Basic Stovetop Rice
- Total Time
- Up to 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:3 servings
- 1cup rice (long-grain or medium-grain, like basmati or jasmine; short-grain, like sushi rice; or brown rice)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)
234 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1 milligram sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Pour rice into a bowl, and fill it with cold water. Swirl the grains, using your fingers. Tip out any starchy water, and repeat until water runs almost clear.
- Step 2
Combine rice and water in a pot: For most long-grain and medium-grain rice, pair 1 cup rice and 1⅓ cups water. For short-grain rice, use 1 cup rice and 1 cup water. For most brown rice, combine 1 cup rice and 1¾ cups water. The rice and water should not come more than halfway up the sides of your pot; the mixture will double in volume as it cooks.
- Step 3
Bring water to a hard boil over medium-high heat. The water's entire surface should break with big, constant bubbles. As soon as water is boiling, give it a vigorous stir with a spatula or wooden spoon, making sure to scrape at any grains at the bottom of the pot. Cover it with a lid and turn the heat to low.
- Step 4
Cook long-grain and medium-grain rice for 15 minutes; short-grain varieties for 20 minutes; and brown rice for 30 minutes.
- Step 5
When allotted time has passed, or when you hear a change in sound – if you listen closely, you’ll notice the sounds will slowly change from a bubbly simmer to a steamy sort of flutter – turn off heat and let rice rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Tip
- To cook in an oven, bring rice to a boil on the stovetop, stir, cover and put it in a 350-degree oven to cook through (about 17 minutes for most white rice). Rest it covered at room temperature, for 10 minutes. To cook in a multicooker, rinse rice and pressure cook on high (about 3 minutes for short-grain rice; 8 minutes for long-grain rice; 22 minutes for brown rice). Open cooker after it’s depressurized naturally, then loosely cover the pot with a dish towel and plate and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mike Czechowski
Uh, if you buy enriched medium or long grain white rice (very common in the USA), the "enrichment" is in the form of vitamins and minerals that are applied to the surface of the grain AFTER the brown hull is milled off. When you rinse this kind of rice you are rinsing off these materials the YOU PAID EXTRA FOR! I know, I know, just goes to show we shouldn't be eating white rice, but, sigh...
Hephaestis
Try Dumbed-Down rice. No measuring of water; cook like pasta. Boil 3+ cups of water in a large saucepan or pot. Rinse 1+ cups of rice in a strainer, then add the rice to the water and return to a gentle boil boil. Cook uncovered for N minutes, where N = 10 minutes for long grain, white jasmine or basmati rice N = 15 minutes for converted rice N = ~30 minutes for brown rice (Rice should be very slightly al dente) Put rice back in drained pot, fluff and let sit for 5 minutes. Voila!
Linda A.
My mom, an immigrant from the old China, taught me to cook white rice this way: Pour whatever amount of rice you want into the pot. Rinse with water several times, swooshing and rubbing, pretty much as written up here. Then, with rice in the same pot, use your middle finger as a measure, the tip of that finger just touching the top of the rice, fill with water up to the first knuckle joint of your middle finger. Cook for as long as suggested here.
JDM
Perfect rice — EVERY TIME: Two-to-one; two cups liquid — one cup rice. Both in a pan, turn it on, bring to a high boil, turn to low and put on a lid for 20 min. Done. Perfect. Works for barley, quinoa...most grains.
dede.heath
Uh, I most definitely agree! I never rinse the brown rice. Rather, I sauté some chopped shallots in butter or olive oil, then add the rice, to sauté it for a few minutes before adding the water, or broth. 30-45 minutes is plenty for the boiling.
noknok
Thai short grain rice is what most people think of as ‘sticky rice’. You can’t boil this the normal way. The rice needs to be soaked (preferably overnight) and then steamed. My non-traditional method is to spread the soaked grains onto a fine-mesh splatter guard. Place it over a skillet filled with an inch of boiling water, with an overturned bowl on top, to keep most of the steam in. Steam for 15m or until the rice is cooked to desired softness. The grains should not be mushy.
Jane
After years of trying countless recipes to make plain rice only to be consistently disappointed and frustrated with the results, I finally caved and bought a rice cooker. Rice is absolutely perfect every time and I am much happier!
Celia
Rice was a staple when I lived in Ceylon as a child. I cook it the way it was cooked there. Large pot of boiling water, salted, add basmati rice, stir. Chinese rice cooks differently. Timer on for 8 minutes, test a grain or two for doneness, drain, add seasonings. This gives a dry rice, not sticky. Very often I add turmeric to the water which adds color to the rice. I don’t rinse my rice before cooking, the boiling water takes care of that.
Chris
From the great cookbook Thai Home Cooking by Kalolmal Pootaraksa: put rice in a pot that is not too wide. rinse if you like. add water to 1 finger joint higher than the rice. bring to boil as in the nytimes recipe, turn down to low and simmer covered for 17 minutes (for long grain rice.) Let sit. Fluff if you like (I like to leave it--i like the top layer of rice best.) No measuring!
