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keepthetips t1_j1w12bm wrote

Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!

Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment.

If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.

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FoxcMama t1_j1w1lo4 wrote

LPT: Rice cooker.

If you dont have a rice cooker. You should never have to drain rice. We cook it everyday in a pot for breakfast. There is never any leftover water to drain? Are you measuring water correctly? Its a 1:2 ratio. 1 cup rice gets 2 cups water. You rinse rice before cooking it but thats it?

Does OP not understand how to cook white rice?!

Im so confused. When the rice boils you turn the heat down, then when enough water boils out and you can see the rice above the water you turn the heat to low to let the water boil out, then you turn the burner off and it steams itself so it isnt soggy and finishes cooking.

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Fknoffatwork t1_j1w1yqu wrote

Drain rice? If you have to drain your rice you started with too much water.

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WaterChi t1_j1w213c wrote

Every bag of rice has instructions. Read them.

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circumlocutious OP t1_j1w21qs wrote

I use different methods for cooking different types of rice - mainly basmati. Some rice like pilau you can’t make in a rice cooker (it involves frying onions) - and there I use a precise absorption method. But boiling, draining and steaming works well for a simple cumin basmati.

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prosper_0 t1_j1w25x9 wrote

Don't even need a rice cooker to do that. 2:1 ratio, bring to a boil, then lower to medium low and simmer till all the water is absorbed. Easiest thing in the world. Just don't let it boil over when it first boils, and its almost as low effort as a cooker.

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TheShwi t1_j1w3vnl wrote

Bro, you do 2 parts water, 1 part rice, then you turn on the heat till it cooks, then you turn it down to a low simmer. Keep the lid on and dont touch it till all the water is gone. Stir it when done let it breath for a monent. Perfect rice. No draining no nonsense

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Uledragon456k t1_j1w4lpx wrote

Note: I'm going to assume that OP is talking about cooking rice in a way that is less common to a lot of people.

Boiling rice like it is pasta and then steaming it is a very common cooking technique in Iran.

This is done with long grain rice and results in very fluffy rice that is separated at the grain rather than more clumped like what you would get from a rice cooker.

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leigh094 t1_j1w5dqr wrote

If you need to drain your rice you’re using too much water

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Helios4242 t1_j1w61a1 wrote

You shouldn't boil the rice; you should simmer the rice. That is to say, bring it to a boil and then turn down the heat as soon as it starts to boil. This gives it more time to absorb and soften, basically combining your last two steps by not needing to drain or steam (because it steams by the end of the simmer and you haven't overcooked it by boiling the shit out of it)

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mugglemoron t1_j1wao84 wrote

I feel like the real LPT is to just make rice the right way lmao

−1

SGVishome t1_j1weq2o wrote

who taught you to cook rice?
Don't add so much water.

​

Add about twice as much water as rice (volume). Cover, the pan, once it starts to boil, lower the temp to simmer for about 20 mins. This is on a stovetop.

You can get a decent rice cooker for about $40; and an excellent one for $100

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ChronoMonkeyX t1_j1wh8vf wrote

Get a rice cooker, follow instructions, be happy with good rice every time.

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dan6m t1_j1wreoi wrote

Draining? How primitive! Use a rice cooker, it’s effortless and the rice cooks nicely.

−2

LunaAndromeda t1_j1x4obx wrote

Rice cooker, the only way to go. Unless you're doing boxes of rice-a-roni or something.

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carvi91 t1_j1xa2xt wrote

Drain rice? Shame on you.

0

StudyHallSecrets t1_j1xac0z wrote

Yeah even without the context of culture it still just feels like a valid way to achieve a slightly different finished product than what the "right way" to cook it would provide. Weird that so many people are talking shit lol

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ReflectionEterna t1_j1xaphy wrote

Nah, they're right. The other poster acting like there is only one way to cook rice, and that any other way is wrong and the "white" way. It's pretty ignorant, really. There are many different cultures and many different ways of cooking rice. The way described by OP is how some cultures cook some types of rice. It reeks of ignorance.

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ReflectionEterna t1_j1xbb67 wrote

This doesn't apply to all white rice. Long, medium, and short grain are all cooked differently. Also different cultures will cook the similar varietals differently based on their dishes.

