# Fluffy Rice - cooking content !!



## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

I know some of you boys are into your curries so what are your tips for the rice.

I just never seem to get mine just right, I've tried a few different ways both in a pot and a rice cooker as well. I've also tried numerous brands as well.

This one so far seems to be the best I've tried in a bit so any tips or suggestions ??


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

1.5x the amount of water to rice (just measure in a measuring jug). Water should be about 1 knuckle above the level of the rice once in the saucepan. Simmer till craters appear and then cover and leave on lowest heat for 15 minutes. Perfect fluffy rice every time  no need to drain in a collander or anything, straight from pan to plate.


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## Markybirch (Apr 24, 2009)

These work every time :

https://www.unclebens.com/products/ready-rice

For me anyway :laugh:


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## Rotundus (May 7, 2012)

2 x ramakin full of any decent basmati rice into 1.5 litres of unsalted water on the boil.

cook until cooked :laugh:

when cooked pour into large sieve and douse in boiling water (from kettle) to wash out excess loose starch .

apply to plate adding curry of choice


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Rotundus said:


> 2 x ramakin full of any decent basmati rice into 1.5 litres of unsalted water on the boil.
> 
> cook until cooked :laugh:
> 
> ...


meh it's all about washing the rice first till the water runs clear. Do t want to be cooking g rice in all that excess starch. (just my opinion of course, I'd never ever boil rice personally)


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## Lou61 (Aug 9, 2015)

hughlle said:


> 1.5x the amount of water to rice (just measure in a measuring jug). Water should be about 1 knuckle above the level of the rice once in the saucepan. Simmer till craters appear and then cover and leave on lowest heat for 15 minutes. Perfect fluffy rice every time  no need to drain in a collander or anything, straight from pan to plate.


This is basically what I do, except that when the rice starts to boil I leave it covered, switch off the heat and just leave it for around 10 mins.

I'f I'm doing rice to go with a curry, I also chuck in 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric and three or four cardamom pods and cloves.


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## artistmike (May 13, 2006)

Bond, that's probably the best rice I've ever tasted and I use it all the time, it has a really lovely flavour...

I cook it similarly to Rotundus, I initially pop it into a large saucepan and then rinse it through with cold water a few times to get out all the initial starch. I then put plenty of water into the saucepan with the rice, along with a teaspoon of Tumeric and two or three cardamom pods, put onto the heat, bring to the boil for a minute to kill any bacteria and then cover with the saucepan lid and turn the heat right down so that it doesn't even quite simmer.

Leave till cooked, then drain and pour some boiled water over the top, as Rotundus says, to get rid of the rest of the starch and then you'll find you have great fluffy rice when you run a fork through it....


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Lou61 said:


> hughlle said:
> 
> 
> > 1.5x the amount of water to rice (just measure in a measuring jug). Water should be about 1 knuckle above the level of the rice once in the saucepan. Simmer till craters appear and then cover and leave on lowest heat for 15 minutes. Perfect fluffy rice every time  no need to drain in a collander or anything, straight from pan to plate.
> ...


tjats how I do it for curry except I fry off the cardemon and cloves first then add rice. Never been a huge fan of turmeric first though.


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

BondandBigM said:


> I know some of you boys are into your curries so what are your tips for the rice.
> 
> I just never seem to get mine just right, I've tried a few different ways both in a pot and a rice cooker as well. I've also tried numerous brands as well.
> 
> This one so far seems to be the best I've tried in a bit so any tips or suggestions ??


I read that wrong and thought it ain't going to be a right good tea tonight :laugh:


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## Rotundus (May 7, 2012)

hughlle said:


> Rotundus said:
> 
> 
> > 2 x ramakin full of any decent basmati rice into 1.5 litres of unsalted water on the boil.
> ...


huge waste of water washing before hand, imho, simmer if you prefer that to boil - but the end result is the same ...


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## Iceblue (Sep 4, 2013)

Bond you could GRAIN a lot from the above :laugh:


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## SBryantgb (Jul 2, 2015)

BondandBigM said:


> I know some of you boys are into your curries so what are your tips for the rice.
> 
> I just never seem to get mine just right, I've tried a few different ways both in a pot and a rice cooker as well. I've also tried numerous brands as well.
> 
> This one so far seems to be the best I've tried in a bit so any tips or suggestions ??


What I always do is.....

Pick up phone and call best local curry house, then say do you deliver etc etc... :yes:


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I use a microwave steamer, perfect everytime, mind you I can never get the quantity right, always more left over than we eat ! I really must figure out a measurement....


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Good ideas, normally I do 2-1 water to rice but I never wash it through before hand or after so maybe that's where I'm going a bit wrong. I do add a bit of butter to the water though.

Mike, that rice was on offer in Asda for £1.50 a bag, usually it's about £3+ so I bought 8 bags last week. The offer might still be on.

I don't do takeaways, there used to be one at the bottom of the road where we lived and I regularly so him unloading bags and bags of Asda/Aldi/Morrison smart price crap the charge a tenner for a currie and they'll all be at it, and I actually enjoy a bit of cooking and at least know what's going into it.


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## Rotundus (May 7, 2012)

so how do they get the figs in the fig rolls ?


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

And ramikins, what that all about. Watching to much of that come dine with me malarkey ??

What's wrong with Tupperware

:laugh: :laugh:


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## Rotundus (May 7, 2012)

BondandBigM said:


> And ramikins, what that all about. Watching to much of that come dine with me malarkey ??
> 
> What's wrong with Tupperware
> 
> :laugh: :laugh:


buggered if i know - we have 2 - one is in the big tupperware :biggrin: rice box and used for measuring - the other gets used when frying to take the excess grease from the pan ...

given that the 710 is a semi retired home economics (etc etc ) teacher and a part time baker we should get some slack cut for the weird and wonderful bits and bobs we have about the kitchen...


