How to Make the Perfect Fluffy Rice - And 5 Ways to Make Rice Even Better

Happy Lunar New Year! In light of this special occasion, I wanted to share my trick for making perfect fluffy rice and five different ways to spice up your everyday rice. 

Growing up Vietnamese, rice was a staple in every meal, usually served unflavoured, just fluffy white rice accompanied by an array of sides. 

There are many types of rice, cooking rice often varies depending on the type of rice you're cooking. But the general rule of thumb is a 2:1 water: rice ratio. It is important to use a good size soup pot with a lid.  This is the same for rice cookers, but I prefer to cook rice on the stovetop. I find rice cookers always leave a funny smell that takes away from the rich aromatic wholeness of freshly cooked rice.

How to make Rice (follow package for water ratio)

1. Start with measuring out your rice, and setting up a small pot with a lid. 
2. Using a fine strainer, always rinse your rice, you want to get rid of any additional glutinous. 
3. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear for about 2-3 minutes. 
4. Add the rice into the pot. Add water based on a 2:1 ratio unless stated on the package. (Jasmine rice is usually a 1:2 ratio for rice and water. Uncle Ben's rice is 1/2 cup of rice to 1 cup of water. Check the package for cooking details.) 
5. Bring to a boil on high heat with the lid off. Once it reaches boiling, turn it down to medium.
6. Cover and let the rice cook for 8-10 minutes, it will steam and boil over, do not open the lid. (1 cup of rice takes about 8-10 minutes to cook).
7. Be careful, it's very hot! 
8. You want the steam to stay in the pot to continue cooking it, so try not to open your pot until the rice is done. 
9. Once done, fluff up the rice with your fork and let sit for 5 minutes. 
10. serve warm, enjoy!

Tip:

• If you're cooking a mixture of jasmine and wholegrain or wild rice, add an extra 1/2 cup of water
• If you're making 2 servings of Uncle Ben's rice use 3/4 cup of rice: 1 1/2 cup water 

5 Ways to Make Rice Even Better

Tip # 1: Try different types of Rice

Rice was getting boring so we purchased a rice package that has five types of wild rice, we mix it into our jasmine rice when cooking. I add 1/4 cup of wild rice with 3/4 cup of jasmine rice to change things up. (Remember to add 1/2 cup extra water when mixing rice types).

Tip #2: Add broth instead of Water

For a chicken and rice bowl, try replacing water with 1 cup of chicken broth for more flavourful rice.

Tip #3: Butter it! Add 1-2 tbsp of Butter

If you're using wild rice or Uncle Ben's, add 1-2 tbsp of butter for a nuttier flavour. 

Tip #4: Add Mushroom Soup Mix
A quick trick, add mushroom soup mix to your rice pot for mushroom rice. 

Tip #5: Easy Veggie Rice Dish  JustAdd Saute Veggies and Spice

Saute some veggies before adding rice to the pot. Add diced onions and carrots, paprika, salt, and pepper for a quick rice dish. 

I hope some of these tips are helpful and make your rice bowls a little more interesting. 

Happy Cooking!

                                     

Did you like the recipe, let me know on YouTube, Pinterest & Instagram 

Follow for more recipe ideas @mylakesideliving on Instagram or tag #mylakesidelivingrecipe