How to cook Brown Rice? (Perfect Texture)

• Food: Brown Rice
• Writer: Lizzie Green
• Content-Type: Food Blog

No more soggy rice, repeat after me! There will be no more mushy rice! For years, I’ve used this Brown Rice cooking method, and it never fails.

Here are a few reasons why you’ll adore this recipe:

1. You don’t need a rice cooker or any other specific equipment to make this dish (just a pot with a lid, and a kitchen stove).
2. This method can be used with any type of brown rice (long, medium, or short grain, as long as it isn’t a quick-cooking version).
3. You’ll never need to look up how to cook brown rice again because it’s so simple to remember.

For this technique, you’ll boil your rice for 30 minutes in a large pot with plenty of water. Drain the excess water from the rice, return it to the pot, cover, and steam for 10 minutes. That’s it! Every time, perfect brown rice.

I first learned about this approach on Saveur, and I’m so glad I did. Their recipe calls for 12 glasses of water for each cup of rice (which is a lot), but I’ve discovered that it only needs 6 cups.

However, as long as you use a large enough pot, you don’t need to measure the water.

If the water evaporates too quickly during the cooking process, simply add extra and bring the water back to a boil. Even so, your rice will be wonderful!

PERFECT BROWN RICE

You’ll never want to cook brown rice any other way after trying this simple method. This recipe can be scaled up or down according to your needs.

1 part brown rice to 6 parts water gives 3 parts cooked rice in the basic ratio. The recipe gives 3 cups of cooked rice when followed exactly as described.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice (short, medium or long-grain brown rice will work, as long as it’s not a quick-cooking variety)
• 6 cups water
• Salt, soy sauce, or other desired seasonings, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Using at least 6 cups of water per 1 cup of rice, bring a big pot of water to a boil. To remove extra starch, rinse the rice in a fine mesh colander under running water.
2. Fill the pot with hot water and add the rice. Reduce the heat as needed to avoid overflowing, but keep the temperature at a constant boil. Cook for 30 minutes, uncovered.
3. Return the rice to the pot after draining the remaining cooking water. Cover the saucepan and set aside for 10 minutes, off the heat. Fluff with a fork, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

NOTES

• NOTE ON RINSING: I’ve made rice before without rinsing it, and it turned out almost as well. After steaming, you can see a small layer of gluey starch at the bottom of the pot, indicating that the grains are a little more starchy. Skip the rinse if you’re in a rush.
• MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Rice is gluten-free, so just watch what you put in it. Soy sauce, for example, contains gluten (substitute certified gluten-free tamari instead).
• OPTION FOR WILD RICE: Boil 8 cups of water for wild rice for 40 to 55 minutes, until cooked but still chewy.