How to make Perfect Steamed Rice

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In this recipe we’re going to decode the art behind making the perfect Steamed Rice. Rice is such a common food, in fact, it’s the most consumed item of food in the world. Why is it then, for such a common ingredient, that there is so much mystery around how it is made? Indeed, mastering how to make perfect Steamed Rice is a skill that everyone must have in the kitchen. Luckily for you all, we’re here to share our secrets on how to master cooking this must-have dish for any home cooked repertoire

You don’t need anything fancy to perfect homemade Steamed Rice

There are so many gadgets and pieces of equipment available out there these days that promise ‘fool proof’ perfect Steamed Rice every time. From those expensive electric Rice Cookers to simple microwaveable versions, there seems to be an endless supply of devices available to home cooks to master this dish

The truth of the matter is, while you could use these gadgets to get some great Steamed Rice, they are simply not needed. Why waste money on an expensive piece of cooking equipment that simply is not needed? Furthermore, to take a leaf out of Alton Browns book, you should never buy a single use utensil in the kitchen! Only stock your kitchen with utensils and gadgets that have multiple use

Therefore, a rice cooker is simply not a piece of equipment you need in the kitchen. They are cumbersome, bulky, sometimes very expensive, and yield the same result that you can achieve by simply using an everyday saucepan. Which is what we use for our recipe

How to make Perfect Steamed Rice Every time

All you need to make perfectly cooked Steamed Rice at home is a Saucepan with a lid on it. That’s it. Oh, ok you’ll need a stovetop too, either Electric or Gas. However, we’re going to make a not so bold assumption that you already have one of these

You simply need to add the Rice and Water into the Saucepan and cook it for the right amount of time and at the right temperature, and there’s nothing more to it. So, without further delay, here are the steps you need to follow to make perfect homemade Steamed Rice

Step 1: Measure out the appropriate amount of Rice to Water Ratio

This is the most important step, without a doubt. Rice needs to absorb Water to turn light and fluffy and, ultimately, edible! The ratio of Water to Rice is a critical step, as too much Water will result in a gluggy, soupy texture. Too little Water and the Rice will be dry, crunchy, and not cooked

The ratio of Rice to Water you must always use is 1 to 1 ½. So, for 1 cup of Rice, you need to use 1 ½ cups of Water. For 2 cups of Rice, you would use 3 cups of Water, etc. This quantity can be scaled up or down accordingly, and the ratios always stay the same

You may have seen some advice suggesting that you don’t need to measure the amount of water, but to add Rice into a pan, then place your finger into the middle of the pan. Fill the pan with water up until your knuckle and it is suggested this will work every time. I can guarantee you that this is not the case! If you’re using a wide pan, you’re going to have way too much water. A narrow pan, too little water

So, ignore all of these ‘recommendations’ and stick to the ratio. 1 cup of Rice to 1 ½ cups of Water. It’s going to work every time, regardless of what sized Saucepan you are cooking with

Step 2: Boiling your Water before combining in with the Rice

This is an important step as it will influence the cooking time required for the Rice. If you add cold or room temperature water to the Rice you’re going to need to bring it to a boil, which will add 5 – 10 minutes to the cooking time. Avoid all that and boil the Water in the kettle, then pour your desired amount into a measuring cup

This is primarily a time saving step, you can always add regular room temperature water to the Rice in the Saucepan, it’ll just take more time. The objective is to get the water boiling with the Rice before you move onto the next step

Step 3: Combine the Boiling Water and Rice in the Saucepan, then drop the heat to a Simmer

Once that boiling Water has been added to the Rice it’s going to continue to boil in the Saucepan. At this point you can give the Rice a little bit of a stir to break up some of the clumps of Rice that will form. This isn’t necessary, but can help with getting less pieces sticking together once it’s cooked

Once the Boiling Water is added, you need to cover the Saucepan with a lid and then drop the heat down to a low simmer immediately. The Saucepan will naturally be quite hot, so you’ll find that it may continue to boil down for a minute or so even after you’ve dropped the heat. This is totally fine; the key is to just get a gentle simmer going

Step 4: Simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat

Allow the Rice and Water to simmer away until all the Rice has absorbed. This is a lot easier to do if you’ve got a Saucepan lid that is clear, so you can see how it is progressing. Once all of the Water has been absorbed by the Rice, turn off the heat. However, keep the lid on!

