There are hundreds of varieties of rice. It is important to know what kind of rice to use in various dishes in order to get the best result.
Short-grain rice suits for steaming Chinese style, or for Chinese fried rice. It is also good for puddings,risotto, or any dish where a creamy result is important.
Long-grain rice is required for Indian or Middle Eastern rice dishes such as pilaf.
Brown rice has a lot of nutritive value and vitamin B content but requires longer cooking and more liquid. It has a firmer, more chewy texture than polished.
Basmati rice has longer grains and is one of the world’s finest varieties of rice. Basmati rice is the easiest rice to cook and it comes up fluffy and separate.
Its unique fragrance and flavor makes the addition of other ingredients unnecessary.
There two different methods of cooking rice.
Absorption method: Add 1 cup washed, drained rice to 2 cups boiling water with 1 teaspoon each of salt and butter. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover tightly, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Most kinds of rice cook perfectly by this method; i.e., 2 cups water for the first cup of rice and 1 cups water for each extra cup of rice. The only exception is brown or natural rice, which needs more than twice the quantity of water. One cup brown rice requires approximately 4 1/2 cups water and takes 1 to 1,5 hours to cook.
Water bath method: This method requires a large pan and 8 cups water to each cup of rice. Bring 8 cups water to the boil with 1 level tablespoon salt. Add 1 cup rice and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, when rice grain pressed between the fingers will feel soft. Drain into a colander and pour hot water through to separate the grains and wash away excess starch.