How to cook rice so that it is loose: recipes according to the type of rice

The remaining rice loose, fluffy, on point, well separated, serve as a base for a wide variety of dishes. The advantage of leaving them like this is that, being al dente, they do not stick, they do not fall apart, they are more easily stored and they can be subjected to more subsequent cooking processes (such as sautéing) to incorporate them into our daily meals.

loose rice they have to be al dente, cooked just enough to be tender and edible, but without the grain opening up and releasing starches into the medium. Steamed and “not overcooked” rice have been subjected to treatment to gel these starches and leave a “sealed” grain, so that the only thing that happens if you overcook is that the grains remain rubbery.

It is not necessary to resort to special rice to make them loose, if not to handle well the techniques that allow us to do it with any rice.

How to cook basmati rice

These rice dishes are especially good when cooked with just the right amount of liquid and covered. Dishes such as biryanis and pilafs or pulaos are made with them. In these cases, vegetables, spices and oils are also incorporated together with the rice.

These rices are very rich in amylose, so they absorb less water and the grain remains more whole. It is best to make them in the right water and let it rest.

Basmati al dente

You can use this rice at the moment, sauté it, put it as an addition to a stew or stew, store it in the fridge or freeze it. Before freezing it, make sure it is cold and separate the grains well with a fork.

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice 1 cup and a little more water

Preparation

Put the rice and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. The water has to cover the rice slightly. Cover it and put it on high heat. When it starts to boil, put it to a minimum until there is no water left. Remove it from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff the grains with a fork.

If you use whole grain basmati rice, the process is the same but previously leaving the rice to soak for 30 minutes (then drain it well). In this way we make sure that the grain is tender and juicy.

How to cook round and short grain rice

The ones we know best are “regular” rice round, bomb, calasparra, etc. They are the ones we normally use for any preparation, also for paella.

These rices have a different balance of amylose and amylopectin, more “half and half”, so the grains are not as dry, they absorb more water and it is easier for them to pass and open up

Nothing happens, the same method as for basmati works perfectly with these rices. Also, by not removing them, we prevent the water from filling with starches that make it pasty.

Round rice al dente

Ingredients

1 cup of round rice 1 cup and ¼ cup of water

Preparation

Place the rice and water in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cover it and put it on high heat. When it starts to boil, put it on low heat until there is no water left. Set it aside and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Stir with a kitchen paddle or fork to fluff up the grains.

If you use brown rice it is the same but leaving it to soak for 30 minutes beforehand.

this rice works especially well for stir-fries and dishes like that, even if they have some sauce. Can store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it.

How to cook oriental rice

These rices have a much higher amylopectin content than the previous ones, and little amylose, for this reason are considered “glutinous” or sticky. The good thing about this composition is that the grains have a very pleasant texture, they remain loose to cook, but later they are easy to squeeze and clump together so that they stick together and eat them with chopsticks.

So that you have some very loose rice, first of all wash them. Washing them consists of putting the rice that you are going to use in the saucepan, putting a good amount of water (from time) and stirring by hand. The liquid will turn white because it fills up with starches from the rice. That water is thrown away and the operation is repeated until the water comes out only cloudy, not white.

Chinese rice

Ingredients

1 cup of Chinese rice (jasmine, sweet rice, glutinous, etc., they also serve Japanese varieties) 1.25 cups of water

Preparation

Wash the rice at least 3 times and drain it well. Put it with the water, covered, over high heat. When it starts to boil, put it to a minimum until there is no liquid left. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. Puff the grains with a rice paddle.

there is vintegral varieties of these rices that have different hardnesses. Glutinous black rice, for example, needs to be soaked for 4 hours before cooking, while long red rice only needs half an hour. If in doubt, leave your brown rice to soak for at least 1 hour before you start cooking it. You don’t need to wash it.

With these rice you can make chinese and japanese fried rice great. The grains hold very well any cooking, also in broth.

You can store it in the fridge, in a tightly closed container, up to 3 days. In the freezer, up to 3 months. Make sure that the rice is very cold and fluffy before freezing it.