Susan Z
Complete perfection for fluffy beautiful rice.
sarahpatto
Boil water. When boiling, add as much rice as you wish (leaving a healthy amount of boiling water on top.) Set timer for 10 min. Meanwhile set your electric kettle to prepare some boiling water for rinsing. When timer goes off pour the rice into a strainer and pour the boiling water from the kettle over it to rinse. Put the drained rice back in the saucepan and put a lid on it. Set it at the back of the stove to steam and fluff in the hot pan. Serve after 10 min or so.
Whole Grain
Used the rinsing and the water-up-to-first-finger-joint technique mentioned by Chris and Linda to cook Basmati rice in broth. The rice came out nicely fluffy. Rinsing makes a huge difference. Concerned about arsenic? Rinse beforehand. Some suggest boiling in excess water like pasta. Or try parboiling with absorption method to reduce arsenic but retain nutrients (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sustainable-food/news/new-way-cooking-rice-removes-arsenic-and-retains-mineral-nutrients-study-shows).
Christa
Made the best rice tonight....2 cups Basmati rice, 4 cups chicken broth with turmeric added for color. Brought to a boil, covered the pot for 20 minutes. Perfect! And yes, I rinsed the rice prior to cooking until the water was clear.
Charles
Agreed! The only thing I would add is to leave the cooked rice on the turned off burner for another 10 minutes. This insures an even distribution of moisture throughout.
Bynska
You are also saving all the arsenic, which is inherent in rice, when you make it this way. I do not recommend this method.
Es
It's too easy. Bring your water with rice to a boil and pop it into a 350 degree oven for 17 minutes. Works like a charm!
from a career rice burner
I must have burned rice at least every other time for 30 years. But in the years since this article was first published, i have never once burned my rice.
Adam
Hungry in Singapore, a vibrant and bustling city-state, the concept of food takes on a whole new level of significance. With its diverse culinary scene and countless hawker centers, it's no wonder that locals and tourists alike are often left feeling hungry for more.
warren
Don't rinse your rice, 2 parts water to 1 part rice for long grain, bring water and rice to a boil, cover and simmer for 18 minutes, fluff, serve.
MOC
No mention of fluffing in recipe instructions.
Cecilia
Cook jasmine rice for 10 min, not 15.
Christa
Made the best rice tonight....2 cups Basmati rice, 4 cups chicken broth with turmeric added for color. Brought to a boil, covered the pot for 20 minutes. Perfect! And yes, I rinsed the rice prior to cooking until the water was clear.
Greg M
sauteed 1/2 onion in olive oil. strained rice multiple times. Sauteed rice for a little bit. Then 1 1/3 cup vegetable broth. 20 minutes. Then 15 minutes covered off heat and then fluff.
Susie
Ms. Rao’s recipe has been my go to for cooking 1C of rice at a time. But sometimes I need to make more than 1C. I discovered an ATK video explaining the ratio of using 1:1 any rice to water, then adding 0.3 - 0.5 C (I use 0.3C) water for evaporation. The rice to water ratio scales up, but the evaporation amount stays the same. I still use Ms. Rao’s process, and the ATK ratio provides consistent results when cooking larger amounts
Mary O
My family prefers basmati rice. I use a 1:2 ratio of rice to water. Usually 1.25 cups rice to 2.5 cups water. Instead of salt, I dice a Knorr chicken bouillon cube into the water, and add a pat of butter. When the water comes to a boil, I add the rice, stir, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Set the timer for 13 minutes. Remove from heat and let it rest another 5 minutes. Done.
David Spence
For 50 years or so I have used 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water, adding the rice after the water boils, giving it a stir, turning the heat to low, and cooking for about 19 minutes. Very simple. Usually I use Basmati rice. Brown rice takes longer (maybe 30 minutes, and perhaps a third more water. This is at sea level or so; maybe longer would be needed at altitude.
Joan Marriott
What should the pot look like and its lid. What is the best material for the pot to be made of? Plus does the lid need or not need a small vent hole? How about is the lid always on tightly, slightly ajar or even off for a period of time. And do you place a clean absorbent tea towel between the pot and the lid at the end of the cooking process to absorb extra moisture?
Lzconde
So many ways to make rice! My father always said one cup of rice to two of water. Lower the heat when it boils. In Portugal my mother-in-law said to always rinse the rice to get rid of pesticides, and an aunt insisted that plain white rice was horrible and to fry garlic and salt before adding dry rice to coat, then water to boil and lower. I basically incorporate all methods; rinsing, frying with garlic, boiling with two cups of water. Do we need to rinse pesticides off rice?
Steve
The recipe says cook long grain rice for 15 minutes and short grain rice for 20. Then it says for a multi cooker cook short grain rice for 3 minutes and long grain for 8. Can this be right? If not, which is wrong. If so, why does it work that way.
Jess
This makes things sound a lot harder than they have to be. Rinse your rice (any amount). Fry gently in a fat until edges are translucent. Add boiling water so that it goes one finger segment higher than the top of the rice (2-3cm). Lid on, 10 min boiling. Flame off, keep lid on for 3-5m to absorb final bits. Perfect every time.
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