Why You’re Probably Cooking Rice The Wrong Way

Published Sep 25, 2024 By Elle Ann

Image credit: Natural Cures via YouTube

There are a lot of dishes that you can serve with rice and different ways to cook rice, it’s one of the easiest foods to cook, but it can also get tricky when you don’t know the right method. If done right, rice can come out fluffy, but if not, it can be either undercooked or overcooked which is not a fun texture to chew on.

To make perfect rice every time, you have to be precise with the amount of water used, cooking time, and heat level. However, there are other mistakes that you might be making that result in you having burnt or mushy rice, and you can avoid them with the help of this video tutorial by Natural Cures on YouTube.

Common Rice Cooking Mistakes:

Not washing your rice
Too much or too little water
Add cold water during cooking
Stirring the rice while cooking
Not respecting the rest time

How to Cook Perfect Rice Every Time:

Common Rice Cooking Mistakes — Image credit: Natural Cures via YouTube

#1: Not Washing Your Rice

Wash your rice in cold water to remove the excess starch, you can use a strainer or rice colander, or wash the rice in the pot itself, then carefully pour out the water. Repeat rinsing as much as needed or until the water comes out clean.

#2: Too Much or Too Little Water

The proportion of water you add to the rice is important and you have to get it right. Putting too much will result in overcooked and mushed rice, while too little water will make it hard and not cooked through, or worse it may even burn. Two parts of water to one part of rice should do the trick.

#3: Add Cold Water During Cooking

When you add too little water to your rice, you can still try fixing it by adding some extra water while it’s still cooking. However, you should use boiling water and not cold or room temperature because the thermal shock hinders the cooking process.

#4: Stirring the Rice While Cooking

Unless you are making risotto, don’t try to store the rice while it cooks as it will hinder the cooking process and make the rice lose water. When that happens you’ll be forced to add more water and risk getting your rice all mushy.

#5: Not Respecting the Rest Time

The rest period makes the grain reach the perfect consistency without burning the rice. Turn off the heat a little before your rice is fully cooked, then keep the lid on the pot, and let the rice rest for about 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, then serve, and enjoy!