I've been cooking since I was about 8 years old, and it's something that comes as second nature now. However, I constantly struggle with making brown rice on the stovetop. In the past month, I have thrown away two batches of brown rice made in my new rice cooker. Both batches came out with way too much water left. The proportions of water to rice I used were 2:1 (what the manual said) and then 1.5:1. I turned to microwave brown rice on the first occasion since friends were coming over. Microwave brown rice is great (it's pre-cooked and you're just reheating it), but they don't have it at my usual supermarket and it's much more expensive than buying the dry stuff.
Tonight I used the stovetop and did what the package recommended: 2:1 ratio, dab of margarine, bring to a boil, simmer on low for 50 minutes, and let rest for 10 minutes before eating. It was edible, but a little wet and overcooked. Perhaps I'll use a 1.75:1 ratio next time.
If I haven't bored my two or three readers by now, please let me know if you have any secrets to cooking brown rice. I need help!
3 comments:
the last time i made stovetop brown rice, it turned out fine. i used mahatma brown rice, 1 cup rice with 3 cups water. i simmered until the water was absorbed, which took about 40-45 minutes. hope this helps. i often use uncle ben's instant brown rice (10 minutes on the stove) for convenience.
Thanks, Ceri. Maybe it's just the brand I'm using that's causing the problem.
Well...good lawd, I hope your margerine doesn't have trans fats in it (which remarkably, some "health" food stores still sell) because that is awful for you.
I recently have used Texmati brown, it's not my fav. but it's all I can get up here in the middle of nowhere. Anyhow, they say 2.25:1 but that's crazy. I think for some reason, people have a taste preference for brown rice to be "porridgey" and that is reflected in those instructions. I use 2:1 and it's fine, so maybe you could try splitting the difference w/your brand at 1.75:1?
Here's a tip: let the rice cooker start, until the water is bathtub warm - around 90F or so. Unplug it for 25 minutes. Enzymes in the brown part of the rice will start digesting the starches, giving a sweeter taste to the final product. Plug it back in and keep cooking!
The too-die-for brown rice is Lundberg Wehani. It is insanely delicious.
Post a Comment