Do you really think all white rice is the same? Is all white bread cooked the same way?

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ReflectionEterna t1_j1xcmf1 wrote

Bro, I am 100% Asian. I cook rice in a rice cooker just like you do. However, there are cultures who do not cook rice in the way you describe. For instance, Basmati rice in Indian and Pakistani culture is cooked very differently, and with different ratios. They look for a non-sticky rice with individual grains. You don't get that from a 2:1 ratio in a rice cooker.

So literally Southwest Asian cultures (the Indian subcontinent) cook white rice in a very different manner from you and I (although very similar to the OP), and you give them shit for not knowing how to cook white rice?

I fucking love Indian food, but I guess you've never had it. You have only ever had the stickier rice from eastern Asia? Broaden your horizons a bit.

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zagaara t1_j1xicoh wrote

As Asian after reading the title with a big WHAT??! response decided to drop in the comments while scratching my head. Jackiechan.meme

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gnirpss t1_j1xni2b wrote

I would bet money that most of the people commenting here are American, and are therefore totally accustomed to the Chinese way of cooking rice. Source: am American, usually cook rice that way.

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graveniqqa t1_j1xuzzw wrote

All of you guys shitting on OP for no reason. There’s more than one method to cook rice. In India and other Asian countries (primarily middle eastern), rice cookers aren’t typically used. Rice is cooked similar to pasta and exactly how OP described. With this method (for Basmati rice), you can guarantee that the rice won’t clump and each individual grain will be separate. In India, most households eat rice with Daal, and you don’t want clumpy or soggy rice in daal. This method is very old and used my millions of people.

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Telemere125 t1_j1xwbua wrote

Everyone saying OP must be from the Middle East because of the cooking method and that might be right, but every one of you should be boiling your rice for 5 min, draining, then returning it to the pot with hot water and finishing the cooking process. Rice all over the world is great at absorbing arsenic from groundwater and the best way to remove it is parboiling, draining, and then finishing the cook.

Here’s the method

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KomradeEli t1_j1xycnc wrote

Bro didn’t realize he had no idea how to make rice until he tried to make a LPT to help others make it not completely suck lol. Also, a cheap rice cooker is a great convenience.

0

Dr_Cog_Science t1_j1xz5p7 wrote

If you cook rice correctly, there is no water left to drain out.

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Tillemon t1_j1y62mc wrote

I use a double lid Donabe stoneware rice cooker. It's amazing, makes perfect rice, and is easy to clean. There's also lines inside to gauge your rice to water ratio, so no measuring.

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xyz17j t1_j1y7hp1 wrote

LPT: get a rice cooker for $15.

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ravalejo t1_j1yafsk wrote

My Iranian friend and flatmate taught me to rinse the rice until the water runs clear, boil the rice in abundant salted water until just undercooked, drain, add a bit of oil to rhe bottom of the pan and then cover with thinly sliced potato, top with the drained rice and cover with a lid wrapped in a tea cloth. The potato will crisp and the teacloth will absorb excess steam. The crispy bottom is called the tahdig and it is coveted and delicious. The rice will be perfectly grain-by-grain. There are a few different tahdig methods but this is the one we'd do.

If you want to be fancy dye a bit of the finished rice with saffron water. Pile the rice on a platter and add the crispy potatoes around the base, top the mound with saffron rice.

There is a whole LPT about exploring persian cuisine if you're unfamiliar with it. It's nothing like other cuisines I had tried before, the stews are rich, fragrant and tangy, often achieved from dried limes or pomegranate molasses. I just made fesenjan, a walnut stew with pomegranate molasses, for our Christmas dinner and it was divine!

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miraiqtp t1_j1yauro wrote

Yall out here really acting like theres not more than one way to cook rice…… and then saying that rice cookers are superior…. Please seek help

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clearheadclearhearts t1_j1ybulh wrote

OMG! I have been trying to figure out how that perfectly separated rice is made for soooooooo long. No matter what type of rice I try it’s just the same sticky mushy thing in the end. And every person I ask just suggests trying a different type of rice. 🙄 And really… as an adult you can’t really ask how to make rice that many times without being judged 😅

Is there a name for the technique? Does it have to be long grain rice or can it be generic or jasmine? How much water and how long do you usually boil it for? And do you put anything else in the water?