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Excess grease? I do t understand. There can never be enough grease  grease is flavour


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I really don't like rice, sorry. :wink:


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

:laugh: :laugh:

Later,
William


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## Caller. (Dec 8, 2013)

In Thailand, my other half never cooks rice, I don't even think she has any in the house. But you can buy it ready cooked from pretty much any food stall for 15 baht - about 22p!


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## Rotundus (May 7, 2012)

Caller said:


> In Thailand, my other half never cooks rice, I don't even think she has any in the house. But you can buy it ready cooked from pretty much any food stall for 15 baht - about 22p!


so would that be purchased warm ? reheated ? eaten cold ? just asking ... sounds handy though ...

assume perhaps you can buy the rest of the meal from the same stall or the one next to it :biggrin:


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Caller said:


> In Thailand, my other half never cooks rice, I don't even think she has any in the house. But you can buy it ready cooked from pretty much any food stall for 15 baht - about 22p!


what's the hygein like at these stalls?  I've been very very ill from Asian street food, so am rather wary these days.


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## Caller. (Dec 8, 2013)

Hot, from a huge rice cooker! :laugh:

I'm lucky in that I have never suffered from eating street food. But you pays your money and takes your choice. The popular ones are popular for a reason and out here in Thailand it's the norm, especially after dark, when the stalls start being set up in the unlikeliest of places, with tables squeezed on to pavement edges. Here's one we've used a bit:

The menu -




























The kitchen -










The food -



















The distressing sights 20 yards away -


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

Looks pretty damn good  although I must admit I'd have walked away if I saw the chef wearing a watch. I take hygein in the kitchen pretty seriously. Can't believe what some of the chefs I've worked with get away with.

Can I visit  I might be wary, but I still love street food. I'll get back to Hong Kong and China one of these days, although it might be Japan first.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

jasonm said:


> I use a microwave steamer, perfect everytime, mind you I can never get the quantity right, always more left over than we eat ! I really must figure out a measurement....


I have a microwave steamer but just for veggies but to be fair haven't had much success but never thought about doing rice in it. I'll give that a go as well


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## Iceblue (Sep 4, 2013)

Bond I defo think you have gone the RICE way about this


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Iceblue said:


> Bond I defo think you have gone the RICE way about this


 :laugh: :laugh:


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## artistmike (May 13, 2006)

> Good ideas, normally I do 2-1 water to rice but I never wash it through before hand or after so maybe that's where I'm going a bit wrong. I do add a bit of butter to the water though.
> 
> Mike, that rice was on offer in Asda for £1.50 a bag, usually it's about £3+ so I bought 8 bags last week. The offer might still be on.


There's really no need to do the 2-1 thing, just put loads of water in and that way you don't have to worry whether you have enough and it tends not to stick together but stays nice and separate...

I'll check my local Asda, thanks, that's an amazing price for what has to be one of the best rice around


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

artistmike said:


> > Good ideas, normally I do 2-1 water to rice but I never wash it through before hand or after so maybe that's where I'm going a bit wrong. I do add a bit of butter to the water though.
> >
> > Mike, that rice was on offer in Asda for £1.50 a bag, usually it's about £3+ so I bought 8 bags last week. The offer might still be on.
> 
> ...


We tried it bit back and it just chance that Big M spotted it on the Asda offers, normally we don't shop there very often. And yep it is good, we rice have with all sorts. A gazzilon people out in the Far East can't all be wrong

:laugh:


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## Caller. (Dec 8, 2013)

Apologies for photos going awol. It's a size thing - how I saved them as opposed to 'best for web sharing'.

Japans great - well what I saw of it. Tokyo and a trip to Fuji and back on the bullet train. Keep saying I'll get back there. Maddest place I've ever been. Thailand is just daft, not mad!


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

hughlle said:


> Caller said:
> 
> 
> > In Thailand, my other half never cooks rice, I don't even think she has any in the house. But you can buy it ready cooked from pretty much any food stall for 15 baht - about 22p!
> ...


I never had any bother and ate just about every day form street vendors in various places out that way, Big M & I lived in Singapore for a bit and similarly never had any problems anywhere we went. Most of it is nuked in a red hot wok which probably kills anything that'll do you any harm although what you are actually eating is another thing all together.

The one place I did get done in was when I working in Abu Dhabi, I thought I was going to die, my boss said later he had seen healthier looking dead people.

:laugh: :laugh:

Outside of the few flash hotels and in common with a few other Middle Est places I visited, the place was a cockroach ridden sh!thole.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

So I've tried a few of the suggestions and so far the best seems to be lots of water, bring to the boil and then switch the cooker to the low simmer setting and then just leave it for a bit.










What happened to the smilies, guess I should have a look at the video Roy posted, anyway the rice is good to go now and it's still on offer in ASDA so I bought some more at the weekend.

:lol: :lol:


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## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

When I worked in Japan I lived with a lovely family for about 3 months in total (differing visits) and they said only ever use a rice cooker and everybody without fail washes the rice first, until the water runs clear as it is the starch which is the sticky bit.

Here at home I use the cheapest rice cooker I could find (Lidl) put the ric in the pot, under a running tap whilst whisking with a wire whisk, tip the cloudy water out a few times (fastest and easiest way to clean it) then just have roughly 1/2 - 1" of water above the rice.

Perfect fluffy rice every time..........no salt, no butter..........use decent rice though! Cheap stuff in Lidl or Aldi is fine


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