Basic Fluffy Rice Recipe

Elena Butuc

This is now one of our favorite methods of cooking the rice, as garnish for any dish, vegetable or meat / fish. Here in the recipe, and in general, I prefer to cook basmati rice, but any kind of rice can be prepared by this method. I learned this method of cooking the rice at the restaurant where I did my chef training program and I started using it at home but it occured to me just now that I haven't shown it to you.

Rice cooked in this way will be exemplary, with all the grains separated, very fluffy, non-sticky and a bit al dente. I warmly recommend it. Also, it is a bit more dietary than plain rice because it's boiled in a larger amount of water and, therefore, starch is washed off.

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Ingredients

Metric US

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Rice

1 cup

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Water

4 l

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Salt

1 tbsp

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Vegetable oil

2 tbsp

Step by step

Measure the rice with a glass and place it in a deep bowl.

For this amount of water, you can put a maximum of 2 glasses of rice.

Pour water into a pot and place over heat. I use a 5 liter pot.

The idea is to have a larger quantity of water compared to that of the rice, so the starch can wash off and the rice won't become sticky.

Until the water comes to the boil, wash the rice a few times.

When the water starts to boil, add salt and the rice. Mix well.

When it starts boiling again, turn down the heat and let simmer slowly. Stir regularly.

After 2-3 minutes of cooking, the rice looks like this, the grain is still whole and raw.

After 7 minutes, my basmati rice is done - boiled, a little al dente but not overcooked.

I would even recommend leaving it a bit raw. The cooking time can differ, depending on the type of rice you are using. Use the guidelines from the steps above and taste periodically.

Drain the rice using a colander or pasta strainer.

Return the rice to the pot, sprinkle with oil and mix gently.

Level with a spoon or spatula and cover the pot with a lid.

Leave it covered for 15-20 minutes. You'll notice that during this time, the rice will cook passively and become fluffier. Mix it carefully after that and notice the airy texture.