Good afternoon, friends!
Moreover, for this you don’t have to buy any special expensive variety of rice or accurately measure the grains and water. Everything will be outrageously simple.
Oh, still on the rice theme...
Soon I will show you how famously I got the hang of making rolls. In the Russian adapted version)) It turned out that for little money and without much effort you can create an even exotic dish.
Especially on those who don’t cook them themselves, they make an amazing impression))) In the meantime, I advise you not to miss the recipe. ()
Ingredients for fluffy rice:
- long grain rice,
- salt (optional).
- water.
*** The exact proportions of rice and water are not important!
Preparing fluffy rice:
Perhaps the only requirement for rice is that it must be... long grain. This rice contains less starch than short grain rice, but has more fiber and vitamins.
That is, it is healthier and does not boil as much as round rice.
Measure out the rice as much as you need and pour it into a small bowl or saucepan. I usually take one glass of rice.
We rinse it several times under running water. They poured it in, stirred it with their hands, and drained the water. I do this three times, and by the third time the water is usually clear.
Place a pan of water on the fire. It should be several times more than cereal. It turns out that for a glass of rice there are about two liters of water.
When the water boils, pour the cereal into it. Stir so that the rice does not stick together, and you can add salt if necessary.
Cook for 10-15 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can catch a couple of grains of rice and check whether they are soft or not.
Attention! Do not strictly follow the cooking time indicated on the package.
On the package that I have, it says: “cooking time 20 minutes.” Out of curiosity, I tried to cook it for so long - it turned out to be a boiled porridge.
Now put the rice in a colander and let the water drain.
That's all! The fluffy rice is ready.
And note, I didn’t have to measure anything with precision, use any special dishes, a special type of rice, cook with a lid, then without a lid, and generally bother. I love recipes like this!
By the way, did this cooking method remind you of anything? Now I thought that this whole recipe could be explained in 3 words: “cook like pasta.”
Do you know what delicious thing I made with this rice? Salad! The one with crab sticks, corn and egg.
Rice is one of the types of cereal crops that are called the “bread of humanity.” Along with wheat and corn, it has fed people since time immemorial. It so happens that rice is most popular in Asia. In Russia, where they became acquainted with this cereal only during the reign of Peter the Great, this crop was even called “Saracenic millet.” The name is ironic, but our people liked the rice. And in Italy and Spain it has firmly entered the culinary culture of the people. Risotto and paella are in some way the calling cards of these countries. But the cereal is quite popular everywhere. A lot of dishes are prepared from it, even desserts. But today we will tell you how to deliciously cook rice as a side dish. After all, the neutral taste of the cereal goes perfectly with meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
Each dish has its own grain
Nowadays you will find so many varieties of rice in stores that your eyes will run wild. Which one to choose? It depends on what we will cook from it. Round rice is suitable for dairy desserts, casseroles and puddings. It contains a lot of starch, it sticks well and holds its shape. Japanese sushi and rolls also require special grain. Russian porridges (for example, with mushrooms or meat) are best made on polished or steamed rice. The Chinese variety “jasmine” is also suitable for this purpose. But to get tasty and fluffy rice as a side dish, you need to take basmati. This variety is grown in India and Pakistan. Its name means "fragrant" in Hindi. In addition to the wonderful smell, basmati has another characteristic feature - the grain does not stick together after cooking, but remains crumbly. It’s not for nothing that this type of rice is more expensive than others. But for a side dish you can take both long grain and “wild” grain with an interesting brown color. It must be said that any rice is rich in vitamins, microelements and protein, but it contains little gluten. If you are watching your waistline, choose rice as a side dish over pasta and potatoes. It is low in calories and does not weigh down the main dish. With frequent consumption of this cereal, memory improves and digestion begins to work well.
Recipe from the Far East
Who doesn’t know how to cook delicious rice as a side dish, like the Chinese. After all, it was in their homeland that this cereal was first cultivated. The side dish for spicy dishes is served as neutral as possible so as not to overshadow their taste. It is eaten there instead of bread. The basic rule for successful rice as a side dish is the correct ratio of water and grain. We generally believe that the proportion should be two to one. The Chinese think differently. For a glass of rice they take one and a half bowls of water. And they don’t wash the grains first. It is believed that a good variety does not need such a preliminary procedure. Cooking rice for a side dish is very simple. Bring water to a boil, add dry cereal. Cover with a tight lid (you can even put something heavy on top to prevent steam from escaping). Another Chinese secret of how to cook delicious rice as a side dish is the exact cooking time. Exactly twelve minutes - no more, no less. Well, let's stand at the stove with a stopwatch. For the first three minutes we withstand strong fire. Then, when it seems to you that the saucepan is about to explode from the steam, reduce the gas to medium. Cook for seven minutes and keep for two more on low heat. After this, the lid cannot be opened. We time the next twelve minutes. And only after that you can taste it, add salt and butter.
