There is more to how to cook rice in a rice cooker than you can imagine. Don’t think it is all about tossing some rice with water into the cooker and pressing the button. For example, how can you ensure your rice won’t turn out dry or mushy?
In addition, are you confident you can wash the rice without accidentally stripping out its nutrients? So let this article reveal the answers to those questions to you and more. Without further ado, let’s dive into the world of rice and how to cook it in a rice cooker.
Why Should You Eat Rice?
Eating rice, of course, cooked ones, offers several benefits. It is a versatile staple food that provides essential nutrients such as carbohydrates for energy, vitamins, and minerals. Rice is gluten-free and high in carbs.
Cooking rice improves its digestibility and reduces the risk of consuming harmful bacteria or toxins that might be present in raw grains. Additionally, cooked rice is easy to prepare and can be included in many recipes.
Rice has always been an Asian staple. Today, rice-based dishes are common worldwide.
Continue reading to learn the proper way you can cook it.
Tools to Cook Rice
Cooking rice only requires a few things you already have in your kitchen, such as:
Ingredients for Cooking Rice
Of course, you must have rice, but there are a few components to prepare.
How to Cook Rice by a Rice Cooker
A pot of delicious rice is just 4 steps away. Follow those directions carefully, and you will have a wonderful side dish in no time.
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Measure your desired amount of rice and put it in the inner pot. Rinse with clean water, stirring gently to remove contaminants. Drain the water.
Repeat 1-2 times, but avoid over-washing to preserve the nutrient-rich outer bran layer that enhances flavor and prevents dryness.
Step 2: Measure the Water
The standard water-rice ratio is 1:1, meaning one cup of water for every cup of rice. This recipe uses 3 cups of rice, so the same amount of water will be included.
You can control the texture of the rice through how much water you use. If you prefer your rice to be a little dryer, decrease the amount of water accordingly, and vice versa.
Brown rice may need twice as much as water, while types of rice that are not long-grain require less, depending on the specific variety.
Step 3: Use the Rice Cooker
Dry the surface of the inner pot carefully before putting it back into the exterior pot.
Add a teaspoon of salt and some olive or sesame oil to the rice for better taste and appearance, and to reduce sticking.
Close the lid, plug in the cooker, and turn it on. Most rice cookers have a simple power switch. For models with timers or settings, refer to the manual.
Step 4: Fluff the Rice
The rice cooker will automatically go into “Warm” mode after cooking the rice. Open the lid and watch out for falling hot water or steam. Gently stir the rice with a paddle (or a large spoon). Serve it immediately with other dishes.
Cooking Rice Is Easy
Cooking rice in a rice cooker might not be the easiest task in the world before you read this post. But it is certainly so now. Nothing can stop you from having a bowl of steaming hot, fluffy, and fragrant rice to serve with your favorite food.
Please share this post with your friends and loved ones so that they know how to add this source of healthy, gluten-free starch to their meals. If you have any questions to ask or interesting tricks to share, the comment section is always open to you.
How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker
Equipment
- Rice Cooker
- Rice Paddle
- Measuring Cup
Instructions
- Measure the rice and put it into the inner pot.
- Rinse the rice with clean water 2-3 times.
- Measure the water: use one part water for one part rice.
- Put the inner pot into the outer pot, close the lid, and turn on the rice cooker. Add some salt and olive oil/ sesame oil for extra flavor.
- Cook the rice in a rice cooker.
- When done, fluff it with a rice paddle, and serve.
Video
Notes
- I use the small measuring cup that goes with the rice cooker for this recipe.
- This is a recipe for white, long-grain rice. If you use other types of rice, change the amount of water and cooking time accordingly.
Richie
Content Writer
Expertise
Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Food Styling, Food Photography, Cooking-video Maker, Beverage Evaluation Expert
Education
Saigon Culinary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Vietnam Australia Vocational School (VAAC), Hanoi, Vietnam
Richie, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a dynamic Content Writer with a talent for capturing the essence of culinary art.
Richie specializes in creating visually appealing and tasty content, offering a new angle on Vietnamese and other culinary traditions. With a background in graphic design and a love for food styling and photography, he expertly combines beauty with food narratives, encouraging his audience to discover the culinary world through his imaginative perspective.