There are three ways to cook rice, and each one needs a different amount of water. These methods are boiling, which needs 12 times as much water as rice, the Japanese method, which needs 5 times as much, and steaming, which needs 2-1/2 times as much. No matter which of these methods is used, though, it's important to remember that properly cooked rice grains should be whole and separate. To keep the shape of these cereals and keep the rice from looking like paste, they shouldn't be stirred too much or cooked for too long.
BOILED RICE: The easiest way to cook rice is to boil it. When cooked right, rice is not only a good dish on its own but also a great base for other dishes that can be served at any meal. The water used to boil rice should not be wasted because it has a lot of good things in it. This water can be used to make soups or sauces, or it can be used to make yeast bread.
BOILED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 cup rice, 3 teaspoons salt, and 3 quarts of boiling water.
Carefully wash the rice and add it to the salted water that is already boiling. Boil quickly until the starch from the rice starts to make the water look milky or until you can easily crush a grain between your fingers. Pour the cooked rice through a colander to get rid of the loose starch, and then pour cold water over the rice in the colander to keep each grain separate. Shake the rice over the fire to heat it up again, and serve it hot with butter, gravy, cream, milk, and sugar, or milk and sugar.
JAPANESE METHOD: Japanese-style rice can be used in the same ways that boiled rice can. But unless the water from boiled rice is going to be used for something else, the Japanese way is a cheaper way to cook this cereal.
JAPANESE METHOD (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 cup of rice; 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt; 5 cups of boiling water
Wash the rice, put it in the salted water that is already boiling, and let it cook slowly for 15 minutes. Then, cover the pot where the rice is cooking and put it in the oven for 15 more minutes. This will help the water evaporate more completely and soften the grains without making them mushy. Serve as you would be boiled rice.
STEAMED RICE: Steaming rice takes more time than either of the two methods above, but it doesn't waste any food. The rice will also look better than rice cooked in other ways, as long as it is not stirred too much while it is steaming. Like boiled rice, steamed rice can be used as a base for many different dishes and can be served at any meal.
STEAMED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 cup of rice; 12 teaspoons of salt; 21/2 cup of water
Carefully wash the rice and add it to the salted water that is already boiling. After 5 minutes, put it in a double boiler and keep cooking it until it's soft. Don't stir the rice and keep the lid on the cooking tool. This way of cooking rice will take about an hour. Serve as you would be boiled rice.