Secrets of Central Asia
In India, Pakistan and other countries in the region, the recipe for how to cook delicious rice as a side dish is fundamentally different from the Far Eastern one. It is believed that cereals should be cooked along with the main dish. Thus, the fat released from the meat will prevent the grains from sticking together, and the rice will come out crumbly. Only long-grain basmati is used for pilaf. It is washed until the water becomes clear. Fry the meat in a cauldron or deep frying pan until half cooked. Separately sautéed onions are placed on top of it, followed by carrots chopped on a coarse grater. A depression is made in the middle of the cauldron and a whole head of garlic is planted there, right in the husk. Then the rice is poured in. The proportions of cereal and boiling water in the pilaf recipe are 1:2.5. The pilaf is generously salted and various spices and seasonings are added. The oven or oven is heated to 200°C. The cauldron is covered with a lid and the pilaf is cooked for an hour.
Italian risotto
When the fashion for “Chinese” came to Europe, and with it rice dishes, the Spaniards and Italians decided not to buy expensive cereals, but to grow them in their homeland. The variety turned out to be more starchy, and the grains were rounder. But you can also make delicious rice as a side dish from them. Here is the Italian recipe. The risotto dish can be meat or completely vegetarian. In a deep frying pan, heat a mixture of oils (butter and vegetable). Add washed and slightly dried rice (a glass) and fry, stirring with a wooden spatula. The grain should acquire a translucent color and become like beads. Separately, boil two and a half glasses of water, salt it well, add spices. You can dissolve a bouillon cube in it. Pour boiling water over the rice and add various finely chopped vegetables. Their selection is at your discretion. This could be green peas, sweet bell peppers, zucchini, kohlrabi, tomatoes. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until done; no need to stir.
Another European recipe for rice as a side dish
Finely chop the onion, coarsely grate the carrots, and grind two cloves of garlic in a mortar. Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. First, sauté the onion until soft. Then we add carrots and garlic to it. Fry the vegetables until golden brown. Place a glass of long grain rice - without any preliminary rinsing - into a frying pan. Fry until the grains are the color of bugles. Pour two glasses of cold water. When it boils, salt the dish and season with spices. Reduce heat and cover the pan. Simmer until done, occasionally checking to see if more water needs to be added. Infuse the finished dish under the lid for about ten minutes.
Original recipe
Rub the inside of a thick-walled casserole with olive oil. Add a glass of well-washed rice, preferably long-grain rice. Fill with cold water so that the liquid level is one and a half centimeters above the cereal layer. Add a clove or two of garlic. Salt and season with spices. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Then turn on the gas and cook for another 10-12 minutes. Crumbly, aromatic and tasty rice is ready for a side dish!
Porridge in two steps
We wash the rice 2-3 times, first with warm water and finally with hot water. Boil salted water or meat broth. There should be twice as much liquid as cereal. Add the washed rice and cook over low heat, stirring from time to time. When the grains become soft and swell a little, place the grains on a sieve and rinse with running water. Heat a piece of butter in a frying pan, add rice there and bring the porridge to readiness. This is another recipe for how to cook rice as a side dish. It allows you to use any type of cereal, even crushed.
We wash two glasses of cereal thoroughly and remove any debris. Place in the multicooker bowl. Fill with four glasses of water and add salt. Set the “Cooking” mode and the timer for half an hour. Some multicookers have special options. For example, the “Buckwheat” or “Pilaf” mode. You can use them. This rice turns out no worse than on a regular stove, and it’s easier for the cook, because the dish definitely won’t burn. You can diversify the rice as a side dish and add various vegetables to it - canned corn, onions, peas, carrots and onions.
Today we will tell you how to cook rice as a side dish. It should be noted that there are a great many ways to create such a dish. We will present only a few of them. Which one to choose for serving at the dinner table is up to you to decide.
Cooking rice as a side dish
There is nothing difficult in preparing such a dish. Moreover, this side dish is considered the most satisfying and nutritious. It can be served at the table with meat, sausages, sausages, fish, meatballs, etc.
