Cooking rice....without glugginess!

I am so bad at cooking rice :doh: ...any suggestions on how to make it so it isnt all gluggy and stuck together??!?!? Does the brand matter??
Any fried rice recipes would be handy too!

Thanks,
Tink x

I bought a rice cooker the other week and I am completely in love! Rice comes out perfect every time, just like you would expect at a restaurant! Try a rice cooker and you wont go back - plus you dont have to keep an eye on times - it buzzes when done ;)

I prefer Jasmine rice, it's delicious :)

Tinka, I got this tip from the great Stephanie Alexander cookbook. It never fails, no matter what type of rice you are cooking.

Put rice in saucepan and pour over just enough water to cover. Stir with fork. Turn up heat fully and put lid on. When rice has come to boil, remove lid, stir with fork and place one sheet of baking paper over the saucepan. Place lid over top and push down firmly. Turn heat down to low. You may need to check and stir periodically with the fork but within 20 minutes (or even less with white rice) you have fluffy grains at your disposal.

Rice Cooker here too... You need to wash the gluten off your rice too in hot water before cooking, or else it does go gluggy!

Then depending on how much rice you want (we go through 5kgs a week) you add the water accordingly... We do 6 cups at a time in ours & it had the number 6 in the side so you fill it to that, but there's am Asian trick that yopu fill it up to your knuckle, but if your already having issues with rice, best not to confuse you...
I hate stove top cooking rice, I also used to have a cheap microwave rice cooker & it cooked the rice perfectly everytime!

Fried Rice...

We use day old cooked rice. You can refrigerate it as it's best hard, not too soft!
then fry a couple eggs, chop up & put aside...
Fry some prawns, or chicken or whatever meat you want to add & throw in the rice, the fried egg & vegies like corn, chopped & par boiled carrots, bean shoots, peas, etc, etc..
A dash or 2 of soy sauce, some cillies &/or anything else you want to add!

HTH

Yum Tracey :)

We use a rice cooker here too - it takes all the geuss work out of it. I like to have a few varieties in the cupboard. The basmati is great and seems to serperate more than some of the other varieties but its not so fluffy as the jasmine rice. Like Tracey says you need to wash your rice before cooking it. I usually rinse it few times in cold water. DH puts a bit of olive oil in when he does rice so it doesn't stick but I don't think its nessescary.

Hi Tink

We just use only Basmati Rice it never goes gluggy, we cook it no longer than 10 - 12mins tops. Then use a strainer and let it sit for about 1mins or so after shaking the water out.

Bel
xxx

Jasmine Rice seems to cook quicker, and isnt as sticky. I LOVE rice. Would eat it every day if i could. I do think it depends on the brand too. I like the sound of the Rice Cooker. Must get one.
RECIPE fried Rice:
Cooked Rice from Day before
Spring Onion
Peas
Carrot (very thin small strips) - optional
Fried chopped Egg
Bacon or Ham in cubes
Cooked Shrimps
Ginger
Lime Juice (squeeze)
Lemon Juice (squeeze)
Garlic
Soy Sauce

YUM :)

I so totally suck at cooking normal rice but basmati is my best friend. I have never gone wrong with it and it's got a lovely taste to it too.

Rice cooker here as well... I used to refuse to cook rice because it would never turn out properly for me... well now with my rice cooker it is perfect every time!! :)

Another rice cooker fan - put it on and walk away. 15 mins later perfect fluffy rice :D

Otherwise as others have mentioned basmati rice boils well (rinse first)

Wow! Best I buy a rice cooker, although I can manage to get rice ok without one, they just sound so easy.

Do they cook brown rice easily too? I tend to buy this as it's lower GI and better for you.

I love Basmati rice. :)
I've never had a problem cooking rice on the stove. I read somewhere that you need LOTS of water. I use my biggest pot and fill it, bring it to the boil, add the rice and cook 10-12 minutes. Fluffy and never gluggy.

I had the same problem, esp. when the rice goes all hard and yukky on the bottom, if I put it into a bowl it would shape like the bowl on the bottom .

I cook with basmati - wash first 2 cups rice then add to 4 cups water. Boil 15 mins. at the end take rice out and wash with cold tap water in a strainer.

Result - separated rice! It was amazing!

I had the same trouble & didn't like having to watch it & stir it all of the time. I hated cooking rice sooooo much that DH & I just stopped eating it!!! LOL. Now we have a rice cooker & it's the best appliance in the house, its always used so not a waste of money or cupboard space & I don't have to stress about cooking it anymore.

If you dont have a rice cooker, the trick to rice is to put how ever much rice you need in a saucepan and only add enough water up to your first knuckle. Works every time ;) Bring to the boil and then turn it down very low until all the water is absorbed.

i too hate gluggy rice!

my mum's recipe is my all time fav (she is the rice cooking queen!).

basmati rice is the best in my opinion.

wash the rice in cold water beforehand (altho you don't have to)
add 2 cups of COLD water for every cup of rice. i find a heavy based pan works well. leave lid OFF and set to boil. once on the verge of boiling get 2 sheets of baking paper and make sure they cover the edges well. put a well fitting (and it possible heavy) lid on top of the paper and turn the stove down to almost nothing. leave as is DONT check to see how it is going at any time for about 20 mins. you can then turn off and leave until ready to serve, then take the lid off.

should be fluffy and yummy rice.

that all said i have heard that if you have an electric cook top, that a rice cooker uses HEAPS less energy (and hence greenhouse gas emissions) as it has a low wattage. it also a lot easier than on a stove top!

hmmmmm

dusty

the only thign i manage to burn is rice!!!
i have a rice cooker and am totally in love, mine has the little hioley insert so i can steam vegies while cooking my rice aswell!!!

can you eat da old rice when preg?? i heard sometihng about nasties!!

Use basmati or Doongara clever rice!! It has a different type of starch in it to normal short/long grain rice.

I find that if you stir the rice while cooking it, no matter which rice it is, it will go mushy and sticky. I cook either on the stove top, and use a ratio of 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down. Don't lift the lid as it releases the steam which helps with the cooking process. Some rice types are naturally more mushy than others. Par-boiled long grain normally comes out as individual grains. Also the amount of water determines the stickyness of the rice. Good luck.