A few years ago, I didn’t know how to make rice. I mean, I knew how to cook rice in a rice cooker, like every Asian kid I know, but aside from that, I was clueless. A rice cooker takes all the guessing out of cooking rice: you use the provided cup, add water to the line according to how much rice you added, push the button and boom.
The only problem is, you might not always have a rice cooker. Now that everyone’s basically stuck at home and shopping for countertop appliances is out of the question, even on Amazon, maybe it’s the time to learn how to cook rice. It’s the perfect pantry staple and so, so easy to make.
How to cook Japanese rice on the stovetop
Here’s how you do it: decide how much rice you need. I’d say from one quarter to half a cup uncooked rice per person. For the two of us, I always make a cup, which makes about 3 cups cooked. Any extra rice is just popped into the fridge.
After you measure out the rice, put it in a pot with a tight fitting lid. Add water – 1 1/4 cup for ever cup of rice you’re making, then bring everything to a boil over medium heat. When the water and rice come to a boil, turn the heat down to the barest simmer and cover with the lid. Let the rice cook for 17 minutes, no peeking.
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When the 17 minutes are up, let the rice rest for 10 minutes, without opening the lid, and when the time is up, it’s time to fluff and eat!
I love fluffy white rice with orange chicken, easy teriyaki chicken, or ginger beef and onion stir fry. SO GOOD.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup rice jasmine, sushi, or long grain white
- 1.25 cup water
Instructions
- Place the rice and water in a pot with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Turn the heat down to the barest simmer and cover with the lid and cook for 17 minutes without peeking.
- When 17 minutes are up, let sit, with the lid on, for 10 minutes. When 10 minutes are up, remove the lid, fluff, and enjoy!
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-Steph & Mike
How much water for short and median gain
hi rita,
i use the same amount of water :)
hi there! quick question– i’ve always been told to rinse rice well (or soak it overnight). is there a reason you skip this? thanks for your help :)
hi hannah,
you can definitely soak your rice for a more soft and moist texture – sometimes people do this when their rice is really really old and has lost moisture. most of the time, in these modern days, rice is pretty fresh (moist) and clean. rinsing the rice is leftover from when rice used to be packaged differently and there wasn’t as much machinery that kept the rice clean. you can rinse your rice if it make you more comfortable, but you’ll never get perfectly clear water coming off of it like they tell you because rice naturally has starch on the outside of it, which is what is making the water look opaque :)
this is the definitive recipe for stove-top rice…I always polish rice to remove whatever.
thank you
great advice…great recipe for perfect rice…I always polish five times and let rice sit for a half hour before boiling the water…and a half hour wait before opening the lid really helps…thank you
I do exactly as you suggest and find it the best advice for perfect east asian style rice…
I bought that million dollar Staub rice pot then bought a rice cooker because I didn’t know how to cook rice. Inspired to try again on the stove.
best rice recipe. I think the secret is letting it sit for 10 min after taking it off the heat