So, preparing fluffy rice as a side dish involves using the following components:
- not too coarse table salt - use to taste;
- settled water - about 1.5 l;
- long grain rice - 2 cups.
Cooking process
How to boil rice for a side dish so that it turns out fluffy and tasty? To do this, you should sort the cereal well and remove all inedible elements. Next, the product must be placed in a sieve and rinsed thoroughly under cold water.
After the rice is cooked, you should take a large pan and place it on the stove. After adding settled water to the dishes, you need to wait until it boils. Next, you need to pour salt into the seething liquid and lay out all the washed cereals.
Stirring the food regularly with a spoon, wait until it boils again. After this, the cereal must be cooked over low heat until completely soft. As a rule, 20-25 minutes are enough for this.
Final stage
After the cereal becomes soft, but not soggy, the boiled rice needs to be thrown into a sieve and rinsed thoroughly under cold water. Before serving such a side dish, it should be scalded with boiling water and shaken vigorously, trying to remove as much liquid as possible.
How to cook rice as a side dish in a satisfying and tasty way?
The previous option for preparing rice cereal can be used in cases where you want a lean side dish. If you want to make a more satisfying dish, then we offer you another recipe that recommends additional use of vegetables. For it we will need:
- settled water - about 1.5 l;
- sunflower oil - several large spoons;
- juicy large carrot - 1 pc.;
- aromatic seasonings and spices - use to taste;
- sweet salad bulbs - 2 pcs.;
- long grain rice - 2 cups.
Ingredient Processing
Before boiling rice for a side dish, it should be cleaned of any debris, then placed in a sieve and rinsed thoroughly in cool water until it is completely transparent.
After the cereal is prepared, you need to start processing the vegetables. They need to be washed and cleaned, and then crushed. It is advisable to grate the carrots on a (large) grater, and finely chop the onions.
Cooking rice
Boiled rice according to the presented recipe is prepared exactly as described above. To do this, place it in a very bubbling liquid, add salt and cook until soft for 20-25 minutes. Next, the product must be thrown into a sieve and rinsed thoroughly in cold water. After this, you need to shake the rice vigorously and leave it aside until all the excess moisture is gone.
Sautéing vegetables
We talked above about how to cook rice as a side dish without using additional ingredients. But to get a more satisfying and flavorful dish, it should be done a little differently. To do this, you need to pour sunflower oil into a saucepan and heat it up a little. Next, place the chopped onions and carrots in a hot bowl. Fry the ingredients over low heat for about ¼ hour. During this time, the vegetables should become transparent. Finally, they should be seasoned with pepper and salt.
The process of forming a dish
How to cook rice as a side dish in a tasty and satisfying way? To do this, boiled and dehydrated cereal should be poured into a saucepan with sautéed vegetables. After seasoning the ingredients with any of your favorite spices and seasonings, mix them thoroughly with a large spoon. Next, the side dish should be slightly warmed and placed on plates.
You can serve this dish to family members with any meat (fried, stewed, boiled) and fish. Also, sausages, cutlets or meatballs go well with boiled rice with sautéed vegetables.
Making sticky rice porridge
We told you how to prepare rice as a side dish in the form of a crumbly dish just above. However, such cereals can not only be boiled in large quantities of water, but also made into a hearty and tasty porridge. For this we will need:
- not too coarse table salt - use to taste;
- high fat milk - 1.5 cups;
- Short grain rice - 2 cups;
- butter - a few small spoons;
- medium-sized sugar - use according to taste and desire.
Preparation of the main product
To make a side dish of rice in the form of milk porridge, you should purchase not long-grain, but short-grain cereal. After all, it is this variety that contains a large amount of starch, which allows you to make a very viscous dish.
Thus, to prepare milk porridge, you need to sort out the cereal well, and then put it in a sieve and rinse it several times with water until it becomes completely transparent.
Heat treatment
After the short grain rice has been processed, you should take a small saucepan with a thick bottom and pour fresh high-fat milk into it. Next, the filled container must be placed on the fire and brought to a boil. In this case, be sure to ensure that the dairy product does not “run away” from the edges of the dish.
When the milk begins to boil strongly, you need to add previously processed short-grain rice into it. Stirring the cereal regularly, wait until the food begins to boil again. After this, the heat must be reduced, season the ingredients with salt and cook for 40 minutes. During this time, the cereal will completely boil and become viscous.
If the porridge starts to burn to the bottom of the pan, but the rice remains a little hard, it is recommended to add a little more milk to the pan.
