentage above that. If you add cooking wine, it would be lower boiling point. You may want to note down the observed boiling point of your mixture if it is your first time cooking.
Now you enter the "cv stage" of rice cooking. You keep your mixture boiling. Simmering about 3-5 times a minute would do nicely. The temperature will stay at around boiling point (hence the CV or CT to be precise) as long as there is water left. The heat energy pumped into the mixture is consumed by the phase-change of turning water into steam. So temperature WILL stays at around boiling point as long as water remains in the pot. Typically, the cv stage of rice cooking is the long stage. Once all the water is absorb, cooking is done. With no water left, additional heat energy pumped into your pot can now go to increasing the temperature of the content in the pot. So, temperature above boiling point (which you observed) is the indication of cooking completion.
So, with your IR thermometer, you can determine where you are in cooking the rice. I use microwave oven. The "cc stage", I use 100% power. The quantity I usually cook (1 quart/liter when cooked) will take around 8 minutes to boiling. The "cv stage" I put the lid on. I merely need to keep it simmering, 2 to 5 times a minute is good enough. I use 30% power for about 22 minutes.
Here comes the forgiving part... Water/rice ratio doesn't have to be so exact. With a loose pot cover, a lot of steam may escape and you may need more water... 1:1.5 to 1:2 is the general rule. You can adjust it to your liking.
After the mixture is done cooking, one can pick a grain of rice out, chew it and see if it is soft enough for your liking. Insufficient water would cause the outside to be soft while inside is still hard. With the forgiving nature of rice, you can just add a little more water and cook some more! As the additional water is just a fraction of the original, one can use the low setting (30% for me) and just go again -- till temperature rise much above boiling point again and it is done again.
I often add meat into the mixture before starting the cooking. At times, I add curry powder and/or garlic power. Once cooking is completed, I put some veggies and some pepperoni on top of the rice for spice. Cook it at 30% for a couple more minutes and meal is served.
Personally, I use 1:2, so if too much steam escape (open the lid too often), there is still enough water to get it done in one go. Too little water (just soft enough) will likely cause a bloated sensation after eating. Reason is after the rice gets to the stomach, it absorbs more fluid before it is fully digested causing it to expand more while inside you. Same can happen with noodles. It bloats as it absorbs water. So to avoid that bloating discomfort, more water is softer (easier to digest) and avoids the bloat later.
I am hungry again -- I have some left over rice to eat.. Bye.
Analog Kid:
One thing I haven't seen mentioned that I'm sure almost everyone here already knows but anyhow:
How to know when rice is done? When it just starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
My water:rice ratio is about 1.75:1 (white rice: more water for brown rice).
Rick Law:
--- Quote from: Analog Kid on October 31, 2024, 04:24:32 am ---...
How to know when rice is done? When it just starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.
...
--- End quote ---
When the water is totally absorb, rice is done. Some likes to let it sit for a few minutes, but that is not necessary.
You can discern water absence many ways, here is three ways I used before:
1 IR temperature reader, if you have one.
- Begin cooking until water boils. Read and note the temperature at boiling. (first time only)
- Continue cooking, temperature will stay near boiling as long as water is present.
- When it suddenly start rising and keep rising, water is all gone. 120% of boiling temperature is a pretty good gauge.
- Unless more other stuff are added (such as source of some sort) into your rice+water mix, that boiling point you noted earlier can be use again next time.
2. Use glass ware cooker
- You can see the bottom of the pot to check for presence of water
3. Gravity
- Tilt your pot as much as you can till it is >= 90 degree, water should run out if present.
- Note the risk of rice falling out as well. If you added oil to make the rice grains separate (American style preferred rice serving) instead of rice sticking together into clump (Asian style preferred rice serving). Rice not in clump could fall out easily.
Also note:
When it starts sticking to bottom of pot, often it is because of uneven heating. The part of the pot where it is hottest is where it will stick hardest. Once the water is boiling, you only need enough heat to keep it simmering. So, post-boiling cooking should be done at a lower heat setting. Just low simmering will do fine. That will reduce sticking. Some oil will reduce sticking also. Same with cooking macaroni, spaghetti, egg noodles, etc. -- low heat simmering will reduce sticking.
PlainName:
--- Quote ---When it starts sticking to bottom of pot, often it is because of uneven heating. The part of the pot where it is hottest is where it will stick hardest.
--- End quote ---
Wouldn't a basket inside the pot (or perhaps a perforated false bottom) be a useful addition? If not indispensable if one tends to determine done-ness by the propensity to stick.
stretchyman:
2:1 water to rice by volume. NEVER wash the rice and vary cooking time to suit. I use Basmati (generally) and it's 16mins in 800W microwave.
Simple, unlike some other methods!
I mug = 4 portions
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