Tell me your secrets to non-mushy rice!!!

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DoubleCry7675 t1_j1yivaf wrote

A better pro tip is to use a freaking rice cooker.

0

expectopatronshot t1_j1yqsla wrote

If you like grainy, drier rice, try the more expensive option of basmati and use a ratio of 1 to 1, with a splash more of water. Works like a charm. Jasmine doesn't cook thoroughly for me when I withold water from the ratio but you can achieve drier rice with Jasmine as well, I just think it's easier with Basmati.

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huh_phd t1_j1ytajv wrote

A rice cooker is a solid investment too. For a whole $20

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mhourani1125 t1_j1yw9ls wrote

If there is still water in your rice after its done cooking you fucked up from the start.

LPT - 2:1 water to rice ratio. Bring water to a boil. Salt. Butter. Reduce heat to lowest setting. Cover with lid for about 15 - 18 minutes and check on it after that 15 min mark though it should be done unless you're making a stupid amount of rice.

There should be no "draining" of the rice.

Edit: It's probably a different type of rice than were all thinking.

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nanadoom t1_j1yzeen wrote

Just buy a rice cooker, they're cheap easy and cook perfect rice every time

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fuhnetically t1_j1z5jzu wrote

Rice is great for those times when you're hungry and want to eat then thousand of something. -Mitch Hedberg

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KittensWithTopHats t1_j1zasis wrote

My ex boyfriend is from Iran. Gorgeous cuisine. My favorite was a stew he would make from like… a concentrate his mother would make and send him that was very green and citrusy. He would just add meat and rice.

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JessicaTHamilton t1_j1zgqaq wrote

No idea why someone would boil the rice and drain it. I have always put the right amount of water and let it steam. Simply open the lid after and its beautiful rice everytime.

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ksharpalpha t1_j1zhc9e wrote

No, we’re shittting on OP because they’re acting like there’s only their type of rice, exactly like everyone else. If you do what OP is suggesting with short-grain rice, you’ll be left with absolutely terrible rice. But if you cook long-grain rice cultivated to be fluffy like short-grained rice, you, too, will end up with sadness.

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b2change t1_j1zlhkd wrote

I did this with pasta but only for a minute

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MaleficentPi t1_j203h95 wrote

So... Make rice like normal people do, then?

0

bubblehashguy t1_j20nktt wrote

Aaah, the stupidity in the comments hurts.

Not everyone makes their rice the Chinese way.

OP, thank you for bringing up this way of cooking rice. I'm definitely trying this method next time. I always rinse for a few minutes but I still get lumpy clumpy rice.

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TacoMeat563 t1_j20qrbr wrote

132 comments and zero karma…. Tough room for rice tips

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Uledragon456k t1_j22d96c wrote

the super thinly sliced potato sits on the bottom of the pan (oiled) and cooks while the rice is finishing steaming. It cooks the same way rice would get crispy during this portion of the cook

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ravalejo t1_j236d4s wrote

This is the recipe I used: https://www.unicornsinthekitchen.com/khoresht-fesenjan-persian-pomegranate-and-walnut-stew/

I've used this page for a few other dishes and it's all turned out great. But if you make one of the dishes with dried limes ( like the ghormeh sabzi or khoresh badejan), in my opinion it should simmer for a few hours (like 3 ish) and is definitely better the second day. I also simmered the fesenjan in the crockpot last time but it's less necessary.

I don't eat meat so I sub roasted mushrooms instead and it works! Another Iranian friend told me it's not uncommon to make meatless versions. What's great about these dishes is that the flavor profile really comes from the other ingredients so it makes the yummiest plant-based meals I've ever had.

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Natsc t1_j23lrpn wrote

Thanks so much! I also don't eat meat and the tip for roasted mushrooms sounds amazing. I use plant-based meat sometimes, but I love mushrooms and forget to use them most of the time.

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hummane t1_j2b1hkc wrote

Have you had Iranian rice?it is so so light and fluffy..

There is always an extra step.. after par cooking the rice . It is al dente.. firm but crushes easily between your fingers... empty any excess water... take a fry pan .. line with oil and thinly sliced potato or pita bread..place rice on-top and cook on a low to medium heat which streams the rice.

The rice will be so so fluffy

2