There are many ways to cook rice in the world. For todays purposes, were tackling steaming rice in a pot on the stovetop—and all the pitfalls that can come with it.
As simple as it may seem, theres a delicate dance to getting steamed rice just right. You have to figure out the proper ratio of water for the type of rice youre cooking, You have to decide whether or not to rinse (if youre aiming for fluffy, steamed rice, always rinse). Theres the totally individual task of adjusting the heat on your stove to keep the rice at a steady simmer.
Mistakes will be made: burned rice, mushy rice, salty rice. Our favorite rice cooker adjusts for some of these human errors, but not everyone has the space or money for new appliances. However, there are easy fixes for almost any rice problem. Here’s what to do when steamed rice turns against you.
How to fix watery rice
If the rice grains are cooked to your liking, but there’s still water in the pot, dont try to cook the water off. Instead, pour the rice into a fine-mesh strainer and, just as you would with pasta, drain the excess water and then continue with your recipe.
How to fix undercooked rice
Maybe you cooked it at too high of a temperature, evaporating the water long before the rice actually cooked. Maybe you took the lid off of the pot too early, letting the steam escape. Maybe you didnt add enough liquid to begin with. Whatever the case, if your rice is looking dried out, or the texture is still hard or crunchy when all the liquid has been absorbed, add up to ½ cup water and return to a simmer with the lid on. Be patient. Dont raise the temperature to rush the rice—thatll just put you right back where you started.
How to rescue “Uncooked rice”
FAQ
Why is my rice still hard in my rice pudding?
How do you salvage undercooked rice?
What to do if rice pudding doesn t set?
How do you revive rice pudding?
How do you fix undercooked rice?
The easiest way to fix undercooked rice is to simply let it cook longer. If you’ve cooked the rice for the correct amount of time but find that it’s undercooked and there’s still water left in the pot, keep the heat on low and cook covered for another few minutes (or until all of the water has been absorbed).
What should I use to mix in boiled rice?
Adding veggies like carrots is a good way to vary it up. In addition to making the dish more beautiful and colorful, you enjoy the benefits of vegetables.
How do you thicken rice pudding?
Serve rice pudding at whatever temperature you’d like: straight from the pot, warm, or even cold. It does thicken up as it cools, so thin it out if needed with more milk to get it back to your desired texture. Measure out the rice and milk. Place 1 cup uncooked short-grain or long-grain white rice, or 3 cups cooked rice in a large saucepan.
Can you cook undercooked rice in a rice cooker?
This works best when your rice is still wet, but doesn’t have a lot of excess water, so if there is a little extra liquid then you might want to drain it a little before giving it a bake in the oven. With a rice cooker, you can still fix undercooked rice, but it’s a little tricky.