Final stage
After you get a viscous rice porridge, you need to season it with butter, close it tightly and remove it from the stove. After wrapping the pan in a blanket, it is advisable to keep it aside for half an hour. After this time, the product must be mixed well again and placed on plates.
How to serve it correctly at the dinner table?
You can eat rice porridge prepared according to the method described above without additional ingredients in the form of meat, fish, etc. But for this, it is advisable to add a little sugar to the products during cooking. This will make the dish more complete and tasty. If you do not add sugar, then this side dish goes well with boiled meat or steamed fish.
Let's sum it up
Now you know how you can make a lean, satisfying and milky side dish from ordinary rice cereal. It should be noted that the preparation of this product does not end there. After all, there are many more ways you can make a delicious lunch using short-grain or long-grain rice. So, some housewives add green peas, canned corn, fried mushrooms and other ingredients to boiled crumbly cereal. With them, your dinner can acquire completely different taste qualities, which will certainly be appreciated by all invited guests.
How to boil rice correctly for a side dish so that it is crumbly and retains all the beneficial substances. Our tips and step-by-step guide to preparing rice cereal will help you with this.
How to boil rice correctly for a side dish
Rice goes very well with fish and meat products, and is perfectly complemented by vegetables. But to make it tasty and crumbly, you need to know how to boil rice correctly. In order to get a wonderful rice side dish you need:
- 1 cup rice cereal;
- 2 glasses of water;
- Butter;
- Salt.
Rice contains a lot of starch and this makes it sticky. Therefore, in order to wash out the starch, the rice should be washed with water more than once until the flowing water becomes clear and clean.
- Pour water into a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid and put it on the fire, wait until it boils and add salt.
- Then add the rice, close the lid tightly and, as the chefs recommend, do not stir or remove the lid until the rice is ready.
- For the first 5 minutes, cook the cereal over high heat, then reduce it so that it is medium, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Continue cooking for the last 2 minutes on low heat.
- After turning off, do not rush to open the lid of the saucepan, let the rice stand for another 10 minutes.
- Now you can add butter and serve with the cutlet or just the rice itself.
The advantage of this type of cooking is that the rice turns out crumbly and the pan is almost clean after cooking, that is, the grains do not stick or burn.
How to cook fluffy short-grain rice: Chinese cooking recipe
Short grain rice softens perfectly, as it contains a large amount of starch. It is good to use for preparing different types of cereals, casseroles and desserts. The Chinese, like the Japanese, are familiar with rice and, accordingly, know how to cook long-grain rice to make it crumbly.
In their diet, it is this grain that is the basis of almost all dishes. Therefore, we present to your attention a recipe for preparing fluffy short-grain rice.
The main thing in this cooking method is precise adherence to time and proportions. Rice is calculated to water in a ratio of 2:3.
Pour the washed cereal into boiling water and cover the pan tightly with a lid. It is even advised to use a weight so that there is no gap between the pan and the lid. The total cooking time takes 12 minutes, which is divided into 3 parts:
- 1) Cook over high heat for 3 minutes
- 2) On average – 7 minutes
- 3) On low heat for 2 minutes.
After removing from the heat, without opening the lid, wait another 12 minutes. After exactly the same time, open the pan and add salt and butter, stir.
How to cook fluffy steamed rice while preserving all its benefits
Rice that has undergone a certain steam treatment is called steamed. He is extremely useful. But you need to cook it a little differently than ordinary rice. But now we’ll tell you how to cook crumbly steamed rice.
- Pour the washed cereal with water for half an hour.
- Then let the water drain.
- Pour the cereal into a saucepan and add water in a ratio of 1 to 1.25 (there should be a little more water than rice).
- Having brought to a boil, reduce the heat and, closing the lid, cook for 25 minutes.
- Your rice is ready, all you have to do is add butter and salt.
Happy cooking and bon appetit!
Rice cereal is known and loved on all continents. It is impossible to find a kitchen that does not feature rice in one form or another.
In the countries of the Far East, this dish is so popular that, for example, in China they ask as a greeting: “Have you eaten rice today?”
Rice cereals appeared in Europe relatively recently, during the late Middle Ages and the great geographical discoveries. When people began to actively explore space. Having quickly gained popularity, rice has become the national dish of almost all European countries.
Rice cereal does not contain gluten, the most allergenic vegetable protein. That is why it is included in the children's menu as the first porridge.
In addition, rice is actively used to prepare slimy and creamy soups in various therapeutic diets.
