Medium Grain Asian Rice on the Stovetop

Ages ago we used to have a rice cooker. It broke, and we didn’t replace it, and then I made not very good rice for years. I finally found the perfect cooking method for medium grain Asian white rice made on the stove top. It always come outs perfectly cooked this way and I’ve been doing it for years. You just need a good sauce pot with a tight fitting lid, some rice, and some water. I usually use Kokuho brand or if I have to buy at the regular market, Calrose rice.

The great thing about this cooking method is you just scale to water to the amount of rice, so you can make any amount you want. You just use 1 cup plus 2-3 tbsp water for each cup dry rice (start with 2..if you rice doesn’t seem tender enough increase to 3 the next time). I typically make 2 cups of dried rice for our family of 5.

You need:

• 2 cups rice
• pot with tight fitting lid
• 2 cups plus 4-5 tbsp water

Put the rice in your pot and rinse and drain it about 3 times until the water runs more clear. Cover the rice with water and let rest for 10 minutes. Drain the rice, put back into the pot, and add the 2 cups plus 4 tbsp water. Cover and place on one of your smaller burners at high heat. After about 5-6 minutes the water should boil and the pan with start to sputter. Go by the noise and activity, not the time. Once this happens, turn down to low and cook 5-6 minutes more. After 5-6 minutes, turn the heat up to medium high and listen closely to your pot. If you can hear snapping and popping, your rice is ready. If you don’t, let it keep cooking on medium high with your head near it until you hear the snapping sound. This usually doesn’t take more than 30 seconds or so. Remove pot from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the heat, fluff with a fork, and serve!

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