A while back I finally abandoned par-boiling rice. Too many overdone and tasteless attempts had almost ruined some meals. Whilst I’ve used the absorption method of preparing rice before, it always seemed to take too long or be a hassle. I’ve went back to this method though as it creates the tastiest rice, and with experience, is completely hassle free. Here’s my own basic method and some variations of flavours:
Basics (for 2 generous portions):
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of Rice (~250ml – always measure rice by volume, not mass)
- 2tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 cups of boiling Water (~500ml – volume of water is always double the rice)
- Pinch of Salt and Pepper
Method:
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan (which has a tight fitting lid)
- Boil the water
- Once the oil is hot, add the rice, tossing it to ensure it is well coated
- Season well with salt and pepper
- After a few minutes, it should start to become translucent
- Add water to the pan (be careful of the steam that erupts from the pan!)
- Reduce heat to lowest setting, on the smallest gas ring/hob
- Cover with lid and leave it for ~18-20 minutes
- Once done, there should be no liquid left, only steam, which should be given a minute to escape before serving.
Notes:
The rice will often stick to the bottom of the pan (at least with my dodgy pan) so it is a good idea to give the rice a shake after 10 minutes to loosen it. If it seems to be drying out too quickly, more water can be added, in small quantities. Try to avoid lifting the lid to peek at the progress; if you have a glass lid you can tilt the pan to see how much liquid is left. If you are having problems with too much or too little water, perhaps the seal of the pan could be the problem.
Some Flavourings:
- The simplest route to tastier rice is to add a Chicken or Vegetable Stock Cube to the boiling water before adding it to the rice.
- A thinly chopped Onion and crushed Garlic Clove fried in the oil prior to adding rice is a great base on its own or for the following mixtures of herbs and spices.
- For Mexican and Spanish dishes try Paprika, Turmeric (or better yet, Saffron) and Cumin Seeds with some Mixed Herbs of your choice.
- For Indian dishes, Cinnamon, Cumin Seeds, Cardamon Pods, Fennel Seeds and Chilli Flakes all work well together.
- For Chinese dishes, some Chinese Five Spice and Soy Sauce mixed and refried in a wok with an egg would create a tasty egg-fried rice variation