Types of rice grains
There are incredibly many varieties of rice. In total, botanists identify 20 cultivated varieties and several hundred varieties.
Based on the appearance of the grains, rice is distinguished:
- Long-grain – narrow and long, up to 2 cm, these grains practically do not stick together when cooked – they are ideal for a crumbly side dish;
- Medium grain – semi-circular, short grain with medium gluten content, for example the “risotto” variety, ideal for the dish of the same name, this also includes the famous “devzira” rice for preparing pilaf;
- Round grain - rice is round and short, contains a lot of gluten, ideal puddings, casseroles, pureed and slimy soups are made from such grains.
According to the processing method, rice can be distinguished:
- Polished. Grinding is the most common method of processing rice grains; the grains are white, practically devoid of plant fiber and vitamins, but such rice is very nutritious and cooks quickly;
- Unpolished or brown. The grains undergo minimal processing, retaining a maximum of vitamins and fiber, but they take much longer to cook and the finished side dish turns out to be too “rough” in taste;
- Steamed. The most optimal option for rice is that the grains are treated with steam before grinding, thanks to which a fairly large part of the beneficial substances from the shell enters inside.
Methods for preparing fluffy rice
Depending on the desired result, the most optimal method of preparing rice cereal is selected. You can cook:
- In the water;
- Steamed;
- Mixed method (Chinese).
In order to get crumbly porridge in a saucepan, the rice is washed, thrown into a sieve and poured over with boiling water. Then pour into boiling salt water in a ratio of one to one and reduce the heat to a minimum.
During cooking, the grain is not stirred, but pierced in several places for better steaming. If all the water has already evaporated and the cereal is not ready yet, carefully add a little boiling water. If desired, the finished rice can be washed, but only with boiled water.
Steamed rice is the easiest way to cook. The result is an invariably crumbly side dish. The grains must be washed and poured into the bowl of a double boiler, salted, and filled with water one to one. Steam until done for about half an hour.
The Chinese cook rice in very large quantities. They cook several kilograms at once - it is the basis for many other dishes.
The cereal is boiled in a large container with a ratio of one to five to water. Having brought it to half-cookedness, they throw it onto a large sieve, and then steam it in it.
We present to you a video that shows the Asian method of cooking rice:
How to properly cook fluffy rice as a side dish in a saucepan
Round grain - this type of grain is the most difficult to cook crumbly porridge. It contains a lot of gluten and is very absorbent.
This variety must be washed only under running water, otherwise it will swell and stick together before cooking. And be sure to rinse the finished side dish.
Long grain polished rice is great for making fluffy side dishes.
The varieties “Jasmine” and “Thai” are especially different. They have a delicate, subtle taste and a pleasant creamy texture, while the finished grains do not stick together into an unpleasant lump.
Brown (brown) or unpolished rice is preferred by people who care about their health and adherents of proper nutrition. It takes much longer to cook than polished one; it must be pre-soaked.
But such a side dish will definitely be crumbly and healthy.
Parboiled rice cooks slightly faster than unpolished rice. You can prepare almost any dish from it: semi-liquid risotto and fluffy Chinese rice. It is also ideal for pilaf if you couldn’t find devzira.
Regardless of what type of rice you choose, to obtain a crumbly side dish you must follow certain rules:
- Keep an eye on the expiration date of the cereal. This is especially true for unpolished rice - it does not last long. Grains that are stored for a long time become brittle and stick together when cooked;
- To obtain a crumbly side dish, maintain a water/cereal ratio of 1/1;
- Rinse the rice before adding it, this way you will wash away grain dust, which also contributes to the sticking of the finished dish;
- Choose the right utensils for cooking. A steel pan with a thick, multi-layered bottom is ideal. In them, the heat is distributed evenly and the cereal does not stick to the bottom;
- Observe the optimal temperature regime - first we cook on high heat, then reduce it to a minimum, and be sure to let the porridge brew, without heating.
Steps to prepare fluffy rice:
In the following video, you'll learn how to cook rice until it's fluffy in just 60 seconds!
The most common mistakes that cause cereal to stick together
- Unsuitable type of grain - it is quite difficult to cook a crumbly side dish from round grain;
- Too much heat - in this case, there is a very high probability that your side dish will burn and not cook evenly;
- Unsuitable cooking utensils;
- Too much water - rice, regardless of the variety, absorbs liquid too much, and as a result, it boils and sticks together.
Preparing a fluffy rice side dish is not difficult, you just need to practice a little and follow the rules.
