Would eating rajma, chhole and kadhi without a plate of rice be the same thing? Most definitely not! Rice is probably one of the most convenient foods to make and eat. Interestingly, rice makes a staple food in most parts of the country, especially in down South, East and North East India. This versatile food can be used to make popular dishes like dosa, idli, biryani, risotto, kheer, et al. In fact, rice is the most important food crop of India that covers about one-fourth of the total cropped area. If you know how to cook rice, you would also know that there are two methods to make rice, one being absorption method and the other draining method. While it may seem easy to cook rice, you still need precision and timing to get properly cooked rice. According to Culinary Expert and Food Blogger, Chef Reetu Uday Kugaji, this is how rice should ideally be cooked as per the two methods.
1. Absorption Method- 1: 2 that is one part of rice and two parts of water; here the rice is cooked in water till it absorbs all of it. The quantity of water must be correct so that you get perfectly cooked rice, which is neither too raw nor too soft / mushy.
2. Draining Method- 1:6 or depending on larger volumes of cooking rice it could be 1:8, in this method the excess water is drained out or discarded once the rice is cooked.
To get the best results, you should soak rice for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking it.
Rice is probably one of the most convenient foods to make and eat.
Here’s how you can perfectly cook rice in a pressure cooker, electric cooker and pan as suggested by Chef Reetu.
Rice that is prepared in a pot or a pan
Regular Basmati rice is 1:2 i.e. one part of rice and two cups of water
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- Basmati Rice- 1 cup
- Hot water- 2 cups
- Salt- 1/4th tsp.
- Oil- half tsp.
- Lemon juice- a few drops- this is added while preparing the rice, so that the rice remains pure white in color.
Method
- Pick, wash and soak rice for 20 minutes in 1 cup of water.
- Drain the rice and set aside.
- In a deep pot / pan add 2 cups of water, add salt and oil and over a medium flame let it come to a boil. Add a few drops of lemon juice.
- Once it boils add drained rice.
- Do not mix vigorously, you may lightly stir the rice with a fork. Cover with a lid.
- Let the water get absorbed. Also check the rice occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot / pan.
- Ensure that the rice is tender and fluffy.
- Serve hot.
Chef tips
To check whether the rice is cooked, take a grain of rice and place it on a flat surface and press with your forefinger. If it mashes easily the rice is cooked and ready to be consumed.
Rice that is prepared in an Indian style gas stove pressure cooker and Electric Pressure cooker.
Regular Basmati rice is 1:1 and a half cups i.e. one part of rice and one and a half cups of water
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- Basmati Rice- 1 cup
- Water- 1 1/2 cups
- Salt- 1/4th tsp.
- Oil- half tsp.
Method
- Add the rinsed rice to the pressure cooker along with water, salt and oil. Close and lock the lid.
- For the stove top pressure cooker:
- Let the flame be higher and when it indicates that it has reached high pressure, lower the flame and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let the pressure drop for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure if it hasn’t finished naturally. Fluff with a fork.
- For electric pressure cookers: Cook for 3 minutes at high pressure. When the cooking time is up, keep it as it is till about 10 minutes. Then, release the rest of the pressure using the valve.
- Serve hot.
Go ahead and make perfectly cooked rice like a pro and enjoy as you like.
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