My ONE Rule for Making Perfect Rice Every Time | Techniquely with Lan Lam
Want to learn how to make perfectly fluffy white rice? Lan Lam explains the three important parts of cooking steamed rice: rinsing, ratios, and resting. She also explains the value of a great rice cooker, and shares which step in the rice-cooking process is the most crucial for light and fluffy results.
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0:54 what is the second option?
Could you comment on putting your cooked rice in the refrigerator overnight to convert the remaining starch to “resistant starch”, reducing your carb intake.
Why no mention of the microwave? It makes perfect plain rise and risotto, and you don't need to clutter the kitchen with another single-use appliance.
Thank you 😊
This already needs to be updated because rice needs to be cooked in way more water like pasta to reduce the arsenic.
Aha! I knew that rinsing rice was bogus! 😄
Your grandmother taught you to cook rice in a pot on the stovetop?? Someone, take away Lan's Asian card! 😂
Excellent video 👏. I never knew about resting the rice 🍚😊
Consider taste tests more similar to a triangle test; it's barely more work, and conveys more valuable information.
Another way to cook rice not be sticky: Toast the rice in a pot with frequent turning, on a stove. No need to rinse away the starch. When this rice is cooked later, as long as it was not stirred incorrectly while cooking, the rice will not be sticky!
I was taught to wash rice to help remove contaminants
What I do is measure rice and water by weight, since I'm already used to using a digital scale for coffee. If I want a more hydrated vs dryer rice, it's easy to just adjust. Say being mixed in a curry, I want the rice a touch dryer, but if topping with salmon where it's not gonna hit sauce, I want the rice a bit wetter.
The “What’s Eating Dan” explains the ratios much better.
One thing missing here is altitude. I live at a higher altitude so water boils at a lower temperature here. Much lower than when I used to live near sea level. That means the “boiling” phase of the cook doesn’t get at hot when I make rice. I compensate by staying at the boiling phase for a little longer while slowly stirring the rice. Then I reduce to low heat, cover the pot and let it “steam” as usual. I also have to use a tiny bit more water than usual because more of it is getting flashed off while I have the lid off.
Removes some arsenic also
i use metal mesh strainer to wash my rice. i used to steam my rice the asian way. now, i boil it in lots of water. when it becomes translucent, i drain, place the pot back on the stove, cover, turn heat to lowest temp, wait 15, turn heat completely off, still leave cover on, remove pot to a trivet, wait 10 minutes, fluff. if the rice is fresh out of the rice paddy, asian way it is with a lot less water. the finger thing depends on the size of the pot.
i didnt know about the resting part that iz great to know for my little rice cooker machine
What about rice “graneado” 😢 so strange nobody outside the spanish speaking world seams to show or teach such a simple and effective method 😂
Nothing about brown rice?
Lan is of Chinese descent and has her own bias. I stopped using hand or finger measurements a long time ago. Paid attention to rinsing the rice. Hand and finger come in different sizes. The best method that doesn't fail is Harumi Kurihara. I don't have a rice cooker and all my rice turns out perfectly. American long grain, basmati, and Jasmine you have to adjust. Also note that a rice cooker cup is not a standard cup 8oz. I measure any cooking liquid. It's fail proof.
The bag of rice says not to wash the rice because it takes away the vitamins. Is that true?
The enriched white rice I buy specifically says not to rinse it, because you’ll wash off the added nutrients.
I use an instant pot and a Secura water kettle. 6 cups of rinsed rice, 1.7 liters of water. Set the instant pot to the rice setting. If I'm cooking brown rice, I let it cool down on its own. White rice, I release the steam immediately.
What’s the second option?
I consider myself to be an above average home cook but I can't cook rice without rice cooker. This video made me feel like less of an idiot. It really is potentially quite complicated.
My trick is to cook like pasta then rinse after with boiling water.
Rinsing the rice is completely unnecessary. Proof of that the test, but no need in reality. In Spain we never rinse the rice and we've made perfectly cooked rice for centuries. The ratio is important though, but also the temperature you use. When we cook rice, if flame is too strong we need more liquid, if too low we need to reduce liquid. Variables vary (redundantly) depending on the type of pot too, it's not the same using a very wide paella, a regular pot, a pan, etc
Great video. What about letting the washed rice rest in water for 20 minutes before cooking vs not resting, does it have an impact on taste/texture? I’ve always been told to do this step, but never made a side by side comparison.
Was rewatching one of your older videos and the posture change is crazy.. that vortalex posture corrector genuinely transformed your whole frame 😭
Lan is always 💯💯💯
Well, I have never rinsed rice, and it turns out fine. The only problem I have is with this dang electric stove that I have now, which seems to have unpredictable temperatures. Sometimes the "Low" setting on a burner is not low enough, and it seems to depend on how many burners are in use. I make allowances. With a gas stove, it was fine, because I could see the flame. I used to cook for people. I once made a pot of rice and a guy told me, "Every time you make rice, it turns out like Uncle Ben's" I've never used Uncle Ben's, either.
I really don't understand why so many people make cooking rice so complicated???? Depending on the type of grain: I predominately use 2x water to 1 rice. I never use a rice cooker either and I don't have any problems
Cooking rice is very simple why make it likes a rocket science lab. Any old Asian grandma can cook a perfect rice.
I have been using the Ken Hom method for almost 20 years:
Step-by-Step Cooking Method:
1. Boil: Transfer the drained rice to a heavy pot or pan. Add water using either a measured ratio (about 1.5 pints for a full measuring jug of rice) or the thumb test (water coming about half a thumb’s depth—roughly 1 inch—above the surface of the rice). Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered.
2. Evaporate: Continue boiling uncovered until most of the surface liquid has evaporated and small indentations or pitted craters appear on the surface of the rice (about 5 to 15 minutes).
3. Steam: Cover the pot tightly with a well-fitting lid, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting, and let it steam undisturbed for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
4. Rest: Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes before serving. There is no need to fluff it.
I soak rice for an hour or two.
Great