The Water will have absorbed, but we still need to allow some time for the Rice to fully cook through. So, this is the ‘cooking’ step for how to make perfect Steamed Rice. The Simmering stage should take 10 minutes which is when you turn off the heat. Keep the lid on and leave the pan for a further 10 minutes until the Rice is perfectly cooked

That’s it! You’ve now got perfectly Steamed Rice to enjoy

No more steps are required. After the 10 minutes with the lid on but no heat, the Rice will be fully cooked through and lovely and fluffy. Remove the lid and give the rice a stir around with a wooden spoon. This final step is called ‘fluffing the rice’ and it’s just allowing air to get in between the Rice grains and help to fluff it up

Another step that many people forget to do is to season the Rice. Just like any other ingredient, Rice needs seasoning to bring out it’s full, natural flavor. So, once you’ve fluffed the rice, add a bit of Salt to season the Rice and give it a taste before serving. Seasoning will vary depending on your palate, but we recommend about ½ tsp. for every 1 cup of Rice used

What kind of Rice does this recipe work with?

The best news is the recipe doesn’t chance if you are using different varieties of Rice! We’ve used Jasmine Rice in the photos as we were preparing the Rice to enjoy alongside this wonderful Thai Basil Beef recipe. You can follow this recipe if you are using Basmati Rice, Longrain Rice, even Sushi Rice. The Rice will come out perfect every time!

What are some dishes to enjoy with homemade Steamed Rice?

Being such a common side dish, chances are you’ve got a few favorite dishes to enjoy pairing with Steamed Rice. It’s such a versatile dish and pairs well with so many different cuisines. The classic approach is to enjoy it with heavy sauce-based dishes such as Stir Fries, Curries, and quite frankly, most dishes from Asian Cuisine

Steamed Rice is also great to enjoy in Mexican Cuisine. We love adding a few dashes of seasoning such as Cumin, Paprika, and Coriander Powder then add the spiced Rice to Burritos and Tacos. It’s a great way to add some volume to homemade Mexican Food. Try it with our Easy Chicken Burritos, or Homemade Chipotle Burrito Bowl recipes

Also be sure to save any leftover Rice you’ve cooked as it makes for great Fried Rice the next day! Day old Steamed Rice holds up a lot better in the frying pan, making it perfect for such dishes like our Pepperoni Fried Rice, and our Honey Soy Chicken Fried Rice recipe

How to make Perfect Steamed Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup of White Rice (Jasmine, Basmati, or Longrain)
• 1 ½ cups Water
• ½ tsp. Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Fill up your Kettle and bring it to a boil, then pour out 1 ½ cups of Water into a measuring jug
2. Add the Rice to medium sized saucepan and place over medium / high heat, then pour in the Boiling Water
3. Mix through to break up the Water and then immediately drop the heat down to a low simmer. Cover, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes until the Water has absorbed into the Rice
4. Turn off the heat but keep the Lid on the Saucepan for a further 10 minutes to continue cooking the Rice. Once cooked, season with Salt and then mix well with a Wooden Spoon. Serve immediately
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You can add room temperature water to the pot instead of boiling water. To do so, simply bring the Water to a Boil in the pot then cover and reduce the heat per the above instructions
• You can add additional seasoning to the Rice once cooked to flavor the dish. Try adding Lime and Cilantro for a Mexican Chipotle-inspired Steamed Rice dish
  
  

Well, now you know how to make perfect Steamed Rice by following this simple recipe. No more need for those bulky, expensive rice cookers in the kitchen! So, save some space and just follow our easy recipe for guaranteed beautiful, fluffy steamed Rice every time

We hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as we did writing it! We’d also love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave us a comment below or come check us out on Pinterest here

Happy Cooking!