6 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking Rice
The problem: Crunchy rice
The solution: Make sure your lid is tight. If the lid of your rice pot doesn’t seal properly, steam will escape the pot rather than cooking your rice. An easy remedy is to lay a clean kitchen towel between the pot and lid to keep steam from getting out. Just make sure the towel isn’t touching your burner.
The problem: clumpy white rice
The solution: Give white rice a quick rinse. When white rice rubs together in its package, some of the grain’s starch rubs off and forms a fine powder. When this starchy powder comes into contact with water, it becomes incredibly sticky and pulls grains together as water is absorbed into the rice to make a globby mess. Rinsing white rice before cooking removes this starchy powder, and with it, the threat of clumpy rice. You can also add a touch of oil or butter to your pot to help prevent sticking even further. These are some common mistakes you make while cooking chicken, too.
The problem: uneven cooking
The solution: Give your rice a little rest. As tempting as it is to dig into a pot of rice right when it’s done, letting your rice sit for ten or 15 minutes, off heat, lets the heat redistribute in the pot, leading to a more evenly cooked pot of rice.