The perfect rice for pilaf: how to choose and how long to cook

Rice is an extremely popular product that can be found in almost every kitchen. It is used to prepare side dishes, make sushi, and add to salads or appetizers. Most often, housewives prefer pilaf, but few people know how to cook the perfect crumbly rice for this dish. Knowing the right proportions of rice and water for pilaf is not all. The process of cooking rice requires the right approach. After all, the taste and crumbliness can be influenced by the type of grain, the proportions of water and cereal, the cooking time, and even the utensils. The pilaf itself will always be in demand, especially now that it is getting noticeably cold outside and people want to eat more hearty food.

The FoodOboz editorial team will share the secrets of cooking puffed rice for perfect pilaf.

Preparation for cooking

Before cooking, rice must be rinsed in running water. Rinse 5-8 times until the water becomes clear. This helps to reduce the starch content in the cereal, which is responsible for the stickiness of the porridge.

However, if you need to cook the cereal as soon as possible, you should soak the porridge in cold water and let it stand for about 40-60 minutes. Thus, the cooking time will be reduced by at least half. In addition, it is worth remembering that you will need to slightly reduce the amount of water for cooking, otherwise the porridge will become viscous.

Cookware for cooking rice

Most people will be surprised by this point, but it's true – the dishes play an equally important role. Thick-bottomed dishes are best for cooking rice so that the temperature inside is distributed more evenly: a saucepan, saucepan, or large frying pan. An important point: the container must be closed with a lid, as it is better to cook the cereal in a closed container.

Proportions of rice and water

Traditionally, housewives are used to using 2 cups of water for 1 cup of grains. However, it all depends on the type of porridge:

• Steamed – 1 part of grains to 2 parts of water.
• Long-grain – 1 part of grains to 1.5-2 cups of water.
• Brown – 1 part of grains to 2.5-3 cups of water.
• Round-grained – 1 part of grains to 2.5-3 cups of water.

Rice cooking time

As in the previous case, the time for cooking rice depends on its type:

• White round or long – 15-20 minutes.
• Brown (brown) – 30-40 minutes.
• Steamed – 20-30 minutes.

Secrets and tips

1. For crumbly porridge, it is best to use long-grain rice varieties.
2. Rice should be cooked over low heat, otherwise, the water will evaporate quickly and the grains will not have time to cook completely.
3. If you want the most fluffy rice in the end, it is advisable not to stir it during the cooking process.