The Perfectly Cooked White Rice

Rice 2.jpeg

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 2 servings 

Chawal, chol, nasi, bhaat, bái fàn, kanin. Rice is almost universal. I grew up in India, I ate that delectable grain every single day. When I moved back to New Zealand for high school, I was absolutely fucked up by the rice ya’ll serve up here. I mean, it’s always either way overcooked by zealous fools, or ridiculously undercooked to the point where it’s gritty and just nasty. Enough is enough, I’m gonna provide you with a fail-safe recipe. I bang this bad boy out every time a friend suggests getting Indian for dinner. I swear to God, if one more person serves me up mushy shit one more time, I will lose my mind. Trust me, your brown friends will actually enjoy this rice.  

Ingredients:  

1 cup white rice (my tried and tested is Basmati)  

2 cups water  

1/8 teaspoon table salt  

What you need:  

Flat bottomed pot and lid  

Fork  

Sieve  

How to make decent rice:  

  1. Put one measured cup of white rice in a sieve and run cold tap water over the rice till the water runs clear. This is to wash off starch and dirt, and personally I think it makes the rice taste better.  

  1. Pour two cups of cold water into a pot and add the rice and salt.  

  1. Give it a lil stir then turn the hob on.  

  1. Bring to the boil and watch that baby sizzle.  

  1. When it reaches boiling, turn down to medium heat, chuck a lid on it.  

  1. Set a timer for 4 minutes, watch the pot so it doesn’t boil over. If it starts to bubble over, turn the heat down just a lil more.  

  1. Your time will go off, then reduce to simmer and chuck a lid on.  

  1. Cook for 10 more minutes.  

  1. Fluff the rice with a fork. 

  1. Now, I dunno about your stove but gas cooks quicker than electric elements. If it looks watery then keep it on the lowest heat, but if it’s mostly dry then turn the heat off but leave it on the hot stovetop.  

  1. Put the lid on again for another 5 minutes. This helps the steam from the rice move or sumthing so it cooks evenly.  

  1. Serve w whatever you want. Maybe some leftover butter chicken for you freshers, or with some dahl for my desi friends. My personal fave is a spoonful of margarine and a bit of salt. For something sweet, there’s nothing better than stirring in some milk and sugar for a cheeky midnight dessert.  

Previous
Previous

David Seymour: On mullets, spooning Gerry Brownlee and the best way to open a beer

Next
Next

Dismantling Sexual Violence