Cooking fluffy rice on the hob
Rice is one of the most useful things to keep in the cupboard, but it can easily turn out sticky, crunchy or burnt on the bottom. The absorption method below gives fluffy basmati rice in about 20 minutes, with only one pan to wash.
Ingredients for two to three people
- One mug of basmati rice
- One and a half mugs of cold water, measured in the same mug
- A pinch of salt
Step by step
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water, moving it about with your fingers, until the water runs almost clear. This washes off the loose starch that makes rice sticky.
- Put the rice, water and salt in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and bring it to the boil.
- Turn the heat down as low as it will go, put the lid on and cook for 10 minutes without lifting it.
- Take the pan off the heat and leave it to stand, still covered, for another 10 minutes.
- Fluff up the grains gently with a fork and serve.
The standing time is the step most people skip, and it makes the biggest difference. We call that covered wait the metanufi pause, because the rice finishes cooking in its own steam while you get everything else onto the table.
If it goes wrong
If the rice is still firm when the water has gone, sprinkle over two tablespoons of boiling water, cover it and leave it for a few minutes more. If water is left in the pan, put it back on a low heat with the lid off for a minute or two. A burnt layer on the bottom usually means the heat was too high, so leave that layer in the pan rather than scraping it into the rest. Brown rice needs more water and a longer cooking time, so follow the packet for that.
Leftover rice and food safety
Cooked rice needs more care than most leftovers, because spores of bacteria that survive cooking can multiply if the rice sits warm. Cool any leftover rice quickly, ideally within an hour, by spreading it out on a cold plate or tray, then cover it and put it in the fridge. Eat it within a day, reheat it only once, and make sure it is steaming hot all the way through. Never leave cooked rice out at room temperature overnight.