The absorption method
For basmati and other long-grain rice. It is the standard method and the most reliable.
- Measure the rice. Around 75g per person as a side, 100g as a main.
- Rinse in several changes of cold water until the water runs nearly clear. This removes the loose surface starch that glues grains together.
- Soak for twenty to thirty minutes if you have time, and drain well. Soaked rice cooks more evenly and the grains elongate rather than break.
- Add water: about one and a half times the volume of soaked rice, or one and three-quarters if unsoaked. Salt it.
- Bring to the boil, stir once, then reduce to the lowest possible heat and cover tightly.
- Cook ten to twelve minutes. Do not lift the lid — the steam trapped under it is doing the cooking.
- Take it off the heat and leave it covered for a further ten minutes. This step redistributes the moisture and is where the fluffiness happens.
- Fork it through gently. Never stir with a spoon, which breaks the grains.
Ratios and times by variety
Approximate, and worth adjusting once for your pan and hob. Then it will be right forever.
- Basmati, soaked
- 1 : 1.5 water, 10–12 minutes, 10 minutes standing.
- Basmati, unsoaked
- 1 : 1.75 water, 12–15 minutes, 10 minutes standing.
- Jasmine
- 1 : 1.5 water, 12 minutes, 10 minutes standing.
- Long grain white
- 1 : 2 water, 15 minutes, 10 minutes standing.
- Brown rice
- 1 : 2.5 water, 30–40 minutes, 10 minutes standing. Soaking helps considerably.
- Wild rice
- 1 : 3 water, 45–55 minutes. It is a grass seed rather than rice and behaves differently.
- Risotto rice
- Not this method at all — hot stock added gradually with constant stirring, and no rinsing.
The other methods
- Boil and drain, like pasta, in plenty of salted water. Very forgiving, and it washes away some starch and seasoning. Good if you are unsure of the ratio.
- Steam, over boiling water. Used for sticky rice and for reheating. Slow and gentle.
- Rice cooker, which holds a steady low heat, keeps the lid on and rests the rice automatically — the three things people get wrong.
- Pilaf, where the rice is toasted in fat with aromatics first, then cooked by absorption in stock. Better than plain rice and barely more work.
- Oven, in a covered dish with boiling stock, for around twenty-five minutes. Excellent when the hob is full.
The failures, and what to do
- Sticky or claggy — the wrong variety, no rinsing, too much water, or stirred during cooking. See rice sticking together.
- Crunchy in the middle — not enough water, or the heat was too high and the water boiled off. Add a few tablespoons of hot water, cover, five more minutes.
- Wet and sloppy — too much water, or a loose lid. Take the lid off and cook on very low heat to drive it off.
- Burnt on the base — heat too high. Do not stir. Tip the good rice off the top and leave the burnt layer.
- Bland — you did not salt the water, or you should have used stock.
Common questions
Does the finger-measuring method work?
The water-to-first-knuckle-above-the-rice method works because it scales with the surface area of the pan rather than the volume of rice. It is genuinely reliable for long-grain rice in a straight-sided pan.
Can I cook rice in stock?
Yes, and it is a large improvement. Reduce added salt accordingly.
Is it safe to reheat rice?
Cooked rice has specific food safety guidance because of spores that survive cooking. FoodHQ does not publish it — the Food Standards Agency does, and it is worth reading once.
How do I cook rice for a crowd?
The oven method. A covered dish scales far better than a pan on a hob.
Try this next
- Rice which variety for what
- Rice sticking together the commonest failure
- Starch gelatinisation what happens inside the grain